Book of Boba Fett theory: One word explains Episode 1's biggest mystery
What’s a “Daimyo” anyway?
Who’s the boss of Mos Espa? After taking out Bibb Fortuna at the end of The Mandalorian Season 2, Boba Fett seemed well-placed to run the Tattooine town, but at the start of The Book of Boba Fett, things aren’t quite so simple. Who’s really calling the shots? The answer comes down to one word: Daimyo.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Book of Boba Fett Episode 1.
What is a Daimyo in Star Wars?
As far as we know, the term “Daimyo” has no precedent in Star Wars canon. However, it does have a meaning in our own world. In Feudal Japan, a daimyo was a great lord who served a shogun (military dictators who ruled the country). Daimyo were powerful in their own right, but they ultimately served their shogun masters. Enter: Boba Fett.
Oda Nobunaga was a major daimyo the initiator of the unification of Japan in the late 16th century.
In Episode 1 of The Book of Boba Fett, our main character is referred to as a daimyo multiple times. This may sound like a sign of respect, but it also makes one thing clear: Boba still has a boss. Who’s above Fett in the pecking order? We have to assume the answer is the show’s mysterious mayor, who sends his own “majordomo” to greet Boba Fett and request a gift as tribute.
This doesn’t go very well. Fett refuses and seems insulted. He clearly thinks he’s in charge, but if Boba is a daimyo then he answers to someone...
“Daimyo” solves Boba Fett’s biggest mystery
Boba Fett and Fennec Shand.
Later in Episode 1, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand are attacked by a group of assassins with futuristic shields and electrified weapons. Boba barely survives, and while Fennec is able to capture one of the assassins alive, the episode ends before we find out what they want or who they work for. We’ll probably learn the answer in Episode 2, but we may already know it right now.
If Boba Fett is a “daimyo” who refuses to serve his “shogun,” then it’s likely only a matter of time before the shogun takes action. The question is: What will Boba do now? Can he upend the system of power on Tattoine and level-up from daimyo to shogun?
The Book of Boba Fett is streaming now on Disney+.
