Fan theories are springing up like Sarlaac tentacles across the internet, saying that Season 2 of The Book of Boba Fett will see fan favourite character Lady Qi’ra resurface as Boba Fett’s next enemy. Originally played by Game of Thrones veteran Emilia Clarke in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Lady Qi’ra has recently made a comeback in the Marvel Star Wars comics as a primary antagonist in the ‘War of the Bounty Hunters’ and ‘Crimson Reign’ story arcs, as the leader of the shadowy, Illuminati-like Crimson Dawn crime empire.

And according to some proponents of the theory, Qi’ra’s return has already been teased via some cleverly hidden details from The Book of Boba Fett Season 1:

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The first ‘clues’ to fuel theories of Qi’ra’s comeback was the insignia worn by the Pyke Syndicate Boss - a logo that seemed like a marriage of the Pyke Syndicates logo from The Clone Wars and the Crimson Dawn’s split circular crest. People familiar with the Pykes know they had a history with Maul, Qi’ra’s former mentor, and were prominently featured in Qi’ra’s auction in War of the Bounty Hunters. So could this strange insignia indicate a continued partnership between the Pykes and the Dawn?

There’s also the Order of the Night Wind, the mercs that attack Boba and Fennec in the first episode as they tour Mos Espa. This group sports red shields and red garbs (red = crimson?) strikingly similar to Deathstick, a Dathomirian assassin and close ally of Qi’ra that played a significant role in the Crimson Dawn’s ascent to power.

These two might be the weakest’ clues’ on this list, but we all know how much Star Wars writers and producers love teasing fans with Easter Eggs, so don’t discount them entirely.

Music

Boba Fett and Fennec Shand — Image Source: polygon

Another clue that caught the ears of some fans was the leitmotif of The Book of Boba Fett’s opening theme, which is scarily similar to that of the “Meet Han” theme from Solo: A Star Wars Story - the same film where Qi’ra made her debut. However, this theory holds a bit more track because The Book of Boba Fett has previously pulled the music foreshadowing trick. In the ending scene of Episode 4, ‘The Gathering Storm,’ The Mandalorian theme plays during a chat between Boba Fett and Fennec Shand, foreshadowing Din Djarin’s arrival in the next episode.

Was the placement of The Mandalorian theme an overt distraction from the Solo theme snuck into The Book of Boba Fett’s opening credits?

Story / Politics

The biggest yet most subtle hints for the return of Qi’ra and the Crimson Dawn lie in some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it statements made by the cast and the criminal underworld’s ‘politics’ within the Star Wars universe.

Qi'ra/Vader/Palpatine cover of Crimson Reign 1 — Image Source: Marvel

The first is the continuous appearances and boldness of the Pyke Syndicate throughout the series, which is odd, considering that anyone familiar with the Pykes knows that they are typically thugs that don’t act out unless they have someone else’s backing. The Pykes joined up with the Crimson Dawn before the War of the Bounty Hunters storyline and were part of Maul’s Shadow Collective before that. Is it possible that they are still partners with Qi’ra? That she is pulling the Pykes’ strings?

Secondly, was a line used by Fennec Shand in regards to the Twins - Hutt cousins of Jabba the Hutt that challenged Fett’s right to rule Mos Espa - when she said that Fett would need ‘permission’ from someone high-ranking to kill a Hutt. The problem is, the Hutts are among the most influential people in the galaxy, so whose ‘permission’ would be needed? Certainly someone with widespread influence - an influence that Qi’ra wielded as the head of the Crimson Dawn.

Lastly, there is a brief but intense history between Fett and Qi’ra. In the aforementioned War of the Bounty Hunters storyline, Qi’ra stole the carbonite frozen Han Solo from Fett, leading to Jabba the Hutt placing an open, galaxy-wide bounty on Fett’s head. This might seem trivial, but considering how personally Fett takes things, it’s not crazy to think that Fett is still holding a grudge. Plus, with The Book of Boba Fett revolving around Boba’s reckoning with his past, it’s not crazy to think that his history with Qi’ra could catch up with him.

Is there any truth to these theories, or is it just another day of fandoms pushing baseless theories? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure, if Qi’ra and Boba Fett cross paths, the galaxy won’t be big enough for the both of them…

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