Details Of How Bib Fortuna Ruled Revealed In 'The Book Of Boba Fett'
Chapter 3 of The Book of Boba Fett: The Streets of Mos Espa, delves into the political intrigue of the underworld and shows that nothing’s as straightforward as it seems. Boba Fett’s predecessor was none other than Bib Fortuna – Jabba’s aide in Return of the Jedi.
The first we really see of Bib Fortuna is when R2-D2 broadcasts Luke Skywalker’s message to Jabba, requesting the release of Han Solo. Luke introduces himself as a Jedi Knight. Bib Fortuna leans over to Jabba and whispers, “He’s no Jedi.” It’s precisely the sort of thing you’d expect from a sycophant to curry favor.
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When Luke arrives later at Jabba’s palace, he uses the Jedi Mind Trick on Bib Fortuna to gain an audience with Jabba. But, according to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s qualification in A New Hope, the Jedi Mind Trick works on the “weak-minded.” So when Jabba sees Bib Fortuna has brought Luke before him, Jabba chastises Bib as precisely that – “weak-minded” – and tells Luke that the Jedi Mind Trick won’t work on him.
As small as these scenes are, they paint Bib Fortuna as a lackey. He’s not some scheming lieutenant, waiting for his time to make his move. He’s not a Sith apprentice, waiting until he’s accumulated enough skill, knowledge, and experience to topple his master. Instead, he’s a flunky who survives by being as insignificant as possible – a wise decision given Jabba’s temperament and proclivity for obliterating those who displease him.
In The Streets of Mos Espa, it’s established that the Aqualish, Transdoshans, and Klatooinians divided the city among themselves, while Bib Fortuna bribed the mayor to look the other way. Bib Fortuna has either lacked the stature to command Mos Espa as Jabba did or has recognized that his best chance of survival is by navigating the landscape as inoffensively as possible – just as he did in Jabba’s palace.
It’s here and only here in the palace that he becomes a petty despot. He’s bloated when we see him in the tag of The Rescue, The Mandalorian’s season two conclusion. He has gorged himself in his new position. No doubt, once he seized the throne, he indulged himself in a way that he was not allowed previously. We’ve seen Boba Fett and Fennec Shand present feasts. Bib Fortuna, no doubt, took full advantage of them.
He also forbade the use of Jabba’s name. Boba Fett is irritated when the palace seneschal, the droid 8D8, tries to dance around a reference to Jabba. Boba Fett bids him speak freely. It’s just a name. He’s confident in himself, his position, and his capacity to back up his governance. But for Bib Fortuna, it was an attempt to impose his will on the palace and build himself up in a way he couldn’t in Mos Espa. He’s a bully who has no power against real might.
It’s a fascinating way to contextualize what the underworld must’ve been like following Jabba’s demise. Bib Fortuna was a weak leader who had neither the intelligence nor the skills to fill the role, so he surrendered power to stronger and more influential figures. As a result, the city’s underworld hierarchy broke down and grew fractious and factional.
Whatever purpose Bib Fortuna was now serving was almost ceremonial. Arguably, even if Boba Fett hadn’t come along, it was just a matter of time before somebody realized that Jabba’s position was redundant and made a move on Bib Fortuna. He was hardly secure, as evidenced by how easily Boba Fett and Fennec Shand took the throne from him.
Most expected Boba Fett to take over and be Vito Corleone, exercising the single-mindedness and ruthlessness he employed as a bounty hunter in his new role. But that wouldn’t have worked. Instead, the factions would’ve fought him if not banded together to eliminate him.
Boba Fett remarked in an earlier episode that Jabba ruled with fear while he intended to rule with respect. That makes sense. At this stage, Boba Fett doesn’t have the resources to oppose anybody. He can’t arrange some simultaneous operatic elimination of all his enemies, a la The Godfather’s climax.
His recourse is to do precisely what he’s doing – negotiating alliances, employing misfits, and finding any way to increase his resources until he’s built an army that rivals, threatens, and overwhelms those other factions.
While Jabba built a criminal empire, it’s become evident that Bib Fortuna laid it to waste.
And Boba Fett is left to rebirth from the ashes.
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Source(s): CBR