'The Book of Boba Fett' Could Introduce His Darkest Secret Into Canon
The Star Wars franchise loves to surprise its fans with secret, surprise babies as much as Maury Povich likes to reveal fatherhood. To date, we have three compelling examples. Luke was hidden in plain sight on a Tatooine moisture farm. Rey turned out to be the secret descendant of Palpatine. Then, of course, we have the Force-born boy wunderkind who started it all, Anakin.
These were all big-screen revelations. We have not seen such a reveal on the small screen. That could change with the slate of new shows slated for Disney+. We know that Executive Creative Director and uber-fan Dave Filoni loves to draw from non-canon Legends stories, turning their elements into relevant canon.
In particular, The Book of Boba Fett provides an opportunity to introduce an intriguing storyline. Lucasfilm's publication division released many stories and comics about Boba Fett, including and after his escape from the Sarlacc. None are more interesting than the ones involving his daughter, Ailyn Vel.
Ailyn From Her Own Little World
Image Credit: Lucasfilm Press
Ailyn was the only daughter of Sintas Vel, a bounty hunter of Kiffar descent. Sintas raised Ailyn as a single parent on Concord Dawn. In the non-canon storyline, Boba Fett settled down and started a family. He married Sintas Vel and settled on Concord Dawn. Life was great for a few years. When Ailyn was young, Boba disappeared from her life. He did not abandon his family as Ailyn believes. Boba was exiled from Concord Dawn for murdering an officer who assaulted Sintas.
Ailyn lost her mother shortly before her sixteenth birthday during a botched bounty mission. She already resented Boba for abandoning them. She hated him even more after her mother's supposed death, blaming Boba for the circumstances that put Sintas in harm's way. From then onwards, Ailyn's sole mission in life became to find and kill Boba Fett. She is a textbook Star Wars troubled child to hero/anti-hero formula.
While hunting down her father, she became a skilled bounty hunter in her own right. Considering that every clone trooper looked like her dad, Ailyn's mission to find and kill her actual father was an onerous, nearly impossible task. Over the years, she would hear rumors that her infamous father was dead several times. She would learn just as quickly that he was alive and well. She also mistakenly killed a clone wearing Mandalorian armor, thinking it was her father. Ailyn then used this clone's Mando armor to pose as her father to get bounty jobs based on his reputation.
Ailyn eventually had a child of her own, a daughter named Mirta Gev. Mirta's father, Makin Marec, was a Mandalorian warrior. Ultimately, Ailyn and Makin parted ways. Makin stayed in touch with his daughter, teaching her everything he could about his Mandalorian heritage before his death aboard a starship.
Ailyn's non-canon end is more sad than bitter. She never got to confront her father. Jacen Solo, one of the non-canon children of Han and Leia, threw her in prison, mistaking her for a terrorist. Jacen used the Force to enter Ailyn's mind when she did not provide the information he thought she carried. This intrusive act killed her.
She died, never knowing her father was searching for her so that the two could reconcile. Mirta finds Boba. The two form a close bond while mourning Ailyn's passing. In the fifth novel of the Legends Legacy of the Force book series, Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice, Boba Fett asked Mirta, "Tell me something about Ailyn. Was she ever happy?" Mirta replied, "I don't think so."
Making Ailyn Fit
I only gave a taste of the complex character that is Ailyn Vel. Many of her stories involve characters that cannot exist in the show without completely upending the movies. Her overall concept and timing in the novels, however, fit well within the scope of The Book of Boba Fett.
The new series takes place 9-10 ABY. If they stick to her Legends birth year, she would be in her mid-20s at the start of the show. It would be better if she were able to confront and possibly join her father on his adventures. Boba Fett interacting with his daughter after years of isolation on Tatooine makes for great tension and possible comedy. It gives Boba Fett more depth. It also introduces a female cast member to the show. If she's not at least a recurring character, it would be a missed opportunity. Let us know if there is anything you want to see in the new Boba Fett series.
The new Boba Fett series, The Book of Boba Fett, premieres on Disney+ in December 2021.
Image Credit: Lucasfilm Press
Source: Inverse