Here's All The Outstanding Concept Art From The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 1 Credits
The secrecy surrounding "The Book of Boba Fett" kept many of the show's most revealing moments from being leaked ahead of time, for better or worse. Surprisingly, there wasn't much to spoil in this first episode, and it would have been nice if we got a super-sized series premiere instead of a mere 40-minute episode that served as a rather basic pilot without anything remotely resembling the major revelation at the end of the first episode of "The Mandalorian." Thankfully, the end of the first episode isn't a total loss. Even though there isn't much plot development, we still got a collection of stunning concept art.
Out of the Sand, into the Sand People
Our concept art begins with the first flashback to the aftermath of "Return of the Jedi." After burning the Sarlacc to a crisp, Boba Fett digs his way out of the creature's digestive system and rises out of the Tatooine desert amidst the remains of Jabba the Hutt's sail barge. Though he's smoking a little bit, Boba Fett doesn't look quite as damaged as he does in the actual scene. But things are about to get worse for him anyway.
After rising out of the Sarlaac, the bounty hunter doesn't have the strength to go any further. That's unfortunate, because it results in Boba Fett losing his armor to some Jawas who have come to scavenge what's left of the wreckage of Jabba's sail barge. That leaves him in nothing but a jumpsuit when he's picked up by Tusken Raiders. Unfortunately, they're not there to help him. Instead, they drag him across the desert like a prisoner.
Boba Fett is brought to a Tusken Raider village, but this one looks a little different from the one we previously saw in "Attack of the Clones." Instead of living in huts, this group of Tusken Raiders has tents. But the one thing they do have in common with the Tuskens from "Attack of the Clones" are the animals they keep. In this case, they have a snarling massiff tasked with keeping an eye on Boba Fett and a Rodian prisoner. It's interesting to note that the Rodian in this concept art looks much more like a ripped warrior than an everyman.
Speaking of differences between the concept art and what we see in the actual episode, it looks like Boba Fett almost got a more formal opportunity to prove himself in combat. Though he is given a chance to prove his worth against a Tusken Raider, this concept art makes it look like there was more of a ritual surrounding the battle, complete with fires roaring nearby and a larger group of onlookers.
"I'm the crime lord now."
Back in the present day, Boba Fett gears up to being his rule over the criminal underworld in Mos Espa. The concept art appears to show Fett preparing to suit up himself rather than having the armor put on by helpful droids. Personally, I prefer the droid sequence, which makes Fett feel a bit like RoboCop. But there's also something cool about this concept art that situates his armor, rifle, and gaffi stick (a Tusken Raider weapon) similar to that of a samurai.
Here's a piece of concept art which helps establish the world of "Star Wars." It's a droid card dealer from the Twi'lek-owned establishment Boba Fett and Fennec Shand visit in town. Based on the cards in the art, it looks like they're playing Sabacc, the same card game that got the Millennium Falcon into the hands of Han Solo.
After Boba Fett and Fennec Shand get their payment from the Twi'leks, they're ambushed by a group of acrobatically inclined fighters, each wielding electrically-charged staffs and energized shields. In the concept art, the shields are blue, but they ended up being red in the episode. It also appears that the warriors themselves were given a bit of a makeover. In this art, they seem to either have alien faces or helmets, but the warriors in the episode have human faces visible through a slit in their cloaks, making them similar to ninjas.
Speaking of which, their swift movement and fighting style certainly makes them feel more like ninjas. They leap around the rooftops of Mos Espa in a parkour style, and they even have some kind of projectiles they throw like ninja stars. But Fennec Shand has no problem dispatching with them, including keeping hold of one to presumably get some answers about what they want and who they're working for.
Raiders of the Moisture Farm
However, there's another more intriguing mystery that will likely slowly unfold during this first season. When Boba Fett and his fellow Rodian prisoner are dragged out into the desert by a younger Tusken Raider, they witness a gang of some kind raiding a moisture farm homestead in the middle of the desert. It's left smoking and stripped of anything valuable, not unlike how Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had their home destroyed in "Star Wars: A New Hope." Before they leave, the gang paints an unknown symbol, presumably to inform any other gangs that this is their territory. We haven't seen this symbol before, but the subtitles label them as "Nikto Bikers." That's likely only an identifying mark for their species rather than their name, but either way, it feels like a set-up for an organization Fett will have to deal with sometime in the future.
Finally, we're left with this final image of Boba Fett sitting on his throne, which was also turned into an ornament by Hallmark. We're not likely to see Fett sitting in this throne much throughout this first season, since he'll probably be out establishing his criminal supremacy. Also, don't worry about the protocol droid head sitting on the floor. It might look like C-3PO, but we know he's alive and well with the Rebels during this time period. But perhaps another protocol droid might not fare so well if he doesn't perform his duties well.
"The Book of Boba Fett" will continue next Wednesday on Disney+.