Warning: Article contains spoilers for Chapter 14 of The Mandalorian, “The Tragedy.” Read on at your own risk if you’ve not yet seen it.] Chapter 14 of The Mandalorian soared from the moment Slave-I can streaking across the screen. From its heart-stopping action to pure fan elation seeing Boba Fett in action, the chapter was one of the best yet. It was the Jango Fett reveal, however, that truly made the chapter stand out. It also makes one view the Star Wars prequels from a whole new perspective.
In order to prove his ownership (and worthiness) of the Mandalorian armor he wore, Boba Fett shows Din Djarin his “chain code.” (Chain codes are the Star Wars version of ancestry.com, apparently.) We learn that Jango was not only a Mandalorian foundling, but that he fought in the Mandalorian civil wars, as well. How does this affect the Star Wars prequels, you ask? Remember, as we’ve been reminded several times in The Mandalorian, the Jedi and the Mandalorians are life-long enemies.
Jango Fett reveal puts Star Wars prequels in a whole new light
Palpatine’s orchestration of the Clones Wars, and rise of the Empire, was the ultimate long game. He commissioned the Grand Army of the Republic decades prior to its necessity. In doing so, he chose as its genetic basis a lifelong Mandalorian warrior, one whose people literally trained to fight Jedi. Their fighting techniques, weapons (slug throwers, specifically) and Beskar armor were all specifically designed for Jedi combat. Granted, the clones of the Star Wars prequels didn’t wear Beskar, but….
When Order 66 came down, the clones eliminated the Jedi with brutal efficiency. One can’t help but wonder if Jango Fett’s Mandalorian training was the reason. Genetic research and cloning in the Star Wars universe far surpasses what we’re currently capable of now, after all.
Do you really think Palpatine wasn’t acting in cold calculation when he chose a member of a Jedi-hating people as the blueprint for an entire army that would eventually combat the Jedi? Or that Jango’s anti-Jedi training and combat skills didn’t somehow make it into the clones’ genetic coding?
Never going to look at the Star Wars prequels the same way again, are you?
