Zealotry defined, in its simplest terms, is nothing more than fanatical devotion. History seldom looks kindly on zealots, whether in this galaxy or in the one far, far away. Sadly, the “uncompromising pursuit of religious, political, or other ideals” was once again on full display in The Book of Boba Fett, proving it to be the one, ever-present plague from which Star Wars simply cannot escape. What’s disappointing, however, is not the fact that the phenomenon exists. From the Empire the First Order, zealotry underscores all that happens in Star Wars. No, it’s not the pursuit of such ideals that’s disheartening; it’s the players.
The Book of Boba Fett illustrates (in two instances, specifically) just how damaging such fanaticism can be. The first comes at the hands of the Mandalorian armorer. The de facto leader of the Children of the Watch, she remains a religious zealot even facing her clan’s extinction. There are literally three of them left, yet she casts out one-third of her clan and sends him on an impossible task of redemption. Why? Because he removed his helmet? That’s the Star Wars equivalent of chopping off your nose to spite your face.
Not to mention the fact that, despite her adherence to ridiculous, fanatical ideals, she has no business telling Din Djarin who is and is not a true Mandalorian. That’s his right. Djarin, not the armorer, is the legitimate ruler of the Mandalorians. He’s now possessed the Dark Saber through combat not once, but twice, once in front of the armorer’s eyes. As is the case with most fanatics, she unabashedly cherry-picks which aspects of doctrine she chooses to follow.
Rampant Zealotry in Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett
And let’s not forget Luke Skywalker. As we’ve discussed previously, not even Luke is infallible with respect to succumbing to the fanaticism of his religion. Dealing in Sith-like absolutes, the self-appointed Jedi master forces Grogu to choose between the Mandalorian and the Jedi. Granted, Luke’s reliance on Jedi extremism likely saved Grogu’s life. In The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 6 we see the beginnings of the Jedi academy Kylo Ren would ultimately burn to the ground. Grogu assuredly would have been among the casualties there, had he stayed. Still, Luke (ironically) refusing to stray from the Jedi teachings on attachment was truly disheartening.
Does this really make Luke a zealot? Honestly, yes, as much as we may not want to admit it. It’s a self-realization to which he ultimately arrives on his own, albeit far too late. By then Ben Solo had turned to the dark side and murdered the rest of Luke’s pupils.
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And there, in the middle of it all, is Din Djarin. He’s once again shamed into submitting to the unreasonableness of his creed. He’s also, for better or worse, the victim of Luke’s submission to his. Add to that his devotion to honoring his creed through his promise to Boba Fett, and the Mandalorian bounty hunter finds himself in a seeming no-win situation. So where does this all leave him, ultimately? Once again alone and ill-equipped to care for the founding.
If nothing else, The Book of Boba Fett did some serious Star Wars universe-building. In do so, though, it unfortunately proves that fanaticism will always reign across the galaxy far, far way.
