One of the most beloved supporting characters in Star Wars is Boba Fett. There's something about the mysterious armoured figure and his sly dialogue with Vader on the Executor bridge that fuels the myth. Think about it. At this point in ESB, Vader is the most formidable foe known to the audience and he needs Boba Fett's help. Not to mention, he manages to bag the scoundrel and rope in Skywalker. If you're looking for elements of George Lucas' Western in space, look no further than Boba Fett.
Boba Fett's minimal screen time and brief lines allowed for fans to build up the legend of the great bounty hunter. The now defunct Expanded Universe further touted the reputation of the ruthless mercenary to the joy of readers who wanted to learn more about the faceless hunter. This was the core of many supporting characters in Star Wars. The universe is lived-in and vast. The films may follow certain characters more closely, but it is a galaxy full of other fascinating tales. The appeal of Star Wars is the unexplored story that is caught in glimpses as the Skywalker story takes you from system to system. Not that it has to stop at every spaceport along the way. Some things are best left teased or nodded to in core story elements.
Thinking about Boba Fett's popularity and reputation got me thinking about who might fill this void in the Prequel Trilogy. My finger landed on Darth Maul. Yes, he is a more traditional villain, however much of the character can be compared to Boba Fett's Original Trilogy portrayal.
As the apprentice of Palpatine, Darth Maul preceeds Darth Vader who would later become the most powerful force-wielder in the galaxy. That's some pretty serious company. Sidious must consider Maul a worthy ally, and this guy knows how to pick them. For Christ's sake, he picked Christopher Lee who knew throughout his career what evil was all about. Mind you, Count Dooku is one villain that was failed by a weak script.
I digress. Darth Maul, like Boba Fett, was called upon by the most devastating Sith around to do his bidding. Darth Maul, like Boba Fett, has a unique and curious design that grabbed the attention of many fans who wanted to know "what's that guy all about?" Darth Maul, like Boba Fett, speaks softly and you better believe he carries a big stick. That dude changed your entire perception of a lightsaber battle. Alas, Darth Maul, like Boba Fett, faced an untimely demise by falling into a pit. The mysterious characters that we wanted to see more of and learn more about were gone too soon.
Of course, Darth Maul was resurrected in the Expanded Universe to the delight of die-hard fans. Not many supporting characters who experienced on-screen deaths had extremely successful returns in the EU. There was room to grow and delve deep into the unexplored characters that were introduced and ushered out in equal pace.
Darth Maul and Boba Fett were beloved supporting characters with criminally brief appearances, mysterious identities and vast potential that was untapped in the films.
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