'The Mandalorian' Season 2: How did Boba Fett survive after being eaten by Sarlacc Pit in 'Return of the Jedi'?
To the surprise and delight of many 'Star Wars' fans, a classic character will be making his long-awaited return on 'The Mandalorian' Season 2. The son and clone of Jango Fett, played by Temuera Morrison in 'Attack of the Clones', Boba was raised to be a bounty hunter like his father until Jango's unfortunate demise. Morrison is set to somewhat reprise his role as the man Jango Fett's clone grew up to be, but his appearance on 'The Mandalorian' brings up an important question - how is Boba Fett alive, after being swallowed whole by a desert pit?
The last live-action, official appearance of Boba Fett was in 'Return of the Jedi', and things didn't go well for him. In a scuffle during which Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) mounted a rescue mission for Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Boba Fett was knocked into a ravenous Sarlacc Pit meant for Luke, one that was meant to digest him slowly over a thousand years. Given the lifespan of the average human, it's possible that the pit keeps its victims alive somehow even as it digests them, which could explain how Boba Fett remains alive despite being visibly swallowed whole.
As to how he escaped, there are several conflicting versions in the 'Star Wars' expanded universe. Some of the comics, which have done impressive work in filling in 'Star Wars' plot holes, have shown other bounty hunters rescuing him from the pit, one story saw a hunter named Dengar save him, nurse his injuries, and then ally with him. Other stories have implied Fett crawled from the pit himself after battling with the beast. With so many conflicting stories, it's hard to know what's the truth - most importantly, however, none of those stories are officially considered canon.
It's up to 'The Mandalorian' to properly explain just how Boba Fett survived the pit, though considering the show's fondness for long-running mysteries, it's likely that the legend of how Fett escaped the pit will be much like Jack Sparrow's escape from the island he was marooned on, or the story of how the Joker got his scars - many versions of the story changing every time, with the truth never really coming out. It's probably better that way, for like the faces of the Mandalorians, some things make for much better stories when the truth is obscured.
'The Mandalorian' releases on Disney+ on Friday, October 30.