Jango Fett

Jango Fett (66 – 22 BBY) is a fictional character from the Star Wars universe whose first cinematic appearance was in Attack of the Clones, where he was played by Temuera Morrison. The name is thought to have been inspired by several sources: "Jango" from Django, since both Jango Fett and Boba Fett's profession as bounty hunters appears to be a reference to Spaghetti Westerns, and "Fett" from George Lucas' revisiting the name "Bob Falfa" (which turned into Boba Fett) from his earlier film American Graffiti.

Jango Fett is the legal father and genetic twin of Boba Fett, made famous in Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Both "father" and "son" served as bounty hunters; the latter part of Jango's life was spent serving agents of Darth Sidious, unknowingly aiding the rise of the Empire.

Biography

Early years in the First Mandalorian Civil War

Jango was orphaned on the planet of Concord Dawn, when his family was murdered by a faction of Mandalorians called the Death Watch. Jango was a young boy when the war between the True Mandalorians, led by Jaster Mereel, and a traitorous scion of their ranks, the Death Watch, led by Vizsla, begins. Jango was taken in by the Mandalorian leader after Jango helped the True Mandalorians escape from his family's farm, when the Death Watch set fire to the fields. Jaster trained Jango to be a warrior, and Jaster was later murdered by Vizsla, the leader of the Death Watch. Jango Fett became the new Mandalore, and avenged Jaster Mereel's death. Later while fighting to suppress a popular revolt in the Galidraan system, the Mandalorians ran afoul of the Jedi Knights who wiped out most of the Mandalorians and delivered the survivors to the governor of Galidraan. Jango became a slave but he used the next couple of years in prison to regain his strength and plot his eventual escape. He then exacted revenge on his captors, reclaimed the Mandalorian armor, destroyed the Death Watch, faced off against Visla in a one on one showdown, resulting in Visla being eaten alive by some animals. He then set off on his own as a bounty hunter.

Ascension as a bounty hunter

Jango soon became famous for his accomplishments throughout the galaxy, not least of which are the Jedi he killed during the final Mandalorian wars. Despite this, he typically presented himself as just a simple man trying to make a living. Shortly before the beginning of the Clone Wars, Jango accepted a mission to retrieve an idol for an unnamed employer. Shortly after completing the assignment (which was made more complicated by Zam Wessel), Jango learned the idol could cause a chain reaction in the Force, and would be used by the unnamed client to destroy Coruscant. After realizing how he would feel if Boba would be taken from him, due to the prodding of Zam, Jango left Kamino to stop the horrible plot. On Coruscant, he and Zam worked with Yarael Poof, the Jedi Council member, to stop the client, who was exposed as Ashaar Khorda, a former general. Poof was killed in the process, but their attempt was successful. Ironically, at Poof's funeral, Mace Windu commented that whoever Poof's unknown ally was, he or she was a hero.

Conspiracy with Darth Tyranus

Around the time of the Battle of Naboo, Jango was contacted by a man named Darth Tyranus, who offered him a bounty on his former padawan apprentice, Komari Vosa, who was leader of the Bando Gora. Though Jango had to compete with Montross, a former Mandalorian traitor who had killed his Toydarian partner, Rozz, he succeeded in defeating Vosa, partly with the help of a new ally, a novice bounty hunter named Zam Wesell.

Tyranus was impressed; the bounty was a test to determine which was the better bounty hunter. In addition to the bounty on Vosa, Tyranus offered Jango a very large sum of money for an unusual task: Jango would be the template for an army of clones, which would become the Army of the Republic. Jango agreed, and soon millions of clones were created in his likeness at the cloning facilities on Kamino. Jango, however, requested that one clone not be subjected to growth enhancement or personality alteration, so that Jango could raise him as a son and pass on his elite training. His wish was granted- the clone was made for him, and was named Boba Fett. Contrary to his claims, Jango was aware that Tyranus is also former Jedi Master Count Dooku, the Separatist leader.

Jango did not fully retire from his career, but he took fewer jobs, and on Kamino, where he raised Boba in the Mandalorian ways, he assisted the Kaminoans in developing training programs for the clone troopers. Their armor was even based on the Mandalorian armor Jango wore.

Ten years after the cloning process begins, Jango was hired to assassinate Senator Padmé Amidala. The plot failed, and Jango was forced to murder his partner, Zam Wesell, to keep his identity secret. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi traced one of Jango's weapons, a saberdart, to Kamino, where he learned of the clone army, of which the Jedi have been previously unaware. Jango and Kenobi initially met on civil terms, but when Kenobi tried to intercept Jango for further questioning, they grappled in a seesawing duel until Kenobi appeared to fall into the stormy ocean. Kenobi eventually returned to watch Jango escape in the Slave I, but was able to place a tracking device on the ship. Later Jango would face off in a short space battle with Kenobi in the asteroids above Geonosis.

Pursuit and confrontation

Jango and Boba escaped from Kenobi, again believing him to be out of the picture, and landed safely on Geonosis. Kenobi, however, survived the contest and tracked them, eventually witnessing a meeting of Separatist leaders, where he learned that Jango was in league with Dooku, the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Kenobi was soon captured and sentenced to death in the arena for espionage, as well as Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, who had come to rescue Kenobi. Count Dooku, Nute Gunray, Gilramos Libkath, Jango, and Boba were then allowed to watch the executions from Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser's private viewing box.

Before the three "spies" could be executed, the ceremony was disrupted by the arrival of Mace Windu and a large number of other Jedi; a battle erupted between the Jedi and the CIS battle droids. Jango attacked Windu with his flamethrower, forcing the Jedi Master to retreat to the arena floor. Jango refrained from joining the melee, staying in the viewing box to guard Dooku; he even killed Jedi Council member Coleman Trebor as he attempted to attack Dooku. Eventually he joined the battle; flying down into the arena, he engaged Windu, but the confrontation was quickly interrupted by an enraged Reek, which trampled an unlucky Jango before he was able to finally get clear and kill it with a single precisely aimed shot. Although he did not know it, it would be the last kill he would ever make.

Fett then turned to face off against the Jedi Master again, but he failed to notice that his jetpack (and probably linked flamethrower, which drew from the same fuel source) had been severely damaged by the Reek. Left with only one of his two Westar-34 blaster pistols, a broken jetpack and likely a disabled flamethrower as well, Jango was able to fire off a few harmless shots before Windu's lightsaber blade swung between Jango's head and shoulders. There was a flash of sparks and smoke, and the bounty hunter's helmet tumbled across the arena.

Interestingly, shortly after Jango's execution, the clone army he had helped create arrived to rescue the three "spies" and surviving Jedi, and began the Battle of Geonosis, which sparked the Clone Wars.

Legacy

Jango never lived to see his clones participate in the Clone Wars, which tore the galaxy apart and cleared the way for the Galactic Empire. Boba continued his bounty hunting legacy, using his father's weapons and ship, as well as the suit of Mandalorian armor once worn by Jaster Mereel.

It is interesting that the Clone troopers would be created from him, as early in the pre-production of The Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett had white armor and was intended to be a "super Stormtrooper", from the Mandalore system.

Neither Jango or Boba had any real preference or affiliation with the Empire (or the Confederacy), only doing what pays well, although it is implied in the Expanded Universe that Boba and Vader were pseudo-friends.

Appearances

Unlike Boba Fett, in all of his appearances Jango is played by the same actor, Temuera Morrison.

Attack of the Clones

Jango appeared in the second of the Star Wars films Attack of the Clones.

Video games

Jango is also the star of the video game Bounty Hunter. He makes cameo appearances in Jedi Starfighter, Lego Star Wars, Battlefront II and even leaving the Star Wars brand by appearing in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 as an unlockable character. In Lego Star Wars Jango is twice used in boss encounters (once on Kamino, and once in the arena battle segment), and also becomes playable when unlocked and purchased with points. Everitt Cage, a character in the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies , is allegedly a clone of Jango Fett.

Comic books

Fett appeared in the comic books: Jango Fett, Jango Fett: Open Seasons, Zam Wesell, and the Toys "R" Us promotional comic "Full of Surprises";

Books

Fett appeared in the Star Wars Adventures books: Jango Fett vs. The Razor Eaters, The Shape Shifter Strikes, and Warlords of Balmorra. He was also in the Jedi Readers book Jango Fett: Bounty Hunter and in Boba Fett: Survival.

External links

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