There has often been talk of if and when the Star Wars franchise could redeem the character of Boba Fett in the eyes of fans as far as series canon is concerned. After all, while the bounty hunter seemingly perished in 1983's Return of the Jedi, Star Wars has proven its ability to not only bring underutilized characters back from the dead but make them better than ever before in the process. The best example of this is Darth Maul, who -- after his own apparent death in The Phantom Menace -- returned in a big way in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and later Star Wars Rebels.

Talk of redemption for Boba Fett is sure to see an uptick, with the character having been confirmed to appear in Disney+'s live-action series The Mandalorian. Already, the character's return seems like a big opportunity, especially considering that Temuera Morrison -- who played Attack of the Clones' Jango Fett, whom Boba was cloned from -- is stepping up to fill the role. However, rather than feel like it needs to take up time "redeeming" Boba Fett, The Mandalorian should instead feel free to take the character in whatever new direction it sees fit. Because what some might forget is that much like Maul, Boba Fett already got a proper canonical redemption thanks to The Clone Wars.

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In recent years, Boba Fett has gained a reputation for being possibly the most overrated Star Wars character in history. However, in a certain context, it's not hard to see why he is so beloved by old school fans. While his original live-action appearances in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were honestly a bit underwhelming, the old Expanded Universe books did quite a bit to fill in the blanks and make the infamous bounty hunter seem like a legitimate world-beater.

That said, even before Disney purchased Lucasfilm and wiped the books from canon in 2012, the EU was being contradicted all the time. One such example is when 2002's Attack of the Clones completely overhauled Boba's backstory, revealing him to be the cloned "son" of bounty hunter Jango Fett. This retcon actually came with a world of potential, as the end of the film gave Boba a new motivation and a new enemy after his father was slain by Jedi Master Mace Windu. Unfortunately, this potential was not immediately realized, as Boba Fett was completely absent in Revenge of the Sith.

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With that in mind, it's not unfathomable that there's been so much demand for Boba Fett's "redemption." For the longest time, as far as the official canon was concerned, he appeared as a child in Attack of the Clones, watched his bounty hunter father die, seemingly fell off the radar, then finally reemerged as a bounty hunter himself over two decades later in Empire, only to die in comedic fashion a few years after that in Jedi. That was, of course, until The Clone Wars came along and changed everything.

A young Boba Fett -- modeled after Attack of the Clones actor Daniel Logan -- made his Clone Wars debut in 2012, late in the show's second season. It was at this point the franchise finally made the most of what was set up all the way back in 2002, with Boba embarking on a quest for vengeance against Mace Windu. During this period in time, Boba really got to spread his wings as a character, displaying legitimate skill and cunning in his assassination attempts. For example, he used his status as a clone to get onto the Endurance (Republic Admiral Kilian's flagship) and the training he received from his father to gain favor with the crew.

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After his mission goes awry, Boba allies himself with a group of bounty hunters who had come into possession of father's ship, Slave I. Although their continued attempts on Windu's life were ultimately unsuccessful, The Clone Wars did a fantastic job at making Boba Fett look competent, even as a child. What's more, the series went on to take the character on a genuinely engaging journey that did an excellent job of selling his descent into the Galaxy's criminal underworld.

The Clone Wars portrayed Boba Fett as a skilled killer, yes, but also wasn't afraid to make him human. While his quest for vengeance is certainly malicious, he shows remorse for the collateral damage and the innocent lives lost, often being horrified by the actions of his fellow bounty hunters. However, after essentially being raised by these criminals, coming to terms with his actions, spending time in prison on Coruscant and becoming the leader of his own bounty hunting syndicate, that humanity is slowly eroded away as the character transformers into the cold figure we know from the Original Trilogy.

The Clone Wars never really made Boba Fett the god among men he seemed to be in the EU, but it did make him something far better -- an engaging, well-rounded, skilled-but-fallible character with a believable arc and a rather tragic story to tell. So, when The Mandalorian brings the infamous bounty hunter into the fold, it should turn its attention to his future, rather than try to "redeem" his past.

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