WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 1, "Chapter Nine: The Marshal," available now on Disney+.
Despite how beloved he is, Boba Fett really didn't do much except look cool. The bounty hunter didn't really have any epic battles, and in Return of the Jedi, he was kicked into a Sarlacc Pit like he was nothing. Still, Boba has remained a cult character, due in part to how the cartoons and comics have further fleshed him out and the amount of intrigue he's generated. However, Star Wars: The Mandalorian's latest episode introduces a live-action gunslinger in Boba's armor who is much better than the bounty hunter: Cobb Vanth.
In the Season 2 premiere, "The Marshal," Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin travels to Tatooine looking for another Mandalorian, thinking he could help him find The Child's people. The man he finds, though, isn't another Mandalorian. Instead, it's Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant), the sheriff of Mos Peglo.
After the Mining Collective raided the village in the wake of the Empire losing in Return of the Jedi, many innocents were killed. Cobb, for his part, ended up with the Jawas and traded them valuable crystals for Boba's suit, which they found sometime after the bounty hunter went into the Sarlacc Pit. Wearing his newly acquired Mandalorian armor, Cobb then returned to Mos Pelgo and proceeded to take out a bunch of Mining Collective members at a bar. Taking down his enemies with amazing precision, Cobb's attack is one that would make a John Wayne or Clint Eastwood character proud.
Soon, Cobb's other opponents try and escape in a transport, but he activates his dodgy jetpack, fires a missile and blows them up. He's cool, calm and collected, using Boba's weaponry much better than the bounty hunter in live-action. In Cobb's case, he doesn't need his bounties alive and he begins to watch over Mos Pelgo, protecting its citizens as sheriff. It immediately wins Din's respect as it's reminiscent of when he helped protect Sorgan from raiders in "Sanctuary," an episode from last season. Cobb did right by the armor and the Mandalorian way.
Cobb's skill makes clear Boba was wasted. The bounty hunter really never had a chance to cut loose, which is partially why there was so much interest in a spin-off centered on him. That being said, the end of "The Marshal" teases Boba being alive. And since Din now has the bounty hunter's armor,Boba seems sure to track him down. This means there's hope Boba could still prove his abilities later in the season and finally live up to his legacy.
Created by Jon Favreau, Star Wars: The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, with guest stars with guest stars Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito. Directors for the new season include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Carl Weathers, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez.