The Book of Boba Fett’s Rancor Moment Is More Important Than It Seems
The Book of Boba Fett finale spoilers follow
It was Darksabers at dawn as Robert Rodriguez rounded off The Book of Boba Fett season one in style. Much like the season-two finale of sister show The Mandalorian, our downtrodden heroes came together. This time, they had to best the villainous Pyke syndicate and its hired gun Cad Bane to break the spice trade's grip on Tatooine.
Although the episode didn't include the return of Rodriguez favorite Danny Trejo as the Rancor trainer, Jabba the Hutt's favorite pet made its toothy return. While Big Boba riding the Rancor seemed like the perfect opportunity to shift more LEGO sets, the finale's long awaited moment is more important than you might think.
Just when it looked like the Pykes had overpowered Boba's army, the man himself rode into town on the Rancor and promptly dispatched his enemies. It was then over to Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin, aka the Mandalorian, to take the reins. Mando didn't have Boba's bond with the Rancor and was tossed to the dirt, where he nearly became Rancor chow. Setting up the future of the galaxy far, far away, Boba's harnessing of the power of the Rancor and Mando falling short might be a nod toward the forgotten Mandalorian throne and a legendary beast called the Mythosaur. This has already been hinted at in The Mandalorian.
A clue to the Mythosaur's mythical nature is in its name, but looking forward, the Lucasfilm creature department is sure to be kept busy crafting one for the franchise's future. The question is, who will be riding it, and when?
In current canon, the Mandalorian homeworld is little more than a wasteland. We briefly saw a war-torn Mandalore in a Book of Boba Fett flashback, and although what remains of these feared warriors have been cast across the cosmos, the prophecies claim they will rise again with their leader riding a Mythosaur. Then again, it was the Armorer who referred to the Mythosaur as a mere "legend".
DIN DJARIN: I went to the waters beneath the mines of Mandalore and found a living Mythosaur.
THE ARMORER: WTF DUDE?!?!
BOBA FETT: And he rode it...like a bantha.— Elson Trinidad (@elsontrinidad) January 28, 2022
As it stands, Mando and Grogu are flying off into the unknown after The Book of Boba Fett saw Djarin cast out of the sect by the Armorer. There are theories The Mandalorian season three will feature Djarin discovering the Mythosaur while seeking redemption in the Living Waters of the mines beneath Mandalore.
Elsewhere, Fett's parting line in The Book of Boba Fett's finale suggests he's not keen to keep Jabba's Palace warm, meaning he could use his beast-riding prowess to saddle up the Mythosaur. Boba's debut in the Holiday Special featured him riding a giant beast, which was made canon by a throwaway line about him having ridden a creature ten times the size of the Rancor.
When Boba crossed paths with Bo-Katan and Koska Reeves in The Mandalorian season two, Reeves wrote him off as a Mandalorian pretender and just another clone from the Kamino batch.
If Boba is destined to lead the Mandalorians, Bo-Katan is sure to have something to say. We've already seen her pretty pissed that Djarin has the Darksaber, seeing herself as the right one to lead these dwindling ranks into a new era.
Finally, where is the MIA Mandalorian revolutionary leader Sabine Wren in all of this, and could her mother (Ursa Wren) be lurking under the Armorer's helmet as more wannabe Mythosaur jockeys?
#BobaFett wants to ride everything he sees and appears to be an excellent rider. Din Djarin had trouble staying on a little blurg.
If the Mythosaur will rise again, maybe Boba is meant to ride it? pic.twitter.com/wyj0mVHcGA— Tusken Boba ✨ Fennec (@FettRules) January 27, 2022
Whereas Boba has already shown his riding skills, wielding the Darksaber AND riding the Mythosaur would make Din Djarin a dead cert to bring Mandalore back to its former glory.
The problem is, Djarin's Rancor wrangling wasn't up to much, suggesting him riding the Mythosaur is unlikely. But much like Cobb Vanth's "death" (or even Cad Bane's – that light on his chest was still blinking, with an ostentatious 'tink' noise), Djarin being bad at riding beasts could be one of those infamous Star Wars fakeouts.
The Book finale saw Grogu tame the Rancor, so the pint-sized Jedi cast-off could be Mando's ace in the hole for getting back in the Mandalorian good books with the Mythosaur. It seems more than a coincidence that Mando once gifted Grogu a Mythosaur pendant as a sign that the Child was part of his clan.
The potential of the Mythosaur and whoever gets to ride it makes it more popular than Jurassic Park's T-Rex. Both Boba and Din have their pros and cons of being the Mandalorian messiah, and at this point, it could be either.
This pair of outcast orphans both have a lot of similarities, and alongside their stoic nature, neither seems to be particularly desperate to rule Mandalore right now. Whoever takes the throne, we imagine them riding in atop the Mythosaur like an episode of The Flintstones will shut Bo-Katan and their other naysayers up pretty quickly.
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