When is The Book of Boba Fett set?

Also reprising her role from that show is Ming-Na Wen, once again playing Boba's ally Fennec Shand, who was last seen at Fett's side after he stormed Jabba's palace and executed Bib Fortuna in The Mandalorian season two's post-credits scene.

Wen told Entertainment Weekly that, in contrast to The Mandalorian's 'space Western' vibe, The Book of Boba Fett will be “more like a [Star Wars] take on gangster movies", with Fett and his mercenary partner looking to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.

But when exactly is The Book of Boba Fett set in the Star Wars timeline, and how long after the events of The Mandalorian's second season does it take place? Read on for all the essential info.

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When is The Book of Boba Fett set?

Though plot details for The Book of Boba Fett are scarce, the teaser footage we've glimpsed thus far seems to suggest that the events of the series take place shortly after The Mandalorian's second season.

In a post-credits scene featured as part of The Mandalorian’s season two finale, ‘The Rescue’, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand returned to sandy plains of Tatooine and found that Jabba’s former servant Bib Fortuna had inherited the dead crime lord’s empire.

Fennec liberated the Twi’lek woman chained to Bib's throne and Boba then killed Fortuna without hesitation, before taking his place on Jabba's old throne.

The series' official trailer – which dropped on 1st November, 2021 – suggests that it'll explore the immediate aftermath of Fett and Shand's actions, with the pair meeting with the crime lords of Tatooine in an attempt to forge an (uneasy?) alliance.

"Jabba ruled with fear – I intend to rule with respect," growls Boba.

In terms of where the series fits within the overall Star Wars chronology, like its parent series The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett set after the original Star Wars trilogy (aka A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) but before the sequel trilogy (aka The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker).

Both Disney Plus series are set at a time when the Empire has been defeated, and the new Republic set up by the Rebel Alliance is taking charge – but some Imperial remnants are still at large and causing trouble.

• When is The Mandalorian set in the Star Wars timeline?

However, The Book of Boba Fett is also sort of set in the immediate aftermath of Return of the Jedi and before the events of The Mandalorian's second season. Confused? Let us explain...

In Return of the Jedi, Boba was knocked into a Sarlacc Pit – a living pit with a big appetite – by Han Solo and was presumed dead (by fans, and within the fictional universe of Star Wars).

He later resurfaced, alive, in season two of The Mandalorian – and episode one of the Book of Boba Fett fills in those gaps, showing how Boba escaped the Pit immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi, as well as what happened to him right afterwards (he was enslaved by Tusken Raiders, basically).

There's also a quick flashback to 2002's Attack of the Clones, where we see young Boba (Daniel Logan) mourning his father Jango via archive footage.

"We’re going to see his past and where he’s been since The Empire Strikes Back," Temuera Morrison told Rotten Tomatoes. "Somebody pointed out he’s been kind of stuck in this one place, and now’s the time to actually go back in time and check out his journey and find out more about him."

It's as yet unclear whether this means Boba will also be revisiting people and places he encountered during his missing years, or whether The Book of Boba Fett will just continue to feature flashbacks. Still, either way we're excited to see more - just as long as we can keep all the timelines straight.

Read more about The Book of Boba Fett:

• The Book of Boba Fett cast: Full list of confirmed characters
• How many episodes of The Book of Boba Fett will there be?
• The Book of Boba Fett unveils exciting new ‘Reign’ teaser trailer
• Something needs to happen in The Book of Boba Fett

The Book of Boba Fett premieres on Disney Plus on Wednesday 29th December 2021. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year.
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