A certain piece ofStar Warslore is being rewritten, and some fans might be a little angry about it. Or maybe they won’t. It’s just the name of a ship, after all. Sure,Star Warsfans regularly get angry about inconsequential things, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of optimism now and then. The fact is, Boba Fett’s ship is receiving what might be a long-awaited change to its former title of “Slave 1.”
This news comes from, of all places, a LEGO building set. The latest confidently-priced piece of blocky plastic goodness from the company features none other than Boba Fett’s memorable starship that’s been in theStar Warsseries sinceThe Empire Strikes Back, and for the first time, it no longer bears the Slave 1 moniker. Instead, the box simply names the vehicle “Boba Fett’s Starship.” This might be a surprising bit of news for fans who have known the ship ever since its 1980 debut, but this wasn’t a decision just made on a whim. According to the design team at LEGO, these orders came straight from the top.
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When the new playset released, theStar Warslovers over at Jedi News decided to ask the company about the change, and whether this means they’re dropping the Slave 1 name entirely. “Everybody is,” saidLEGOStar Warsdesign director Jens Kronvold Frederiksen. “It’s probably not something which has been announced publicly but it is just something that Disney doesn’t want to use anymore.” It wouldn’t be surprising to see, particularly given how poorly the undeniable racial connotations of the word “slave” would mesh with the current, more accepting social climate where “Black Lives Matter” remains a powerful and relevant sentiment.
The ship in question belonged to both Boba Fett and his father/clone originator Jango Fett at different times, with Boba inheriting it following Jango’s death on Geonosis. Featuring a gyroscopic cockpit that allows its pilot to remain upright at all times, it makes for a formidable vehicle regardless of who’s piloting. But with plenty of storage space that’s specifically humanoid-shaped, it’s a particularly effective tool in the hands of a bounty hunter, and Boba is well known as one of the deadliest of all. By the way, none of this is integral to the ship being called “Slave 1,” so dropping the name changes nothing. (Though it would be nice to get a proper new title, since “Boba Fett’s Starship” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.)
This change likely came about as a bit of a preemptive action beforeThe Book of Boba Fettpremieres on Disney Plus. AfterBoba’s exciting return to theStar Warsfranchisein season 2 ofThe Mandalorian(played once again by Temuera Morrison), discussions about him dominated groups of fans both casual and hardcore alike. So with his own show, he’s bound to see plenty more attention in the near future. It wouldn’t be surprising to find out that Disney simply wants to nip the idea of Slave 1 in the bud to avoid some unpleasant emotions when newer fans discover the name.
Perhaps this also means the ship will receive a new name inThe Book of Boba Fett, and Disney simply doesn’t want to give away the surprise. Naming ships inStar Warsfeels kind of like naming swordsinThe Lord of the Rings, so if that does happen, it could be a cool little moment. But in that case, if Din Djarin doesn’t get a new ship called Anduril in the next season ofThe Mandalorian, Jon Favreau really missed an opportunity.
TheStar Warssaga is now available on Disney Plus.
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