Darth Vader famously toldBoba Fett"no disintegrations" inThe Empire Strikes Back, butStar Warsonly revealed years later just how terrifying his signature attack really was. Boba Fett is a legend in many ways: he’s one of thebest bounty hunters inStar Wars, he introduced the world to Mandalorian armor, and he was one of the most intriguing and mysterious figures in the entire original trilogy ofStar Warsmovies. One of the most legendary things about Fett, however, didn’t come from him: it was Darth Vader’s insistence that he not disintegrate Han Solo or the crew of theMillennium Falcon.
There’s been intense investigation and speculation into what exactly caused Darth Vader to single out Boba Fett with his line about disintegrations.Star Warshas revealed how painful disintegration was, and comics have explored instances where Vader hired Fett only to be given more dust than bounty. None of those canon sources have really explored why disintegrations specifically were singled out, especially since Vader had already specified that he needed Han alive. Luckily,Star Wars Legendshad an answer nearly a decade ago.
Boba Fett’s “Disintegration” Attack Is More Terrifying Than We Ever Imagined
Class-D Disintegration Destroyed A Person’s Entire Essence In The Force
The mere idea of disintegration was scary, butStar Wars Legendshad another reason why Boba Fett’s calling card was so intimidating.Abel Peña’s 2015 novella “SkyeWalkers: A Clone Wars Story” explained that Fett’s disintegration technology didn’t just destroy a person’s body, it destroyed their entire essence in the Force.
“Class Ddisintegration… otherwise known as transcendental annihilation. The invention of “absolute” disruptor technology, by the mysterious fatalists of Plootark IX, introduced a form of pure death so unique in heinousness the alien science had been outlawed the galaxy-over. Believed to target midi-chlorians, matter thus atomically eradicated was said to disappear even from detection in the Force - the ultimate affront to life.”
Being able to kill someone so thoroughly that they can’t even be reached through the Force is more than just terrifying, it’s an existential nightmare. None of themost destructive superweapons inStar Warseven threatened to eliminate a person’s connection to the Force. It’s hard to even conceptualize what Class-D disintegration really entailed, but “the ultimate affront to life” comes close.It’s such a sadistic technology that even Darth Vader, with his reverence for the Force, would have feared it, and his “no disintegrations” line makes much more sense in that context.
Class-D Disintegration Was Outlawed By The Jedi, But Clearly Accepted By The Empire
The Empire Employed Bounty Hunters Who Were Known To Disintegrate Their Targets
One detail in “SkyeWalkers” makes Class-D disintegration even more interesting: the Republic had outlawed it across the galaxy, but the Empire allowed it. “SkyeWalkers” takes place very early in the Clone Wars, even before Anakin Skywalker had met Ahsoka Tano.Boba Fett, however, was using Class-D disintegration nearly 20 years later, under the reign of the Empire, and the only punishment he received for his technology was a warning from Darth Vader. Fett’s disintegration technology didn’t preclude him from working with the Empire, he was actually hand-selected to hunt down Han Solo, so it’s clear the Empire didn’t mind the occasional “atomically eradicated” bounty.
Is Boba Fett A Mandalorian?
Boba Fett is one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars franchise, but confusion remains about whether or not he’s a true Mandalorian.
While it obviously went unpunished, it’s not entirely clear just how legal disintegration was under the Empire. Darth Vader had a problem with it, but that could simply be attributed to his connection to the Force. Emperor Palpatine may have repealed some of the Republic’s laws banning disintegration, but that doesn’t seem like a high priority for him. It seems more likely that the Empire simply stopped enforcing the existing galactic laws, and that bounty hunters likeBoba Fettseized the opportunity to add a new weapon to their arsenal.
Boba Fett
A perfect clone of bounty hunter Jango Fett, Boba Fett inherited his father’s profession and operated as a bounty hunter through the Clone Wars and the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign. Believed killed on Tatooine, he survived and sought redemption of sorts after he was helped by native Tusken Raiders. In The Mandalorian era, Boba Fett now operates as a crime lord - having taken over Jabba the Hutt’s old empire.
