The Book of Boba Fett is roughly halfway through its run, and the plot has progressed at a somewhat head-scratching pace. While "Chapter 3 - The Streets of Mos Espa" did the series' heaviest work yet in pushing forward the present-day story, but the emphasis on flashbacks in the show is undoubtedly building towards something big. The puzzle is missing several pieces, and there appears to be a critical point at which both timelines in the tale are going to connect.
A popular theory, and something that fans want, is that Qi'ra and Crimson Dawn will be revealed to be the antagonists at the top of the chain of organizations giving Boba Fett hell. The Pyke Syndicate is currently being presented as the group the new crime lord will have to go to war with, but they don't stand as much to gain from conquering Tatooine and Fett's empire as Qi'ra does. Crimson Dawn's motif from Solo is even part of The Book of Boba Fett's main theme - where there's smoke, there's fire.
Lord Fett and Lady Qi'ra do have a history. Shortly following the events of The Empire Strikes Back, the femme fatale stole Han Solo from the notorious bounty hunter's grasp and auctioned her old flame off to the Empire during an auction to bring Crimson Dawn back into galactic prominence.
Fett successfully recovered his property and vowed to eliminate the woman who crossed him, though the event was just the beginning of his problems - it was Solo who ultimately knocked Boba into the Sarlacc, leaving him for dead on the sands of Tatooine.
Sooner or later, the true mastermind behind the plot against Fett's rule will be revealed. Conflict with the Pykes is inevitable, and Boba may initially be victorious - but with a few episodes left in the series, it's likely that his true foe will be uncloaked. Qi'ra seems as likely an adversary as any for Fett to be lined against, but she may serve more roles in the story to come than one.
The common thread that ties the enemies together is Han Solo. He was just a job for Boba, and he was once a lover for Qi'ra. Inevitably, the scoundrel gave both of them issues, though it was in large part due to Qi'ra's theft. While Han may not have intended to whack Fett's jetpack and deposit him in the Sarlacc, the most consistent thing that Star Wars has established with the hunter is that he never forgets.
Discussion leading up to the release of the series suggested that Boba Fett's journey could be motivated by a desire for revenge. The groundwork has been laid for his retribution against the Pykes for likely having a role in the demise of his Tusken village, and an appearance by Qi'ra is ripe with opportunity for the crime lord to destroy an opposing syndicate while simultaneously achieving personal vengeance.
If the scruffy-looking nerf herder who helped take down the Galactic Empire were to drop in, there's little doubt that Boba Fett would be inclined to take his life. But there's a little companion who may be by Han's side that could change the dynamic of an altercation entirely.
Could Ben Solo Come Across Boba Fett?
There have been rumors floating through the stars claiming that Harrison Ford will appear as Han Solo in The Book of Boba Fett. The logical assumption is that similar de-aging technology will be employed to present Ford as Han would appear five years after Return of the Jedi, much in the same manner as Mark Hamill's return as Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian.
With Ford already working on another Lucasfilm project in Indiana Jones 5, which will also make use of de-aging tech for the star, a cameo in Boba Fett really doesn't seem improbable. Creators of the show have teased major surprises, and given Ford's solid relationship with executive producers Jon Favreau and Kathleen Kennedy, coupled with the hiring of a well-known deepfake artist, the pieces are in place for Han Solo's return.
Fan discourse frequently involves impassioned debate about the recent Star Wars sequel trilogy and the desire to see more elements of that narrative or lack thereof. A clickbait YouTube video seeking to stoke the usual flames of argumentation between sequel haters and defenders was met with an interesting response by ViewerAnon, a credible scooper who teased that any notions of the erasure of the sequel trilogy from the canon will be disproved by The Book of Boba Fett's final episode.
Given that The Book of Boba Fett and the other shows in the MandoVerse take place 25 years prior to The Force Awakens, there are only a few relevant and possible options that the tease could be referring to. Rey and Finn haven't been born, and Poe Dameron is a young kid with no connection to the narrative. The Mandalorian suggests that the First Order hasn't yet been created, though clones of Snoke were featured in Season 2.
The clear candidate to represent the latest trilogy is Ben Solo.
At this time Ben would be four years old. Not too young to be joining his father on some adventures, and not too old to put his skills with the Force to use in a battle. If the rumor that Han Solo will be making an appearance in Boba Fett holds weight, then his son tagging along is certainly plausible - and it would round out the trio of members in the Solo family coming into contact with Boba Fett.
How Ben Might Meet Boba - and Save Han
The flashbacks in The Book of Boba Fett have clearly been setting up the framework for something to happen in the present day. There are obvious things, such as Boba learning to rule with respect and a lust for revenge on those who wronged him, but there have also been a few smaller, but equally prominent, moments from Fett's past that will influence the future.
In "Chapter 1 - Stranger in a Strange Land," there are a few re-worked shots from Attack of the Clones depicting the aftermath of the Battle of Geonosis, where a young Boba mourns the fresh loss of his father. Subsequent episodes have shown the boy watching Jango departing Kamino from his bedroom, driving home the idea that the character has been alone from an early age. There's yet to be a payoff for these moments, but they should be expected to continue as the season progresses.
Enter Han and Ben Solo.
The why and how the Solo boys are dragged into The Book of Boba Fett's narrative isn't really important for the character arcs to follow. Most likely, a plot by Qi'ra and Crimson Dawn brings her old friend to Tatooine - intentionally or otherwise - and Lord Fett will be on the scene to face his potential executioner.
As the Millennium Falcon lands on the twin-sunned dust ball, perhaps to investigate the developments at Jabba's Palace on Leia's behalf, Boba Fett goes to confront the man. There may be a Western-style showdown that begins between the two after an exchange of words, with Fennec Shand taking her sniper position on a ridge beyond. Tension for an inevitable shootout will build.
And then a little boy descends the ramp of the beloved hunk of junk, looking for his father. Han's instinct would likely be to order Ben back aboard the Falcon, but the child's deep connection to the Force would certainly alert him to the danger his dad is in - as well as the masked warrior standing before them. While Han would fear for his son's safety during the encounter, it would actually be Ben's appearance that brings the good out from Boba's heart.
Boba Fett was forced to grow up without his father. Though he was much older when Jango died than Ben would be in this instance, the loss of his father clearly continues to have a major impact on Boba in his middle-aged years.
The sight of Ben, scared for Han's safety, would tie the flashbacks from his childhood to the present day, and Boba would decide that he doesn't want to see another kid grow up without his father as he did. Instead of bloodshed, the encounter ends in both parties making peace and going their separate ways, both Han and Boba harboring newfound respect for one another.
The situation provides such an interesting possibility for character development. Whereas he took his father's life in The Force Awakens as Kylo Ren, the appearance of a young Ben Solo would end up saving Han in The Book of Boba Fett. A nice parallel would be created and even more weight given to the moment on Starkiller Base, making the relationship between father and son all the more interesting.
Harrison Ford has no issue returning to roles, so long as there's utility for his characters. For the abundance of issues that The Rise of Skywalker has, it's largely agreed that the moment between Han and Ben was the film's best - and it was critical to the latter's arc. Boba and Ben would both stand to grow from an altercation that sees Han caught in the middle, and such a sequence would wrap a nice bow around Fett's story in the first season of his tale as a respectable crime lord.
Ben Solo's potential return can be seen as The Book of Boba Fett drops new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.
