While reviews of The Book of Boba Fett have been mixed at best, the show's latest episode featuring Din Djarin from The Mandalorian - coupled with Lucasfilm's continued tradition of Easter eggs - was a huge hit with fans. While the appearance of a Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order BD unit was a surprise, the biggest was a prequel trilogy reference with a connection to young Anakin Skywalker.
In Chapter 5, titled "Return of the Mandalorian," audiences follow Mando to Tatooine where Peli Motto unveils an N-1 starfighter as the replacement for his destroyed ship, the Razor Crest.
While N-1 starfighters have appeared in several Star Wars films, they were prominently featured in The Phantom Menace, particularly when young Anakin piloted one of the starfighters and helped bring down the main control ship of the Trade Federation.
This led audiences to question whether Mando's new ride is the same Naboo starfighter that Anakin piloted in the 1999 prequel; and now, thanks to some research, fans now have an answer.
Book of Boba Fett's Skywalker Starfighter Theory Debunked
In regard to who Mando's new starfighter once belonged to, Twitter user @WilrowHood posted a tweet of Peli Motto in the ship's cockpit, theorizing a potential connection to the Star Wars: Starfighter video game:
"There's Aurebesh on the side of the N1 ship, probably the original pilot's name, someone in TPM or maybe from the Star Wars Starfighter video game!"
Star Wars: Starfighter was first released by LucasArts in 2001. The game featured three starfighter pilots and was set right before the events of the Battle of Naboo from The Phantom Menace.
THe user then followed up with an additional tweet, clarifying that the language on the cockpit isn't Aurebesh but actually "the ancient Naboo language Futhark:"
"Okay so this is actually the ancient Naboo language Futhark, and I'm trying to translate it, and I'm having a hard time, but I think it's something like: "Bheylic ZF" Anyway the three playable characters in Star Wars Starfighter are named: Rhys Dallows, Vana Sage, Nym"
Finally, @WilrowHood discovered proof that Mando's new starship is, in fact, a different ship than the one Anakin piloted in The Phantom Menace via two compared images of the cockpit and another tweet:
"I can confirm that the Mandalorian's N1 Naboo Starfighter is different from the one Anakin piloted in The Phantom Menace!"
The Phantom Menace Makes a Comeback
Even though Mando's new ship isn't the same one Anakin Skywalker used, it's still a callback that few saw coming which not only serves Mando's needs but also further connects the various Star Wars trilogies into a more cohesive singular storyline.
After all, even though The Phantom Menace - like 1977's A New Hope - spends considerable time on Tatooine, the two films have always looked and felt different from one another.
However, The Book of Boba Fett found a way to meld those two stories together in a way that the films never could on their own, and the Star Wars Universe is better for it. Therefore, while an Anakin connection would've been fun, it wasn't necessary.
In addition, the use of the Naboo starfighter connects The Book of Boba Fett and the prequels to other stories. For instance, in the Star Wars: Forces of Destiny animated series, Ahsoka Tano trained Padme Amidala to pilot an N-1 starfighter; and interestingly enough, hers was all chrome and similar to that of Mando's.
These ships also appeared at Exegol in The Rise of Skywalker as part of the fleet Lando Calrissian organized to help the Resistance.
For fans eager for more prequel-era Easter eggs, and particularly those actually related to Anakin Skywalker, Disney+ has that area covered. Lucasfilm's Obi-Wan Kenobi series is set to release sometime in 2022 with Hayden Christensen reprising his role as Anakin/Darth Vader alongside Ewan McGregor as Kenobi.
Therefore, it's safe to say that The Book of Boba Fett's focus on The Phantom Menace is only the beginning.
New episodes of The Book of Boba Fett debut on Wednesdays, exclusively on Disney+.
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