Boba Fett Just Coined Star Wars’ New ‘There’s Always A Bigger Fish’

Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1

Boba Fett just coined Star Wars’ new version of the fan favorite prequel meme, “There’s always a bigger fish.” The infamous bounty hunter’s soundbite wisdom rivals Qui-Gon Jinn’s line from The Phantom Menace.

Since the beginning of Star Wars, characters have been known to drop hints of philosophical truth that have become ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist. While Yoda might outrank any one else in his archive of insightful quotes, others such as Padme, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Qui-Gon Jinn have similarly had some dialogue that stood the test of time. “There’s always a bigger fish” is among the list, originally spoken by Jedi Master Qui-Gon in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace when he is being chased alongside Obi-Wan and Jar Jar Binks by a massive fish, only for it to be eaten by an even larger creature. Now, the unassuming Boba Fett has his own equivalent to Qui-Gon’s sentiment in Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1written by Charles Soule with art by Luke Ross.

Whereas Qui-Gon Jinn is relaxed when being chased by the giant fish, Boba Fett seems irritated when he delivers his new cynical phrase. After fighting off a bounty hunter, Boba faces another enemy in the form of his bounty hunter peer Zuckuss, who damages Fett’s ship Slave I. Upong seeing Zuckuss and his partner 4-LOM, Fett says to himself, “There’s never just one bug.” Following in his father Jango Fett’s footsteps, Boba has a self-interested and pessimistic outlook on the galaxy as exemplified by his five-word line. Although it’s short, it’s a decent encapsulation of his view of life and how he has managed to survive so many major events, like his father’s death, the Clone Wars, the fall of the Jedi, and the takeover of the Empire. For an orphan clone who has outlived all the other clones, Boba Fett has endured a rough journey to where he is now at the time of War of the Bounty Hunters.

After saying the line, Boba appears to kill Zuckuss in brutal fashion, despite having worked with him in the past. Specifically calling out the fellow bounty hunter’s disrespect, Boba reminds him that Slave I was his father’s ship, and uses it to blast the traitor. Zuckuss clings desperately to the platform, when Boba kicks him off, falling to his death. In the case of the two bounty hunters facing off, Qui-Gon’s old piece of wisdom rings true, as Boba proves himself as the bigger fish. A series titled War of the Bounty Hunters feels characteristic of the Star Wars underworld’s dark reality of the strong eating the weak.

Although Boba Fett doesn’t know what is going to happen to him next, fans know that his demise by the Sarlacc Pit will be yet “another bug.” Readers haven’t seen his escape from the pit in current Star Wars canon, but it’s only imaginable that he approaches the challenge with the same mentality. Even after he gets out of the Tatooine hellhole, Boba Fett has a lot left to do. From iconically blasting down the stormtroopers in The Mandalorianto taking out Bib Fortuna to claim Jabba the Hutt’s throne, he seems to be right that there always is another bug.

About The Author