Boba Fett’s Ship Slave I Has A New Name

Boba Fett’s iconic ship, Slave I, might have a new name going forward. As the comics event War of the Bounty Hunters continues to shake up established canon, this could be the most significant change for the Star Wars galaxy. Although the ship was never named in the films, fans have known Boba Fett’s ship as “Slave I” since the original Kenner toy.

Last month, it was speculated whether Lucasfilm and Disney are currently moving away from “Slave I” as a name for Boba Fett’s vessel. At the time, such theories were based on merchandising as Lego had unveiled a Slave I set labeled “Boba Fett’s Starship,” omitting its official name. However, some fans pointed out that this is common, and many Star Wars Lego sets have been referred to as simply belonging to various characters. Rumors continued to allege that future merchandise wouldn’t include Slave I’s name, but it was unclear if that meant Boba’s ride would also be renamed within the Star Wars universe.

In a new preview for upcoming War of the Bounty Hunters variant covers illustrated by Paolo Villanelli, bounty hunters are positioned beside their signature ships. Although each bounty hunter’s vehicle is referred to by its traditional name in a press release, Boba Fett’s Slave I is called “Firespray.” Some fans might recognize the term “Firespray,” as it is the class of Boba Fett’s ship, Firespray-31-class. While it had previously been speculated that Lucasfilm might drop “Slave I,” there were no signs of a new name altogether. None of the variant covers include the ships’ names in print, which makes it seem intentional to specify in promotional material.

The War of the Bounty Hunters continues to explode across the galaxy this September! The action-packed crossover is currently unfolding across all of Marvel’s ongoing Star Wars titles as well as a main WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS limited series and character-focused one-shots. The hunt for Han Solo has brought out the underworld’s most dangerous hunters and acclaimed Star Wars artist Paolo Villanelli’s new BOUNTY HUNTER SHIP BLUEPRINT VARIANT COVERS dynamically depicts them alongside their legendary ships. Fans can see the following characters and vehicles on variant covers throughout September:

·         Bossk and The Hound’s Tooth

·         Boba Fett and Firespray

·         IG-88 and IG-2000

·         Zuckuss and The Mist Hunter

·         Valance Beilert and The Broken Wing

·         Dengar and The Punishing One

In the press release for Villanelli’s variant covers slated for September, the new name was casually included among the other bounty hunters’ ships. Other covers include characters who first appeared alongside Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back, such as Bossk who flies “The Hound’s Tooth,” IG-88 who flies “IG-2000,” Zuckuss who flies “The Mist Hunter,” Valance Beilert who flies “The Broken Wing,” and Dengar who flies “The Punishing One.” Although this has only been specified in a press release, the inclusion of “Firespray” with the other vehicles’ traditional names indicates this could be the name used going forward. Until the new name is mentioned through dialogue, readers will probably have trouble disassociating from its original title.

For the time being, Lucasfilm might only be testing the waters with the rebrand, as fans previously expressed on social media that they felt the change was unnecessary. The potential alteration would only be the latest of many changes in Star Wars comics, which have often infringed on canon. With the announced Disney+ series The Book of Boba Fett, viewers are going to be on the lookout for how the show refers to the ship. However, upcoming issues in War of the Bounty Hunters might end up being the first Star Wars media to officially rename Boba Fett’s Slave I.

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