Star Wars: Only One Bounty Hunter Can Unite Boba Fett and Bossk

Spoilers for Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #20!

It would be fair to say Bossk and Boba Fett are the best bounty hunters in the Star Wars galaxy, but there’s one bounty hunter who could get them to work together. The “scum and villainy” aspect of the franchise has grown in popularity since the critical and commercial success of The Mandalorian, and it earns every bit of attention it’s getting. One of the traits that made the Star Wars universe stand out from its initial sci-fi competition was its rustic, beaten, and dirty side; in this realm where the faint of heart dare not tread, Boba Fett and Bossk are rivals at the top of physical power.

His introduction in the Star Wars Holiday Special already dubbed Boba Fett as “the best bounty hunter in the galaxy,” according to Darth Vader—probably the best source for anything related to power in Star Wars. However, the helmeted hunter often contends with Bossk. The Trandoshan bounty hunter has always been a fan-favorite, even back when his only known feature was standing menacingly in The Empire Strikes Back. He’s since become a hidden icon from Legends to canon. In current comics, Bossk and Fett often interact and even fight.

Ethan Sacks and Paolo Villanelli’s Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #20 teams Bossk up with another bounty hunter named Zuckuss. Together they face off against a sabotaged, now spider-like 4-LOM, a droid bounty hunter who was previously Zuckuss’ partner. Once they find the altered droid, Bossk starts doing what he does best. The Trandoshan goes into a frenzy, ripping robotic limbs off of his fellow bounty hunter, but Zuckuss stands between his former partner and his current one. He says, “Enough! Zuckuss will not allow you to hurt a friend… that goes for all of you.” Bossk stops fighting immediately to listen, even though he is easily the most ferocious and violent bounty hunter. Compared to Bossk, talking down Boba Fett would be a cinch, so Zuckuss can unquestionably handle that task. While Fett is cold and calculating, he can still be reasoned with, as his current Disney+ appearances have shown.

In terms of raw energy and intensity, Bossk is stronger than Boba Fett. Nevertheless, the Mandalorian’s cool head and strategic thinking are what make him so notorious. If Zuckuss can stop Bossk’s savage rampage on a droid, he has what it takes to talk Boba Fett down as well. Even Steve Perry’s Shadows of the Empire—one of Star Wars’ first novels that fleshed out the bounty hunters—proves that Zuckuss can indeed convince Bossk of Fett’s status. At one point, the Trandoshan exclaims, “Curse Fett! He thinks he’s real smart,” to which Zuckuss retorts, “He is smart, Bossk. That’s why he’s the best.”

In Legends, Bossk and Boba Fett actually work together frequently, but it’s usually against their wishes. If anything, the two hunters leave each other alive to compete for their prizes, as they do in The Empire Strikes Back during their hunt for the Millenium Falcon. Nonetheless, Bossk and Boba Fett will probably team up in Star Wars again real soon, especially if Zuckuss is there to keep them level-headed.

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