Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Book of Boba Fett episode 2

The Book of Boba Fett episode 2 included an empty rancor cage, and here’s why the creature was missing from Jabba the Hutt’s former palace. Building off The Mandalorian season 2’s post-credit scene, the new Disney+ series shows Boba Fett trying to take control of Jabba’s empire on Tatooine. This includes living in his palace and meeting some of his associates, and the former bounty hunter threatened using the famous rancor from Return of the Jedi during the second episode.

The near rancor appearance came at the start of The Book of Boba Fett episode 2 when Fennec Shand brought an assassin back to the palace. When the trained killer from the Order of the Night Wind refused to talk, Fennec proposes that perhaps an encounter with the rancor will get him talking. She drops him into the pit below Jabba’s palace’s main room, and the giant door begins to lift that the creature should be behind. Fennec’s strategy works as the assassin reveals who hired him, but he was surprised to see that the rancor’s cage is empty.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

The Book of Boba Fett episode 2 plays the empty rancor cage as a surprise, likely as a means to build suspense over what could happen to the assassin. While the character may have been surprised to not see a giant beast, Return of the Jedi already confirmed that he wouldn’t. Jabba the Hutt’s terrifying rancor was memorably featured in the third movie of the original trilogy as it fought Luke Skywalker. However, viewers should remember that Luke killed the rancor by having the cage doors crash down on its head. As a result, The Book of Boba Fett‘s rancor cage had to be empty – unless Jabba’s rancor was left in there to rot.

The empty rancor cage in The Book of Boba Fett may not have come as a surprise to some viewers, but it was possible that Jabba the Hutt could’ve had a second rancor or another creature under his palace. Since the cage is still empty at this point, it is most likely that neither of those possibilities was true. Furthermore, The Book of Boba Fett episode 2 confirms that Bib Fortuna didn’t replenish the palace’s creatures once he took over. This is slightly more surprising as Bib could’ve used the intimidation factor of a rancor or a similarly deadly creature. It appears he elected against such an option, though, as he took command of Jabba’s empire.

Now that The Book of Boba Fett has shown its empty rancor cage, the question could become whether or not it remains vacant for the remainder of the series. Boba Fett is clearly trying to be a very different crime boss than Jabba the Hutt, as he wants to rule with respect instead of fear. This has already proven to be easier said than done, so it might only be a matter of time before he succumbs to Tatooine’s ways and gets a rancor of his own. If he does, then the next person dropped into the pit won’t be as lucky as the assassin in The Book of Boba Fett season 2.

The Book of Boba Fett releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

Key Release Dates
See also  Devs: What Stewart's Poem Is & Why Forest Gets It Wrong
  • Rogue Squadron (2023)Release date: Dec 22, 2023
The Flash Already Used Deathstorm 6 Years Ago

About The Author


Cooper Hood
(5633 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

More From Cooper Hood