How Boba Met Fennec Shand

Why is Shand Boba’s most valued partner?

Fennec Shand, portrayed by Ming Na-Wen, is a pivotal character in the book of Boba Fett and also features prominently in the popular Disney+ series, The Mandalorian. Throughout the book of Boba Fett, her role has remained critical to the development of the plot, serving as Boba’s enforcer and the master assassin of the Mid Rim. As revealed in The Mandalorian, Shand had earned her reputation working for the top crime syndicates.

In chapter five of the series, titled The Gunslinger, the protagonist Din Djarin (played by Pedro Pascal) advises a rookie bounty hunter named Toro Calican (played by Jake Cannavale) to avoid following Shand due to her formidable skills and extensive experience. Boba’s chance encounter with Shand is a key element of the narrative of the Book of Boba Fett, with ‘The Mandalorian’ providing insight into how Boba located her.

Prior to their meeting, Boba was waiting outside the palace formerly owned by Jabba the Hutt and occupied by Bib Fortuna following Jabba’s death. Without his armor or Shand’s assistance, Boba would have been unable to accomplish many of the tasks he undertakes throughout the series. The story of Boba and Shand’s alliance and her role as his enforcer is told through a series of flashbacks, providing further depth and context to their relationship.

Boba is outside the palace of Bib Fortuna, accompanied by his Bantha. He has recently completed the cremation of his Tusken friends and has returned to the palace on the Bantha. Having resided amongst the Tusken raiders, Boba has acquired their customs, including the art of Bantha riding and the use of a Gaffi stick. Although this is a separate narrative, it remains pertinent to the present discussion. The Pykes are responsible for the massacre of the Tusken tribe, cunningly attributing the blame to the Nikto Sand Riders or Kintan Striders. Boba intends to purloin his vessel from Bib Fortuna’s palace, but without his armor, infiltrating the heavily fortified palace could prove fatal. Upon encountering Shand, Boba proposes that if she assists him in retrieving his ship from the palace, her debt will be absolved, and she will be free to pursue her own path. Now, the question is why Shand is indebted to Boba. We will answer that next.

Boba Fett had valiantly saved the life of Fennec Shand. Upon discovering her unconscious and gravely injured in the arid terrain of Tatooine, Boba provided her with the necessary medical attention to ensure her survival. Had he not intervened, Shand’s fate would have been sealed. Boba was stationed outside the palace of Bib Fortuna when he observed the flash charges in the distance. Shortly thereafter, Shand sustained a gunshot wound to her abdomen, prior to Boba’s arrival at the scene. It is important to note that this particular event is not chronicled in the Book of Boba Fett, but rather in Chapter Five of The Mandalorian. Upon hearing the detonations and witnessing the commotion, Boba promptly departed on his Bantha to investigate. Although Shand was familiar with Boba Fett by reputation, she had not previously met him in person, which initially left her incredulous upon regaining consciousness.

Upon reaching her, Boba discovered that she was lying unconscious with a severe gut wound. With the intention of saving her life, he transported her to a mod parlor situated on the outskirts of Mos Eisley, where a skilled mod artist fitted her belly with machinery that would enable her to survive. Upon seeing the modifications made to her body, she was taken aback.

As a result of Boba’s actions, she feels indebted to him. Following the successful operation, Boba escorts her from Mos Eisley to his campsite located outside Bib Fortuna’s palace. Initially, Shand believed that Boba was a bounty hunter who had saved her life to claim the bounty on her head. Consequently, she offered to pay him double the bounty. Having recently encountered two bounty hunters, one of whom had shot her, she was understandably wary of Boba’s intentions. However, Boba declined her offer, stating that he had saved her life not for the bounty, but for her skills and abilities, which he believed would be valuable in their current situation.

Shand was an unparalleled warrior, possessing exceptional skills in both marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat, which she demonstrated repeatedly upon joining Boba’s Gotra. Boba was deeply impressed by her abilities, particularly when they infiltrated Fortuna’s palace to acquire his ship. There, she dispatched numerous Niktos and overcame the Gammorrean guards stationed within the palace. Following Boba’s ascension to the position of Daimyo of Mos Espa, the Gammorrean guards became his personal bodyguards, and he also acquired all the droids that had previously served Fortuna, along with the palace itself.

Although Boba had initially promised to release Shand once she had repaid her debt or helped him retrieve his Slave-1 from Fortuna’s palace, she remained steadfastly loyal to him throughout their shared experiences. Eventually, Boba fulfilled his promise and allowed her to depart once they had successfully retrieved the ship and avenged the murder of his Tusken friends at the hands of the Nikto Sand Riders. Together, they embarked on a quest to locate Boba’s armor, which had been taken by Jawas and subsequently acquired by Cobb Vanth. During their journey, Shand utilized a seismic charge to vanquish the Sarlacc, and later she aided Boba in the successful retrieval of the armor from the Mandalorian.

Why did Shand elect to remain with Boba? Following the successful modifications to her abdomen, Boba informed Shand of his intentions to establish his own Gotra. Initially disinterested, Shand inquired whether she would be able to adapt to such a lifestyle. However, Boba’s time among the Tuskens had transformed him, instilling in him an appreciation for the importance of family in achieving success. Additionally, he no longer wished to jeopardize his own life for the sake of others. He conveyed to Shand that he had lost his passion for bounty hunting and was ready to settle down. Despite this, Shand did not make any promises to remain with him at that juncture. Similarly, Boba was uncertain whether she would choose to stay with him, even after they had successfully eliminated Slave 1, the Nikto riders, and the sarlacc.

As the narrative progresses, Boba successfully earns Shand’s trust, leading her to choose to remain with him and adapt to a lifestyle that she had initially deemed impossible for bounty hunters such as themselves. Shand’s physical prowess was crucial to Boba’s Gotra, and without her, it would have remained incomplete. Despite the Mandalorian’s towering presence in the Book of Boba Fett, Shand remains an indispensable character, both to Boba’s Gotra and to the series' plot. Boba recognized that Shand’s allegiance was critical to his success, given her profession as a bounty hunter. While he promised her wealth, he understood that it was not the sole factor that would entice someone like Shand to remain with him. He also pledged to protect her for the rest of her life. Boba’s ability to gain Shand’s trust was no easy feat, as she required not only assurance of her material needs but also a sense of security and lifelong loyalty. It was only after Boba made these promises that Shand chose to remain with him.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting of Shand in the abdomen and her subsequent vulnerability in the Tatooine sands are a separate account, which is recounted in chapter five of the Mandalorian. It is known that a bounty had been placed on her head, and multiple bounty hunters were pursuing her using tracking fobs. In Mos Eisley, Toro Calican encountered the Mandalorian at a cantina and proposed a partnership to locate Shand. Calican offered to relinquish the bounty to the Mandalorian, as Shand was his means of gaining entry into the bounty hunters guild. Upon arriving at Shand’s location on a ridge in the Tatooine desert, they discovered a bounty hunter whom Shand had already eliminated with her modified MK Sniper. The Mandalorian devised a plan to attack Shand at night using flash charges, which were observed by Boba Fett near Fortuna’s palace. They successfully apprehended Shand, and the Mandalorian departed to secure transportation. Shand divulged to Calican information regarding a Mandalorian bounty hunter who was being sought by the guild. Unbeknownst to Calican, the Mandalorian was the individual in question. Upon learning of the asset that the Mandalorian had absconded with, a child named Grogu, Calican became avaricious and decided to betray the Mandalorian. Despite initial reluctance, Shand recognized Calican’s greed and anticipated his treachery. She was unaware, however, that Calican possessed a greater level of cunning than she had anticipated, despite being less skilled than either her or the Mandalorian. Calican deemed it necessary to restrain Shand, as she would have killed him immediately if given the opportunity.

Toro Calican shot at Fennec Shand from close proximity, striking her in the abdomen. He subsequently abandoned her in the sands of Tatooine and proceeded to Mos Eisley, where he was aware that the Mandalorian had left his Razor Crest and the valuable asset (Grogu). This sequence of events led to Shand’s injury and her subsequent discovery by Boba Fett, who undertook her rescue. Shand was indebted to Fett and remained by his side as a gesture of gratitude. It is noteworthy that Toro Calican was a novice who would have likely perished at the hands of Shand, had it not been for the intervention of the Mandalorian, Din Djarin. The strategy to employ flash charges to disorient Shand and launch a nocturnal assault was devised by the Mandalorian. Upon reaching the ridge, Shand overpowered Calican in hand-to-hand combat, and the Mandalorian intervened to save his life from the notorious assassin.

As Boba Fett’s most trusted confidante, Shand has consistently demonstrated her worth throughout the series. From the retrieval of Boba’s ship to the establishment of his position as the new Daimyo of Mos Espa, and the successful neutralization of the Pyke threat in Tatooine, Shand has proven herself to be an invaluable asset. Although she did not engage in combat against the scorpenek droids like Boba and the Mandalorian, her contribution was pivotal in the defeat of the Pykes. Shand ventured to the Pyke office in Mos Eisley and eliminated the Pyke boss, as well as the crime bosses of Mos Espa who had betrayed Boba. This resulted in the Pyke threat being decisively quashed, and the Pykes being forced to flee Tatooine like vermin. Shand remained a strategically critical pillar in Boba’s efforts to establish peace in Tatooine. She served as Boba’s trusted advisor, and was instrumental in his dealings with the three crime families and the people of Mos Espa. Her presence by Boba’s side effectively doubled his chances of success at every stage.

The Mandalorian had left Fennec Shand in the desert under the impression that she had perished. Consequently, it was reasonable for her to harbor resentment towards the Mandalorian. However, a fortuitous turn of events reunites them, and they develop a friendship. Following Shand’s enlistment in Boba’s service, the two of them journey to planet Tython to meet the Mandalorian, who is accompanied by the child Grogu, in chapter 14 of the Mandalorian, titled “The Tragedy.” Boba and Shand have been tracking the Mandalorian since he absconded with Boba’s armor, which he had taken from Cobba Vanth on Tatooine. When the Mandalorian discovers that Shand is alive, he is initially taken aback. Shand proceeds to reveal the extent of the injuries she sustained when the Mandalorian left her for dead in the desert. Boba informs the Mandalorian that Shand was abandoned in the dune sea, much like he was. In the same episode, when stormtroopers assail them on Tython, Din Djarin comes to Fennec Shand’s aid, citing a debt he owed her from their previous encounter. The respect and camaraderie between them burgeons when Boba and Shand elect to assist the Mandalorian in his quest to retrieve Grogu from Moff Gideon. Grogu was abducted by death troopers from the planet Tython, where the Mandalorian first encountered Shand and Boba. To comprehend Shand’s role in Boba Fett’s story, one must revisit certain chapters of the Mandalorian, particularly the fifth and fourteenth chapters.

The ensuing video depicts the dialogue between Boba and Shand subsequent to her regaining consciousness. Boba proceeds to recount his tale, detailing his rescue and survival following his ingestion by the Sarlacc. He implores Fennec to assist him in the retrieval of his vessel and successfully convinces her to enter into his employ.