Star Wars References Boba Fett's Original White Armor (Will He Wear It?)
Star Wars just referenced the earliest version of Boba Fett's iconic armor, perhaps teasing a full appearance in the new Star Wars: The Bad Batch series. While the legendary bounty hunter has been getting an incredible spotlight due to his return in the The Mandalorian's second season and his upcoming Book of Boba Fett spin-off series on Disney+, it's possible that fans may just get a new look into his past during the rise of the Empire. There are still large portions of Boba Fett's life that have never been seen, and the events of Star Wars: The Bad Batch would certainly be a dynamic time for him to make an appearance in future episodes (perhaps wearing white armor).
The reference in question appears in The Bad Batch season 1, episode 5, "Rampage," seeing Clone Force 99 having traveled to the planet Ord Mantell in order to gain intel on the bounty hunter Fennec Shand, who's been tracking their newest recruit Omega. While there, they meet with an old contact named Cid, a Trandoshan who offers them a job in exchange for the information they need. When they enter her office, a handful of relics and artifacts are featured on walls adorning the room, including a selection of clone trooper helmets. However, one helmet in particular stands out: a white Mandalorian helmet identical to the one used in the earliest test footage for Boba Fett for Empire Strikes Back.
In early Star Wars concept art from artist Ralph McQuarrie, Boba Fett's armor was originally all white as he was meant be a rank of "super-trooper" within the Empire. However, the decision was later made to make the wearer of the armor his own distinct character, and Boba Fett was born. While this white version of the armor was used in test footage, it eventually reverted to the classic green and brown aesthetic seen in the actual films. That being said, "The White Prototype" armor is still fairly well known, and several toys and collectibles have been made over the years along with the white armor being referenced in The Mandalorian with the concept art's original helmet. However, now that's it's been referenced in The Bad Batch, could this be a potential tease that Boba Fett could make an appearance down the line in a future episode?
It would definitely be interesting to see where Boba Fett is during The Bad Batch. With the rise of the Empire and the clone legacy of his father Jango being phased out, what would his reaction be? Likewise, fans have yet to see the first time Boba donned his father's armor in the Star Wars timeline. While it might be too much to ask that Boba makes an appearance briefly wearing all-white armor before choosing his typical colors, it would absolutely be a dynamic homage to the original trilogy's production and the character's creation.
In any case, an appearance of the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter at the dawn of his career seems ripe for The Bad Batch, especially now that Clone Force 99 is headed in the direction of becoming mercenaries in order to survive the changing galaxy. Boba Fett is a fan-favorite Star Wars character regardless of the color of his armor, though seeing him operating in the prototype white would be very exciting all the same as The Bad Batch series continues on Disney+.