This article contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett episode 5
This week’s The Book of Boba Fett was effectively an episode of The Mandalorian. Din Djarin’s return delivered the goods, giving us a great idea of what to expect in the next season of his own show, dropping in some fun references to the wider Star Wars universe, and some stylish action from Disney Plus directorial stalwart Bryce Dallas Howard.
Much of the second part of the episode saw Din Djarin and mechanic Peli Motto working on a replacement for the Razor Crest. Din’s ship got completely destroyed by Moff Gideon in season two of The Mandalorian, and he spent the rest of the run hitching a ride with Boba Fett. After the dispiriting sight of him flying commercial, he headed to Motto’s place to purchase his new ride.
This turns out to be an N-1 starfighter – aka the Naboo starfighter from The Phantom Menace. This sleek and stylish craft was developed by the Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps, and used by the Royal Naboo Security Forces for protecting Queen Amidala and planetary defense. But, in the 60 years since The Phantom Menace, this particular craft has clearly seen better days.
On seeing the dusty half-assembled ship, Din understandably dismissed it as a piece of junk, asking for his credits back. However, after spending the time fixing it up and adding some aftermarket mods, it proved to be a jaw-droppingly fast and responsive ride.
Along the way, we also got some neat insight into this rare craft. Peli Motto explained that it differs from the typical Star Wars craft, in that it was handcrafted rather than being built by droids, which is a neat way to explain the shift in design aesthetic between prequel and original trilogies.
We also learned that these ships are so old they don’t have ID tags, the same quality that allowed the Razor Crest to “stay off the grid”. As a bonus, the craft can also “jump into hyperspace with no docking ring”, though I believe X-Wings also have this function.
For a moment, I thought this might even be the specific Naboo starfighter Anakin used in The Phantom Menace. It’s possible to distinguish between them by the markings next to the cockpit, so I fired up Episode I and checked, but this is indeed a different ship.
The as-yet-unnamed starfighter is certain to play a big role in The Mandalorian‘s third season, and I note with excitement that the astromech droid slot has been replaced with a Grogu-friendly mini-cockpit. Let’s hope the little guy ends up in there soon.