Warning! The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of The Book of Boba Fett. Read at your own risk!
The latest episode of The Book of Boba Fett threw a lot of its fans yet another breadcrumb that indicates that it could be preparing for the arrival of a fan-favorite character. There’s reason to believe Doctor Aphra may finally make her live-action debut in Star Wars television. But how can we be sure?
Chelli Lona Aphra is an archaeologist with a long history in Marvel comics. She’s worked for Darth Vader, but one wouldn’t necessarily categorize her as “evil.” Morally questionable? Absolutely. And as a result, she’s gained a big following over the years through her adventures in Star Wars comics. Basically, if you're unaware of the character, just know that you should be excited for her arrival, especially if these breadcrumbs do eventually point to her appearance in The Book of Boba Fett. Let’s start with the latest clue and work backwards from there:
The Presumed Appearance of Black Krrsantan
Wookiees come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, though there aren't many black-furred Wookiees (with an aggressive nature) who walk around with spiked shoulder pads. We can’t explicitly confirm that the Wookiee in the latest episode is notable Star Wars comic character Black Krrsantan, but I’d be very surprised if it’s not the imposing bounty hunter. Krrsantan’s apparent arrival in this latest Disney+ show is exciting for many reasons but, for the purposes of this article, it’s noteworthy because he’s tied to Doctor Aphra.
Black Krrsantan worked with and against Aphra in the comics. The criminal archaeologist recruited the behemoth alongside other bounty hunters for various missions at some points, but they’ve also been at odds occasionally. For example, Vader once hired Krrsantan to bring Aphra into him when she went on the run. I guess that’s a natural consequence of working with bounty hunters, of course, as their loyalties go to the highest bidder. In either case, these two know each other quite well, so his arrival should make the odds of her appearing in Star Wars live-action in general much higher.
Boba Fett’s Pining For A Protocol Droid
Boba Fett, unlike most major characters in the galaxy far, far, away, doesn’t seem able to understand any alien language beyond Galactic Basic. Jabba The Hutt also seemed to have the same problem when he was in charge, which was where C-3PO came in handy. His status as a protocol droid allowed him to translate and communicate all sorts of languages, which is exactly why Fett pined for one in the Book of Boba Fett premiere. Doctor Aphra has one of her own though, to be clear, he’s nothing like the gold and high-strung droid fans know.
In fact, 0-0-0, or Triple-Zero as he’s commonly referred to, is like the anti-C-3PO. He’s proficient in all the same things that the Rebel Alliance's droid is, but you can also add torture to that list. In addition, he's painted all-black and has menacing red eyes. He’d be a perfect fit for someone like the legendary Boba Fett, who needs a translator and another enforcer to exhibit his power on Tattooine. I think the tease for a protocol droid could be a way of justifying Fett’s use for Triple-Zero -- and as a result, further opening the door for Aphra.
Aphra And Boba Fett Run In The Same Circles
While they haven't worked together directly, Doctor Aphra and Boba Fett know a lot of the same people, mainly bounty hunters. Black Krrsantan, Bossk, IG-90, are just a few of the characters both have relationships with, either through their own missions or work with Jabba the Hutt and Darth Vader. It just makes sense that these two would cross paths, especially if you’re the people at Star Wars looking for a way to incorporate her.
Of course, we don't know if the acclaimed show is definitely planning to include Doctor Aphra. I do think it’s healthy to speculate as to whether it could happen, though, based on the little evidence we have thus far. There's also the fact that quite a few characters from expanded material are coming to live-action as of late. Fans of Aphra should keep their fingers crossed in any case and continue to search for clues it could happen.
The Book of Boba Fett drops new episodes on Disney+ on Wednesdays. If you haven' already catch up on the latest episode right now and take solace in the fact that even if Aphra doesn’t show, there’s an even bigger appearance potentially teased for later this season.
