The Book of Boba Fett has come to an end, and while it wasn’t necessarily the show many of us were hoping for–and could be considered a disappointment–one thing is for sure. It has served as the proof we needed that it’s time to focus the Star Wars franchise around a new character.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett. If you haven’t watched the first season on Disney+, you should do that now.
For too long, Star Wars has been shackled to the Skywalker family–and Luke Skywalker in particular. Don’t get us wrong, everyone loves Mark Hamill and his portrayal of Luke over and over (and over) has served as a touchstone for much of the Star Wars galaxy. Now that we’ve gotten to the point in Star Wars where they are digitally de-aging him, though, perhaps it’s time to find the next character to hang the entire series on. After all, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was technically the end of the Skywalker Saga, so shouldn’t it be time to give Luke a break?
That’s why we’re ready to crown Peli Motto, the grungy mechanic Din Djarin repeatedly encounters in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett as the new center of the Star Wars universe. The character, portrayed by Amy Sedaris (At Home with Amy Sedaris), is the most entertaining character introduced yet on the Disney+ Star Wars shows. Sure, she may not be as beloved as Grogu, but this is a character we are dying to see more of.
After all, what makes Peli Motto so engaging is her humor in the midst of all of the turmoil happening in the universe. On the surface, she’s a schemer looking out for herself above all others. Of course, as we see in The Book of Boba Fett that is not the case. She cares for Grogu and, in turn, for Mando. She considers them friends and a character with close ties like that (and all of the connections someone in her position must have on Tatooine) makes her the perfect centerpiece for further Star Wars storytelling.
That’s not to say she has to be tied to the Force and the Jedi, or some kind of superhero that will overcome what’s left of the First Order en route to being featured in practically every piece of Star Wars material for the next several decades. Instead, Peli Motto would be an interesting touchpoint to introduce new characters for further TV shows and even movies.
After all, Star Wars loves stories that begin on Tatooine, so why not take advantage of that by having Peli be the bridge between a variety of characters. Perhaps in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, she introduced Mando and Grogu to a wayward Jedi that eventually spins off into their own story. Maybe Ahsoka Tano has a connection to Peli that we don’t know about yet, that will allow her to play a role in that show.
The beauty of Star Wars is that anything is possible. With the lightness and humor Peli Motto brings to The Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett, it makes Star Wars fun and exciting–something it should always strive to be.
And sure, chances are Peli isn’t the next Luke Skywalker-like glue that holds the franchise together. At the very least, the creatives at Lucasfilm should realize just how special a character this is and the importance a role like this–and a talent like Amy Sedaris–brings to Star Wars.
Fingers crossed she shows up in Obi-Wan, somehow.
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