Is Boba Fett Dead?

There are a lot of rumors running around the web claiming that Boba Fett is alive because he was seen in the trailer for the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront video game.  I hate to break it to everyone, but chances are that wasn't Boba Fett.  While the Mandalorian might be alive, he's running around sans armor.  I finished reading Star Wars: Aftermath, the first novel that is an official part of the Star Wars universe canon, and it paints a scene on Tatooine where a pompous and arrogant prick named Adwin Charu is trying to get the Jawas to show him their high-dollar merchandise.  Apparently, when the Jawas stop their Sandcrawler for a sale, they bring out their cheapest stuff to sell.  The more you buy from them, the better the things get that they offer to sell you.  After around a dozen or so purchases from them, they then show you their "treasure room" that holds their most valuable items that you can purchase.  In the book, Adwin Charu wants to see these items, but isn't having any luck getting in until a character named Cobb Vanth shows up and is able to get him in.  When they get to the treasure room, they find a Mandalorian suit of armor that is described as having been "picked and pocked by some sort of acid.  It had been through hell and back."  I'll let the book explain the rest.  This excerpt is courtesy of bobafettfanclub.com:


“I have a way of sussing things out. I know that things are changing. Not just in the galaxy, but here at home, too. The Hutts still haven’t shaken out who’s next up to fill Jabba’s throne — if you can call that flat slab of his a throne. Seems like this might be a new day for Tatooine.”

“Yes, we certainly hope so,” Adwin idly responds, mostly ignoring the man’s small-talk prattle. He’s happy Cobb got him in here but now wishes the man would just leave him alone. Adwin spies a large, long box on the floor. He whips off the ratty cloth that’s covering it and —

Oh, my.

From the box, he withdraws a helmet. Pitted and pocked, as if with some kind of acid. But still– he raps his knuckles on it . The Mandalorians knew how to make armor, didn’t they? “Look at this,” he says, holding it up. “Mandalorian battle armor. Whole box. Complete set, by the looks of it. Been through hell and back. I think my boss will appreciate this.”

“I actually think I might take that home with me,” Cobb says.

“I think not,” Adwin says, turning around, the helmet tucked under his arm. The blaster at his hip suddenly feels heavy, pendulous. Eager to be drawn. A strange sensation, that. Adwin feels like he’s really getting into the spirit of this planet. He’s never had to shoot a man before."

I won't spoil the rest of the story that takes place here, in case you are still reading it, or are planning on reading it, but it's obvious that the Jawas have the armor and I'm sure that they didn't go down into the Pit of Carkoon to retrieve the armor, so it somehow made it's way out on it's own.  Either Boba Fett was able to escape and shed the armor for some reason, or the mighty Sarlaac belched it up.  We'll have to wait to find out.  Whatever the answer, the person that they show in the trailer for Star Wars: Battlefront is almost certainly not Boba Fett.  One of my friends had an idea of what happened to Boba Fett, and I'll leave you with his thought:

"I think he might be the real father of Leia's kids...take that Han...just collecting his bounty or booty...Thank you...drops mic."