For the better part of a decade the definitive Boba Fett story was "The Last Man Standing" by Daniel Keys Moran. The cornerstone of the Tales of the Bounty Hunters short story collection, the story was a Tarantino-esque non-chronological retelling of Fett's life and career, getting deeper into both his head and his backstory than most stories did until much later. It was compelling stuff, especially with its cliffhanger ending leaving Fett and Han Solo in a standoff with blasters drawn, hence the story's title. It also features one of the most awkward scenes in the whole Expanded Universe from a tone and intention standpoint. One of the scenes relayed for us is a hitherto unseen part of the story at Jabba's Palace during Return of the Jedi; Fett is given the opportunity to assault or otherwise abuse Princess Leia when she (complete with gold bikini) is tossed into his sleeping quarters the night before the execution at Carkoon is to take place. And Fett's response is to do nothing.

"Cover yourself, I'm not going to touch you."

Organa moved slightly to the side, leaned over and grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around herself and the brief costume Jabba had allowed her, and backed up again into the corner of the room that left her farthest away from Fett. "You're not?"

Fett shook his head. […] "Sex between those not married," said Fett, "is immoral."

"Yeah," said Organa. "So's rape."

Fett nodded. "So is rape."

Leaving aside the of-its-era prose, tone and words that would never be put into a Star Wars book today, and the frankly vile portrayal of Leia as an entirely helpless woman at Fett's mercy, I want to talk about what this scene represents. This scene and the scene in the Robot Chicken episode have a major thing in common: they are both a fulfillment fantasy for a male, heterosexual creator on behalf of a male, heterosexual audience. The difference is that one is being played for laughs and the other is played entirely straight, and no prizes for guessing which is which. How many (likely male) fans put themselves in Fett's place in the "Last Man Standing" scene, nobly refusing to take advantage of the helpless Princess Leia? How many used this scene to anchor the idea of Boba Fett as a noble demon in their head, a character who could be admired or even emulated?

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