Are you a big fan of Star Wars and can’t decide which character to portray on your next cosplay? Forget about Darth Vader, Han Solo, or the Jedi – they are already too common in costume parties and cosplays. Why not go as Boba Fett? He’s fierce and has a cool costume that will make you stand out in the crowd.
Of course, you can always buy a Boba Fett costume to save you from all the hassle. But where’s the fun in that? Also, if you want to do it right and make it look realistic, you’ll want a personalized costume for it. So, here’s how to make a Boba Fett costume and confidently portray his character.
Table of Contents
What Is Cosplay?
Before we proceed in making Boba Fett’s costume, let’s define first cosplay for those who have no idea what it is. Cosplay is derived from the words costume and play, where participants wear costumes of their favorite character and role play.
It is a performance art and activity wherein people wear fashion accessories and costumes to represent or portray a particular character. Those who perform or participate in cosplays are called cosplayers.
Some of the favorite sources of characters include comic books, anime, television series, cartoons, manga, and even video games.
So, is cosplay similar to Mardi Gras and Halloween? Well, not entirely, since with cosplay, participants intend to copy a specific character and act like it.
With Halloween and Mardi Gras, while they also wear costumes, they are more for the symbolism of a culture or holiday event. Cosplayers are expected to adopt the character’s body language and mannerisms.
While most cosplayers copy a particular character from anime, cartoons, or TV series, some prefer to create an original character. Some are combinations of different genres such as steampunk. It’s also what sets it apart from Halloween, as participants can be anything they want.
Who Is Boba Fett?
For you to effectively portray Boba Fett’s character, you should know who he really is. This will help you understand the character better and copy his demeanor.
If you have watched the Star Wars franchise, you should know who Boba Fett is as he has played an interesting role in Star Wars. His character first appeared in the 1978 film Star Wars Holiday Specials. But he is also part of the prequel film trilogies and the original movie. Boba Fett was a supporting antagonist in the original film. He never removes his helmet and is known for his quiet behavior.
Boba Fett is an armored bounty hunter. His father is Jango Fett who is also an infamous bounty hunter. He is a human clone of his adoptive father Jango. His origins were a bit unclear at first since he was considered as a solitary bounty hunter. Later on, however, he became a part of the Mandalorians, or at least he is somehow connected with them because of his armor.
Boba Fett is considered to be one of the deadliest bounty hunters in the Star Wars movies. Since Boba Fett lived his life as an average human, he was different from the other clones. Jango taught him everything he knows about being a bounty hunter and treated Boba like his real son. His career spanned several decades.
His original code name was Alpha. Boba Fett copied his father by wearing the suit of Mandalorian armor. Boba Fett was trained at a very young age in martial arts and combat and became a legend througout his career.
While Boba Fett is a famous character on the Star Wars franchise, he didn’t really do anything striking or dramatic in the original trilogy. The only spectacular part he did was when he captured Han Solo and brought him to the Jabba the Hut. Even how he died was nothing special.
But how did he become so popular? It’s mainly because of his outfit. When he initially appeared in Star Wars, Star Wars fans instantly noticed his cool-looking outfit. His dented helmet, jet pack, and blasters made it easy for fans to love him immediately.
Concept And Development Of Boba Fett
Boba Fett’s character emanated from the first concept for Darth Vader. He was initially conceived as a villain bounty hunter. Although Darth Vader became a dark knight, the concept of the infamous bounty hunter remained for Boba Fett. The people behind the Boba Fett costume were the film’s art department and Norman Reynolds.
Boba’s armor was initially designed for super troopers, that is, all white. However, Boba Fett’s armor color scheme was changed into a somber one which is gray, that is, between white armor and stormtroopers that wear black. The decision to make the Boba Fett armor gray made sense since they are trying to convey the gray morality on his character.
Parts Of The Boba Fett Costume
- Helmet
- Cape
- Armor
- Gauntlets
- Gloves
- Boots
- Knee Armor
- Ammo Belt
How To Make Boba Fett Costume
Boba Fett became an iconic character not because of what he did in the movie nor his skills. Instead, he became popular due to his overall appearance. His helmet and armor play an important role on his overall look. Probably another reason why people are so interested in Boba Fett is because he never removed his helmet, making his character more interesting.
If you want to recreate the costume of this notorious bounty hunter from Star Wars like professional prop makers do, here’s a guide on how to create each part of Boba Fett costume.
Materials
- 2-3 Large sheets of carboard about 1/16″ thick with a size of 30″x 40″
- Glue gun
- Lots of glue sticks
- White glue
- A part of 2×4 scrap lumber or blue foam board (whichever is available)
- 1/8″ thick Sintra
- Regular styrene
- Velcros
- Cotton or canvas dropcloth
- Belt buckle
- 40 ft Cotton clothesline
- Grey flight suit
- Spackling paste
- Minwax Polycrylic sealer
- 4 pieces aluminum soda cans
- Dark tinted plastic
- Fabric dye (dark green)
- aluminum soda cans (four of them)
- Knife
- 1 Can red spray paint
- 1 Can white spray paint
- 1 Can black spray paint
- 1 Can silver spray paint
- 1 Can blue spray paint
- 1 Can yellow spray paint
- 1 Can burgundy spray paint
- 1 Can olive green spray paint
Make sure you have all the materials on hand. You can always alter or customize other materials depending on what you have at home, but the materials needed for this Boba Fett costume are fairly simple and easy to find. Now, let’s move on to making each part of the Boba Fett costume.
*Boba Fett NYCC 2015 (Leeanna Vamp Cosplayer)
Boba Fett Helmet
For the Boba Fett helmet, you can download templates online. Most of the templates can be printed on 8 x 11.5 inch paper. To make it easier, cut the templates and tape or stick the separate templates or sheets together. Using a rubber cement, glue them to the cardboard. Now get your knife and cut out the pieces.
To make the helmet, you need to make the mold first for its base. You need to do this to establish the helmet shape. You will later on remove it. After making the helmet base, you need to create the inner helmet surface, then the outer surface. It’s best to slightly dampen the cardboard for the inner surface so that it will be easier to bend.
For the outer surface, wrap it around and stick it to the inner surface. Make sure the glue is already completely dry before you cut the cheekbone sections off of the helmet inner surface. To make the cheekbones, just cut the cheekbone template parts and glue them together.
After that, it’s time to make the dome or the helmet’s top. Do this by creating a cardboard ring and place it on top of the helmet with a glue. This is where you will attach the frame. To make the dome frame, create two interlocking semicircles from the cardboard then glue them to the cardboard ring.
Next is to cut triangular wedges on the cardboard. Bend them close to the dome frame’s curve and glue them with your hot glue gun. It is important to get the dome’s curve right to finish the helmet easier. Once the dome is done, smear some white glue on all the outside seams of the helmet. You also need to cut out some openings for the visor. Wear the bucket and make sure it fits your head perfectly.
Get your spackling tape and spread some on the dome of your helmet and all the areas that you need to smoothed out. Sand it to shape when it dries out. Take your time as you’ll need a couple of applications to achieve your desired look. After this you can add some details such as the ears.
Boba Fett Armor
Now it’s time to make the flak vest or armor. This is where you need the canvas drop. You can use an old shirt as your pattern for the flak vest. You can cut it from a canvas drop cloth. Make sure to shorten the sleeves and are narrower towards the underarm area. The vest should also be shorter than your normal shirt, the length must be just around the belly button.
The back part of the vest is open. To close it, you can use velcro tabs. At least 4 velcro tabs are needed on the back part. You can also use straps to close the back. By using hot glue, you can attach the armor to the vest. Alternatively, you can also use snaps or velcro, whichever you have or is more comfortable for you.
The armor is made of sintra sheet. Sintra is a nice option since it can be heated, so it is easier to mold the shape. Paint the armor with your olive green spray paint but leave the shoulder bells out. You can hand paint the logos on the right chest plate and left shoulder plate. For the cod piece, use two Sintra with filler to get the right shape. You can use spackling paste as filler.
If you don’t have a sintra, you can use trash cans or large paint buckets. However, expect that it will be more challenging to use glue to stick them. Another option is to use two layers of cardboard. However, it may be difficult to get the necessary curves to make the armor fit properly.
Boba Fett Belt And Cape
You can make the ammo belt strap with brown vinyl and glue them from eva foam blocks. The belt should be aroung 2.5 inches wide and is attached using a velcro. It’s recommended to sew the velcro instead of using hot glue to prevent the velcro and vinyl from peeling out.
Cut the clothesline with the same length for the girth belt. Using a glue gun, glue both ropes together and glue the buckle to the ends. Then get your burgundy paint and coat the girth belt with it.
For the cape, cut a secton of hyour drop cloth with a measurement of about 27 x 36 inches and dye it green. Using a small bolt, secure it to the top of the armor backplate.
Boba Fett Jetpack
The jetpack may take a lot work and can be time consuming like the helmet. Use cardboard to make it lightweight. For the missile, you can use cardboard or styrene sheet. The jetpack’s body is made from cardboard.
Once you have put together the jetpack and the missile, smooth it using a spackling paste and coat it with polycrylic sealer before it is primed and painted. Using four wood screws, screw the jetpack onto the armor backplate.
You can glue some plastic sheets on the body of the jetpack to receive the screws. For the fuel tanks, you can use the soda cans and fill the ends with spackling paste and hot glue.
Boba Fett Gauntlets
You can use your imagination on the material to use for the gauntlets. Anything that is round that can go over your forearms will do. You can use cardboard, plastic vases, or anything cylindrical in shape. If you are using a plastic vase, cut out the bottom of the vase and cut the middle part so it will expand on your hand when you wear them.
Mount the foamboard using screws from inside out. Find a picture of Boba Fett gauntlets and cut out the shapes. You can use glue gun to put them in place. You can cover them with paper mache and wait for everything to get dry. After everything has dried out, use a silver paint to coat it.
Once the painted part dries out, use a liquid latex to make the gauntlet look like it was worn out from the battle. Then paint it and let it dry. To make it look more realistic, you can add some LED stick lights.
Accessories
On the ammo belt, there are 2 pouches. The pouches have a measurement of 5″x6″x2″ thick. You can make the two pouches using eva foam blocks and cover it with fabric. You need to make at least 4 similar pouches: two for the ammo belt and the other two should be sewn to the flight suit thighs.
Tips For Cosplaying Boba Fett Costume
Now that you have created the costume, all you need to do is make sure you portray the character right. Here are some tips on how you can be a dangerous bounty hunter like Boba Fett.
- Watch the Star Wars franchise to get to know Bobba Fett better.
- Make sure your costume is complete, from the helmet down to his boots and other smaller details.
- To get the Boba Fett costume right, attend Boba Fett cosplay or search for Boba Fett cosplay pictures and study each part.
- Make sure your helmet has all the scratches on it to make it look realistic.
- Read everything you can about Boba Fett
- Practice and role-play
- Be confident
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you put on Boba Fett costume?
Gather all your costume parts where you can easily access them. Wear your jumpsuit and boots first. Then put on the belt with the holster. After that, strap on the knee armors. Make sure you can move properly with them. Place a harness on your jetpack so that you can strap it in your body.
Then, wear your chest piece next along with the scarf. For the backplate, you may need an assistant to help you attach it to your back. You can now wear your gloves and attach the gauntlet to your arms. Put on your helmet last.
What was Boba Fett’s costume made of?
Boba Fett’s armor was made of beskar alloy and the helmet was made of durasteel.
How do you make a Mandalorian Cosplay?
The first thing that you should do is to gather all the materials needed in making the armor. You can use cardboard, foam, or metal. You will also need a marker, pencil, duct tape, knife, hacksaw, heavy-duty glue, glue gun, and file. Make sure that you also provide newspaper or any scratch papers to cover your work surfaces.
Start making the helmet first. There are many helmet templates that you can download from Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club. Sketch the template design you have chosen on the paper. Transfer the markings on the foam or any material of your choice using a marker.
Foam is a much easier material to cut and design. Cut out the parts using a hobby knife. Glue them piece by piece to create the helmet. You can use contact cement in sticking the visor to the helmet. You will also need a template for the chest piece.
Trace the template to a poster board. Do this before transferring the design. Attach the pieces you created and then fit them to the model. Use three pieces of foam for the shoulder piece. Shape them according to their correct layers. Next are the gauntlets. Build the gauntlets part by part.
You can use floor mats to do this. Use a triangular strip with Velcro to close the gauntlets. Lastly is the thigh armor. Cut all the parts and glue them using contact cement. After making all the parts, remember to do some finishing touches to make sure that your costume is secured and attached well.
Conclusion
Are you ready to rock a Boba Fett costume on your next cosplay? Remember that cosplaying is not just about wearing a costume of your favorite character to costume parties. You need to portray the character and imitate their behavior and antics. While you can always buy a Boba Fett costume to save time and avoid all the hassles, it can be very costly. In addition to that, buying his costume may cost you a fortune.
