Do we have cosplay and fan culture to thank for The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars?

Cosplay is undeniably a huge part of fandom, with hundreds flocking to conventions and pop-culture events every year dressed as characters from their favorite film and television franchises. Of course, cosplay has always been a means of expressing oneself and sharing what you love with others who enjoy the same stories. And the Star Wars fandom has a long history of cosplayers — some of whom actually inspired The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars with their designs.

More specifically, we have Boba Fett to thank for the interest in Mandalore and its people that pushed Star Wars creators to delve further into that part of the galaxy. Polygon outlines the history of Boba Fett’s growing popularity — and of fans dressing up like the character — in a new feature, demonstrating how big an impact these cosplayers actually had on the franchise as a whole.

Following Boba Fett’s first appearance back in The Empire Strikes Back, dedicated fans attempted to recreate the bounty hunter’s costume and helmet as accurately as possible — to the point where a site called The Dented Helmet was created in order to help them in that endeavor. Following a re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy — and of course, the release of the prequel trilogy, which brings Jango Fett onto the scene — the Mandalorian cosplaying really took off, emphasizing yet again how intrigued fans were by these characters in particular.

And it wasn’t just cosplayers who wanted to know more about Mandalore and its culture. Star Wars fans penned features questioning the world-building, and some even held events specifically for those cosplaying as Mandalorian Mercs. With so many people interested, it’s no wonder Lucasfilm eventually gave in and decided to meet the demand for knowledge about this part of the galaxy.

That said, it seems likely we have these fans to thank for the series that came much later — namely, The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars. Both have expanded on much of the Star Wars lore the original movies never had time to delve into, and both have explored Mandalorian culture in-depth, looking at the Siege of Mandalore and its aftermath.

It’s no secret that the creators of these series are interested in fan culture and cosplay, with Dave Filoni, who directs and writes for The Clone Wars, sharing his love for fanmade costumes on social media and speaking about getting costumes right in the series because he wants fans to “have fun wearing this stuff.”

It’s amazing to see how much of an impact fandom has had on the creation of content, to the point where those working on television series and movies are taking the fan experience into account while they’re working. Of course, most of the people signing up to work on a Star Wars installment have probably also been fans for years — and it seems that the franchise and the fandom continue to give back to one another in this regard.

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