AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: BIRTH OF A BOUNTY HUNTER!

The still-in-development Boba Fett costume (possibly played by an ILM-er Bruce Nicholson) ready for photography on his 1978 Kenner Action Figure character card. Note the characters unused brown layered gloves.

From a Star Wars universe point of view, Fett’s armoured outfit was intended to be worn by squads of supercommandos (also called “Super Troopers” or "Super Stromtroopers") from the Mandalore system. However, Lucas decides that Boba Fett will be the only one in the weapon laden suit appearing in Empire. The costume and pieces, all white, are created at Elstree Studios and sent to the US for camera testing and for its finished colour palette spraying/weathering. Joe Johnston created the final amount of armour and plating for the suit (drawings were finalized for the film costume in June 1978, keeping the armour symmetrical, but painting the pieces in such a way that they appeared to be scavenged from several uniforms (sadly, several distinctive painted markings created by Johnston would be removed from the helmet’s final version-for reasons of visual aesthetics). 

For believability as a battle hardened bounty hunter, Johnston found it important that the costume was realistically aged and lived in: dented, pocketed with bullet holes, and personalized with a shredded cape, braided Wookiee scalps and other trophies. 

Brian Archer works on the Boba Fett helmet, one of several, at Elstree Studios.

Key British background artist Alan Harris tries on the original all white suit at Elstree for reference photography.

Alan Harris wearing the very real and operational flame thrower!

Ben Burtt hosts the first US B/W camera test of the Boba Fett costume (worn by Duwayne Dunham) at George Lucas's Parkway home in Southern California.

Joe Johnston works on the Fett helmet colour scheme.

The entire Fett wardrobe pieces- note the unused 'eyebrows' on the helmet at this point.

ILM veteran Bruce Nicholson dons the gear in costume test photos taken by Joe Johnston.

Bruce Nicholson is Boba Fett, at least for a few hours!

Another ILM crewmember poses in the costume.

Amongst the items on his person are a range finding mast on the helmet, jet pack, missile launcher, wrist blasters, knee pads with rocket dart launchers on their side, extendible boot tip blades, a flame thrower gas jet on Fett’s left wrist (originally a practical working device, but Lucas decides its too dangerous (as well as being too heavy to carry)), and a cable gun - all these elements/devices add to the aura of a successful, and highly dangerous, bounty hunter. British TV and film actor Jeremy Bulloch was invited to suit-audition for the role of Fett at Elstree by his half-brother Robert Watts, working on Empire as its Associate Producer.

The Boba Costume with the helmet 'eyebrows' and original brown gloves.

George Lucas inspects the evolving costume.

The final revisions to the Boba Fett costume, supervised by Joe Johnston.

A look at the helmet used in Empire and Jedi.

Detailed look at the rocket pack- an image likely from Return of the Jedi?