Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett episode 3! Turn away now if you haven't watched the latest episode on Disney Plus!
The Book of Boba Fett episode 3 may have brought us one step closer to discovering the real villains of the Star Wars series.
So far, Fett’s attempts to seize control of Tatooine's criminal underworld have been seriously hampered – by the planet's mayor, the Hutt twins, and Black Krrsantan, and, in the latest installment, by the Pyke Syndicate.
With the revelation that the mayor has promised Fett's territory to the Pykes, Star Wars fans are speculating that the true threat isn't actually this group at all, but rather Crimson Dawn, the powerful organization introduced in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
"There is no way the main bad guys are the Pykes. The Hutt's would not be so scared to take back Tattoine from Boba i[f] the Pykes are the syndicate that stands in between them. Crimson Dawn are definitely the ones in control," says one fan, while another thinks the return of Emilia Clarke's Qi'ra is inevitable: "I love the inclusion of the Pykes so much as someone who grew up with and still adores the Clone Wars and Qi'ra is surely inevitable consider[ing] Maul owns the Pykes in Clone Wars and as of War of the Bounty Hunters she owns Crimson Dawn"
In The Clone Wars animated show, the Pykes allied with Darth Maul. The Sith Lord was revealed to be in control of Crimson Dawn at the end of Solo, but was killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi (again) in Star Wars Rebels. Qi'ra is now in control of the crime syndicate, as revealed in the War of the Bounty Hunters comic story.
"ANOTHER SYNDICATE…CRIMSON DAWN?" questions one fan, and another is impatient for the group's arrival: "The Pyke scene at the end was super cool but I was hoping it was gonna be Crimson Dawn UGHHH"
If Qi'ra does show up, she and Fett already have a history – in the comics, Qi'ra stole the frozen Han Solo from the bounty hunter to lure the galaxy's other crime syndicates to her location, with the aim of starting a war that would take out Darth Vader and the Emperor. It was a gamble that ended with Qi'ra dueling Vader himself, and narrowly escaping death.
It remains to be seen if Crimson Dawn or Qi'ra will make an appearance in The Book of Boba Fett, which drops a new episode on Disney Plus each Wednesday. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows to get up to speed on what's next for the galaxy far, far away.
