Ships in Star Wars carry the same iconography as certain characters like Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. They act as tools that take fans and their pilots to the next great adventure and are the ultimate form of escapism. One of the best examples of this is Boba Fett's ship. Originally, the ship was called the Slave-1, but because of the racial implications that the name carries, Disney quietly retired it. However, it didn't take long for fans to notice and voice their opinions, with some wanting the name to stay the same. But in a genius form of compromise, while Boba Fett's ship has finally gotten a new name, it's not entirely new to Star Wars lore.
As part of the War of the Bounty Hunters event happening in Marvel Comics, a collection of new variant covers have been announced. However, rather than a vibrant action piece or group shot, the variants will be blueprints of different bounty hunter's ships alongside their pilots. These include Bossk and his ship, the Hound's Tooth, IG-88 with the IG-2000 and Boba Fett with his classic ship, now titled the Firespray.
At first glance, the name Firespray seems unorthodox for a ship like Boba's, as it has neither a fiery color scheme nor a flamethrower. In truth, it isn't necessarily a name, like the Millennium Falcon; it's actually a shortened version of the type of ship Fett has. The ship's full name is the Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft, or Firespray-class interceptor. Its title is actually more akin to how Din Djarin named his ship the Razor Crest in The Mandalorian. The Razor Crest is only a slight change from the ship's real designation, the Razor Craft. Firesprays were initially created by Kuat Systems Engineering and, with some modifications, are capable of being the perfect ship for bounty hunting.
The ships are often seen patrolling the prison moon Oovo IV, where Jango Fett stole his own Firespray from. Off the manufacturing line, the ship comes standard with a light tractor beam and auto blasters. It can travel through hyperspace and is capable of holding up to six prisoners. Following Fett's customizations, the ship is also seen releasing seismic charges, which nearly killed Obi-Wan Kenobi in Attack of the Clones.
What makes the ship great for bounty hunting stems directly from why it was made. As a pursuit vehicle used to patrol a prison planet, it's designed to chase down and capture escapees. With a brig, tractor beam and hyper-drive system, it's one of the galaxy's most efficient bounty hunting vehicles. Its auto blaster also has the ability to rain blaster bolts down on an enemy at rapid speed, helping to justify the name Firespray. The name change also works well for Boba because it doesn't even look like the same ship as his father's, so by changing its name, it becomes more of Boba's ship instead of being one he inherited from Jango.
Change often brings about criticism, and no franchise knows this better than Star Wars. While changing Boba Fett's ship's name seems strange or even wrong to some, it feels organic and right for the character. Fett is one of the most intimidating hunters in the galaxy, and a name like Firespray only solidifies that. The ship's name also feels more unique when compared to the more extravagant names of his competition like Dengar's ship, The Punishing One. While the name change is still fresh, time will prove that no matter what name the ship carries, it's still one of the most feared vessels in the galaxy.
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