Yudai Hashimoto’s entry into the Star Wars galaxy began when his mom brought him to the theater to see the special edition of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in 1997. Yudai – who goes by Yuda Fett online – remembers being immediately obsessed with the characters and spaceships from the film. While he regrets not experiencing the surprise of the “I am your father” reveal, Yudai’s repeated viewings of the original trilogy led to a fascination with one legendary bounty hunter: Boba Fett.
Yudai was drawn to Fett by his armor and role as a “ruthless bounty hunter.” Among Yudai’s favorite Fett moments are his scenes in Cloud City from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and the shot in Return of the Jedi where Fett gently lifts Rystáll Sant’s chin – an action that Yudai notes is called “agokui” in Japanese. Boba Fett’s mysterious qualities, in addition to his unique armor, weaponry, and overall look, added to Fett’s appeal, which Yudai jokes has turned into a bit of an addiction.
A now-defunct fan website that featured many Japanese collectors inspired Yudai to start a collection of his own. Starting with the Power of the Force 2 orange carded action figures, Yudai soon realized he should focus his collection on one character. As Fett was his clear favorite, the choice was easy.
As a collector, Yudai notes that the large number of Fett variations – from concept art, live action, and animated appearances — ensures that his collection will have plenty of opportunities to grow.
To house his collection containing approximately 1,000 Star Wars items, Yudai designed a theater room in his home, including multiple display stands and specialized lighting. The collection includes everything from helmets to artwork, action figures to high-end models. Yudai estimates about 70% of the items are Fett-specific, but his overall Star Wars collection also includes over 200 Gentle Giant mini-busts. Items focusing on other Mandalorian characters and clone troopers also play an important part in Yudai’s collection. Many recent additions include figures from Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Yudai also expresses his love for Clone Force 99 by cosplaying as Hunter at local fan events.
Some of Yudai’s favorite items in his collection include a Fett Altman helmet and exhibition bust and a handmade Boba Fett keyring given to him by one of his students. Items he still hopes to one day add to his collection include realistic Fett armor and Randy Bowen’s Fett statue.
Through his fandom, Yudai has met and befriended many cosplayers, collectors and artists. After attending the last Star Wars Celebration in Japan in 2008, Yudai is excited to return to Celebration Japan next year. Hoping to meet some of Fett’s stuntmen after previously crossing paths with Fett actors Jeremy Bulloch, Temuera Morrison, and Daniel Logan, Yudai’s first priority at Celebration is to spend time with fans from around the world. For other Star Wars collectors visiting Japan, Yudai suggests a trip to Nakano Broadway and Star Case in Koenji — a Star Wars specialty store with unique merchandise — to find a unique new item to take home to their own collections.
You can find Yuda Fett on X @YudaFett.
