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So as we know, Boba Fett has Mandalorian armor, which means beskar steel, which is the strongest metal (that we know of) in the galaxy.

But in ep 6 Han accidentally hit Boba in the jetpack with the end of a staff one of Jabba's guards wielded.

So the question is: How did the end of a puny staff break Boba's beskar-covered jetpack?

I would prefer a canon answer, but if there isn't one, then I will take a Legends answer.

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    That was one poorly made rocket pack if a simple spear poke ignites it. Boba Fett should choose his equipment better.
    – RichS
    Dec 4, 2020 at 23:15
  • A fate worse than death, death by bad equipment is.
    – David Tonhofer
    Dec 5, 2020 at 0:17
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    It's perhaps worth noting that while he wears Mandalorian-style armor all of it looks slightly worn and used, to the point where not even the helmet had that stereotypical Beskar shine. Add in the fact that he seriously couldn't find a better use for his time than play chief bully at the court of a two-bit crime lord in the ass end of nowhere, maybe don't assume that Boba Fett is any kind of memetic badass...
    – Shadur
    Dec 5, 2020 at 11:23
  • Sticks in Star Wars are better than bacon
    – Machavity
    Dec 5, 2020 at 14:51
  • the lack of shine @Shadur is from the paint on it, not from wear and tear. beskar is handed down from generation to generation and still be shiny. But most beskar armor is painted over, so it doesn't look shiny
    – Firestryke
    Dec 6, 2020 at 0:00

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The spear was in fact, according to the canon junior novelisation, an electro-spear. It delivered a jolt into the jetpack's controls, shorting them and activating the jets.

But dumb luck? That’s where Solo has always excelled.

The electro-spear hits Boba Fett in the back, sending a wallop of electricity into his jet pack. It ignites instantly.

Boba rockets through the air. He grabs uselessly at the short-circuited controls of the rocket. He has just enough time to think of how silly he must look before he slams into the side of the sail barge and then falls, arms flailing, past the skiffs, past Lando, past the tentacles and the teeth…and into the belly of the Sarlacc.

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Beware the Power of the Dark Side!

Interestingly, this conflicts with earlier sources of information about the reason for the ignition, placing this firmly as a result of the impact of the spear on the jetpack.

The space pirate turns around blindly, and the long spear in his hand whacks squarely in the middle of Boba's rocket pack.

The impact of the swing causes the rocket pack to ignite. Boba blasts off, flying over the second skiff like a missile, smashing against the side of the huge Sail Barge and sliding away into the pit.

Return of the Jedi - Screenplay

and

Chewie barked frantically. Han swung his spear again, this time in the opposite direction, landing the hit squarely in the middle of Boba’s rocket pack. The impact caused the rocket to ignite. Boba blasted off unexpectedly, shooting over the second skiff like a missile and ricocheting straight down into the pit.

Return of the Jedi: Official Novelisation

Apparently this was a known flaw in the Z-6 Jetpack.

Their significant disadvantage was their vulnerability to external impact damage. One sharp blow with a stick could conceivably ignite the jetpack, causing all manner of unwanted performance that could lead to significant bodily harm or even death.

Star Wars Databank: Z-6 Jetpack

You might note that the jetpack itself is not (presumably) made of beskar. It's a production model which would suggest that it's a less sturdy metal

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    And you're in luck. This novel was written after 2014 and is considered canon.
    – Valorum
    Dec 4, 2020 at 20:02
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    Of course even if the casing is an indestructible alloy, it doesn't make the contents shock-proof... (Just like your brain vs. your skull.)
    – DavidW
    Dec 4, 2020 at 20:19
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    @DavidW - This was a widely available (albeit expensive) model of jetpack. I see no evidence that it's beskar or even beskar-plated
    – Valorum
    Dec 4, 2020 at 20:26
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    Sure, I get that. My point was more that even a perfectly armoured system might still be vulnerable to an impact sufficient to jolt the ignition system, say popping a valve open or something like that.
    – DavidW
    Dec 4, 2020 at 20:30
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    “Dumb luck” - cynical smuggler talk for “the Force was with him”
    – Todd Wilcox
    Dec 4, 2020 at 21:20

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