During the development of "The Empire Strikes Back", Fett was originally conceived as a member of a group of white-armored Imperial "supercommandos" before the idea was scrapped in favor of a solitary bounty hunter; this concept later evolved into the Mandalorians, a cultural group with strong warrior traditions, who sport armor and helmets similar to Fett's. Since Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, followed by the decision to de-canonize most "Star Wars" works outside of the films, including many depicting Fett as a Mandalorian, the character's Mandalorian status has been heavily debated among fans. This was briefly addressed in the "The Mandalorian", in which the character confirms that his father, Jango, was a Mandalorian foundling, but doesn't acknowledge himself as a Mandalorian due to personal preference to not be affiliated with any particular group. Despite this, he continues to use the Mandalorian armor that once belonged to Jango due to the advantages it provides in battle, including gadgets such as a jetpack, flamethrower, and vibroblades.