The Water Monger, Lortha Peel #42 - 2022 Topps The Book of Boba Fett Base Set
From the Streets of Mos Espa to Your Collection 🃏
Greetings, fellow collectors! You know that feeling when you crack open a fresh pack and pull a card that features not the main hero, but exactly the right supporting character to make your set feel complete? That's what card #42 from the 2022 Topps Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett base set delivers. The Water Monger, Lortha Peel may not wield a Gaffi stick or fly on a jetpack, but he represents one of the most politically fascinating moments in the entire series.
The Card Itself
Card #42 is a standard base set entry in the 100-card 2022 Topps Book of Boba Fett release. The photography captures Lortha Peel mid-scene, his merchant's demeanor perfectly conveying the anxious, calculating nature of a businessman navigating life under a new Daimyo. The card carries the clean, minimalist design philosophy Topps brought to this whole set: bold character framing, a layered background effect pulling from the desert tones of Tatooine, and the 2022 Topps Book of Boba Fett branding running cleanly along the bottom.
This is a non-foil base card, which means it's the entry point into a rich parallel rainbow. If you're chasing the full parallel run for card #42, you're looking at Blue (1:2 packs, hobby), Purple (1:4 packs), Red numbered to /99, Green to /75, Bronze to /50, Silver to /25, Gold to /10, Black 1-of-1, and the legendary Hobby-exclusive Metal variant at 1/1. Even the humble base card serves as the foundation every set builder needs before stepping up the rarity ladder.
Lortha Peel: More Than a Background Character
Here's why I love this card dropping into a collection: Lortha Peel, played with delightful weaselly energy by Stephen Root, is a master class in worldbuilding economy. He appears in Chapter 3, "The Streets of Mos Espa," and in just a few minutes of screen time, does the narrative heavy lifting of establishing the entire social and political geography of the city.
As a water monger operating in the Worker's District, Peel controls one of Tatooine's most precious commodities. When a street gang of cyborg youths begins stealing his water supply, he brings the grievance before Boba Fett as the new Daimyo. What unfolds is genuinely clever storytelling: instead of cracking down on the gang, Boba discovers they simply can't afford Peel's prices and are unemployed. He promptly hires them as his personal street crew, forcing Peel to accept a smaller tribute and consider the matter resolved.
"The streets are in chaos since you unseated Bib Fortuna. Every street gang, every crime family is looking for a piece of what's left." - Lortha Peel, Chapter 3
That single scene tells you everything about Boba Fett's governing philosophy: strength without cruelty, pragmatism over punishment. Lortha Peel is the catalyst for that revelation, which makes his card a piece of storytelling history tucked neatly into a 2.5 x 3.5 inch slab of cardboard.
Set Context and Collector Notes
The 2022 Topps Book of Boba Fett set released November 23, 2022, timed to capitalize on the Disney+ series' cultural momentum. The 100-card base set covers key scenes, characters, and moments from the show's seven-episode first season. Beyond base cards, collectors can chase four insert subsets: Heroes & Villains, Aliens & Creatures, Boba Fett's Arsenal, and Concept Art cards featuring the gorgeous end-credit artwork. All inserts carry their own parallel rainbow going down to Gold /10, Black 1/1, and Printing Plates 1/1.
For set builders, card #42 sits comfortably in the middle of the checklist and represents the kind of supporting-cast entry that separates a complete set from one that's only chasing the Boba Fett and Fennec Shand hero cards. Character collectors drawn to Stephen Root's work in film and TV will want to lock down every parallel of this one. And franchise fans who love the political texture of Star Wars lore will absolutely appreciate Lortha Peel's place in the set.
If you're sleeving this up for display, a standard Ultra Pro Platinum series sleeve paired with an Ultra Pro One-Touch magnetic holder will keep the card looking pristine whether it's in a binder or on a shelf. For the base card especially, presentation is everything.
HAVE / NEED / NEITHER? Drop a comment below and let me know where this one lands in your collection!
