Star Wars is full of interesting characters, and the last few years have given us a great look into some of the lesser-known characters through the new Disney+ shows and Star Wars movies. One of the groups that fans are interested in is the mysterious bounty hunters of the Star Wars universe. Ever since we got a glimpse of these strange hunters in Empire Strikes Back there has always been a curiosity of the lives they lived. Boba Fett, Bossk, Dengar, 4-LOM, Zuckuss, and IG-88 were the original group hired to track down the Millennium Falcon, and the first bounty hunters to appear on the screen. This group was kept in the shadows for a long time, Jango Fett finally appeared in Attack of the Clones where we got to see the first glimpses of Boba as well.
However, even the biggest bounty hunters we’ve seen did not usually mess with the Jedi. The ones who did pick fights with the Jedi on screen didn’t usually end very well… Jango lost his head this way.
But there was one bounty hunter who broke these norms. Perhaps the most feared and deadly bounty hunter in the galaxy, especially after the death of Jango Fett. That would be, Cad Bane.
If you are not caught up on the animated series of The Clone Wars or the latest Disney+ shows you will want to stop reading now as spoilers are ahead.
There is a lot of legend to Cad Bane… lots of stories of ruthless gun-slinging and bounty hunting. But for this story, we are going to stick to canon… at least for the most part. There is one scene not technically released that needs to be discussed that we will get to in a bit. For now, let’s start at the first appearance of Bane.
The season one finale of The Clone Wars is where Cad Bane makes his first appearance in the episode Hostage Crisis. His goal is to free Ziro the Hutt. He captures a group of senators on Coruscant and will free them upon the release of Ziro. Takes notes here… the first time we ever saw Bane he is working for the Hutts, and not just any Hutt, he was employed by Jabba himself. When I first saw Bane he immediately became one of my favorite characters. His western appearance stands out in a galaxy of armor and droids. The iconic voice by Corey Burton will also have the hair on your neck standing up.
As the second season came about Bane got even crazier. He teamed up with Darth Sidious to capture a Holocron from the Jedi Temple. This led to a fight where Bane was battling it out against Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano. Even the Jedi were not enough to stop him from getting away and delivering this to his employer. Bane is then tasked with kidnapping force-sensitive children. Even after having a run-in with two Jedi, this does not scare him. He does find himself caught by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu however. Bane always has a plan, he leads them to his place and traps them, allowing him to escape from these two powerful Jedi.
Season three gives us more fights against Bane and the Jedi as he is once again tracking down Ziro the Hutt. However, once he finds Ziro it’s too late as Ziro is already dead. But Ziro processed a datapad that had the attention of several other groups as well, including the Jedi who were also looking for it. Bane is once again able to escape the Jedi and get away.
In season four Bane is hired to do a job for Count Dooku and kidnap Chancellor Palpatine. Unfortunately for him, this job does not go as planned. Kenobi disguises himself as a bounty hunter and is able to ruin the plan and Bane is arrested.
Now here is where things get a bit interesting and maybe leave canon? There was an unproduced clip in which Cad Bane and Boba Fett met up in The Clone Wars season 7. They had a duel in which both shot each other in a western-style draw. This was going to be how Boba got the iconic dent in his helmet and was possibly going to be the end to Bane as he got shot in what appears to be the head. Please note these graphics are very unfinished and were the original sketch.
While this episode never got published it was presumed this would not be canon and was just leaked footage of what could have been. BUT… then came The Bad Batch in 2021.
Cad Bane appeared in The Bad Batch to track down Omega, a child who the clones were protecting. But Bane now has a large metal plate on his head where Boba Fett struck him in the deleted scene duel. While time has passed since then and Bane is a bit older, he still has his skill and aim. This metal headpiece definitely leads to the assumption that the duel between these two might actually be canon.
In The Bad Batch, Bane duels it out with Fennec Shand (Boba Fett’s right-hand lady in The Book of Boba Fett). Ultimately Banes’s ship is sabotaged and he is left trapped on the planet while Omega can escape.
That brings us to the end of all the animated action of Cad Bane so far. He is definitely a fan favorite and someone who many hoped would appear in live-action eventually. Finally, with The Book of Boba Fett coming to a close we got our wish, Cad Bane has returned.
With all we know of Bane, now we can safely this return is going to be a crazy showdown. Bane already has beef with Fennec, has worked for the Hutts, and depending on how this canon works could be gunning for revenge on Boba Fett.
The Book of Boba Fett‘s latest episode “From the Desert Comes a Stranger” comes to a close with Bane finally making a live-action appearance. While he looks a bit older he definitely has not lost his touch with those pistols he carries.
When I saw his return I was jumping up and down in my bed with excitement. Not many things get me that pumped up at 6am on a Wednesday before work. I hope that we see some intense action and battles between these bounty hunters as the season comes to a close.
Now that you have an understanding of all Bane has done it is safe to say he is one of the most dangerous bounty hunters. He has worked with Hutts, worked with the Sith, fought and escaped from multiple Jedi, and is not afraid to take any job if the money is right. He has left a large reputation in the galaxy.