Cad Bane is one of Star Wars’ most legendary bounty hunters. Appearing in both animation and live-action with The Book of Boba Fett, Bane was effectively created to be both the successor and precursor to Fett himself (both Jango and Boba). Operating as the greatest bounty hunter during the Clone Wars era, Bane’s reputation meant that he worked for some of the biggest villains in the entire galaxy.
First appearing in the finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 1, Cad Bane would become a recurring character throughout the animated series, never without his dual pistols and broad-brimmed hat. He even had an entire arc that went unfinished involving himself and young Boba. Voiced by actor Corey Burton, Bane also had appearances in Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 1 and made his live-action debut in the final episodes of The Book of Boba Fett. Here are 10 things you absolutely need to know about Cad Bane.
The Duros: Cad Bane’s Species Explained
Cad Bane is a Duros, a humanoid alien race known for their smooth blue-green skin and red eyes. Hailing from the planet Duro, the Duros were one of the first species to develop hyperspace travel, explaining why they can be found all over the Star Wars galaxy. Beyond Cad Bane himself, the galaxy’s other most notable Duros is Shriv Suurgav, a soldier of the New Republic and eventual Resistance.
How Long Cad Bane Has Served As A Bounty Hunter
Cad Bane’s first recorded job took place in the years just before The Phantom Menace, with his last job occurring in the years that followed Return of the Jedi seen in The Book of Boba Fett. As such, Cad Bane is confirmed to have been a bounty hunter for just over 40 years, though it’s likely closer to 50. It’s also canon that Cad Bane was mentored by Jango Fett who had been the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter before his death, leading to Bane’s rise in notoriety during the Clone Wars.
Cad Bane Specialized In Fighting Jedi Knights
Cad Bane has a long history of fighting Jedi Knights, believing that only they were the ones capable of giving him a fair fight. Likewise, this led to Bane being hired specifically for his specialty countering and evading the meddling of the Jedi Order in his respective clients’ affairs. Throughout the Clone Wars, Bane encountered Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Quinlan Vos, Ahsoka Tano, Mace Windu, and Bolla Ropal.
Cad Bane Has History With Darth Maul
Before the events of The Phantom Menace, Cad Bane took a job with Aurra Sing to work for Darth Maul. Along with two other bounty hunters, Bane and Sing helped Maul hunt down a Jedi Padawan, seeking to kill Jedi without exposing himself nor the plans of his master Darth Sidious (Palpatine). However, Maul and Bane’s working relationship was limited to this single known job, despite Maul’s rise in the criminal underworld with Crimson Dawn years later following the Clone Wars.
Cad Bane’s History With Palpatine Explained
During the Clone Wars itself, Bane was secretly hired by Palpatine for what was likely the most impressive job of his career: breaking into the Jedi Temple. Tasked with infiltrating and stealing a Jedi holocron containing the names of Force-sensitive children, Bane’s success saw him being hired again by Palaptine to kidnap a select number of them. The Sith Lord had hoped to turn these children into a force of dark-side agents in his service, though the Jedi were able to recover the kids from one of Palpatine’s secret facilities.
Cad Bane’s History With Count Dooku Explained
Cad Bane was also hired by Count Dooku during the Clone Wars. Ironically, this was for a job to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine, and Bane was chosen to lead a specially chosen team of bounty hunters to pull off the job. However, the entire plot was foiled thanks to Obi-Wan Kenobi who had faked his death and transformed himself to look like a sniper for hire, allowing him to infiltrate the ranks of Dooku’s recruited hunters. To Bane’s credit, he never trusted Kenobi despite his disguise.
Cad Bane Worked For Jabba the Hutt (Before Boba Fett)
While Boba Fett was still a young boy during the Clone Wars (and seeking vengeance for his father’s death), Cad Bane worked for Jabba the Hutt first. Not only was Bane hired to break into the Galactic Senate to broker a hostage transfer involving Jabba’s incarcerated uncle Ziro, he was also hired by Jabba again to track down and kill Ziro who’d attempted to flee his nephew’s wrath after his betrayal of the Hutt Families.
Cad Bane’s Vendetta With Boba Fett Explained
As seen in The Book of Boba Fett, Cad Bane and Boba Fett referenced their history together back when Boba was still a boy. However, the entire arc that would have shown this relationship during The Clone Wars was left unfinished (certain scenes are online in a pre-vis format). Reportedly, Bane mentored Boba just as Jango mentored him. That said, conflict arose due to Bane’s lack of honor, motivating a gunslinger’s duel that was responsible for both the metal patch on Bane’s head and the large dent in Boba Fett’s helmet, as both hunters shot each other simultaneously. This also led to Boba’s rise as the galaxy’s greatest hunter.
Cad Bane’s Bad Batch Cameo Explained
Cad Bane also had a brief role in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, having been hired in the early days of the Empire to capture Omega, a rare clone created by the Kaminoans and technically Boba Fett’s sister. Wanting Omega back, both Bane and newcomer Fennec Shand were hired by two different Kaminoans for her retrieval (as they had two different agendas). This resulted in a bounty hunter brawl that culminated in Omega instead being rescued by Clone Force 99.
Is Cad Bane Really Dead After The Book Of Boba Fett?
Following Bane’s reunion with Boba during The Book of Boba Fett, Bane was seemingly killed by his ex-protégé. Having been hired by the Pykes to eliminate Mos Espa’s new daimyo, Bane was instead stabbed through the chest. However, the recently released Star Wars: Timelines book hints that Bane might not have met his end:
“Resolved to protect his territory, Boba uses the weapon of his Tusken tribe, his gaffi stick – and stabs Bane through the chest, putting the Pykes’ hired gun out of action.”
Some believe that this particular wording means Bane is still alive, especially considering the blinking red light that came on after he fell, a possible tease that he was able to heal himself or called for help. However, only time will tell if Cad Bane will ever return to the Star Wars galaxy.
