Warning: this article contains major spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett: Episode 6! If you haven't already, be sure to check out IGN's review of the new episode.
If the recent appearance of Wookiee bounty hunter Black Krrsantan wasn't enough, The Book of Boba Fett just inducted another fan-favorite Star Wars character into live-action. Cad Bane is here, and he's got Boba Fett square in his sights for the season finale.
While we wait for the big showdown between Fett's ragtag team and the Pyke Syndicate, let's take a look back at Cad Bane's history in the Star Wars franchise and why his return is bad news for Tatooine's new daimyo.
Bane is a member of the Duros race, hence his distinctive blue skin, oversized red eyes and breathing tubes. In the final years before the rise of the Empire, Bane was regarded as one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy. And once Jango Fett met his end on Geonosis, Bane's claim to that title was basically uncontested.
Bane honed his reputation during the Clone Wars, proving skilled enough to repeatedly face off against the Jedi and their Clonetroopers and living to tell the tale. Even mighty rulers like Darth Sidious and Jabba the Hutt were impressed by his accomplishments.
Bane continued to make a lucrative living after the rise of of the Empire, even if Boba Fett's reputation eventually eclipsed his own. Now we know Cad Bane is still a force to be reckoned with in the era of the New Republic, and he seems ready to finally settle his score with the Fett family.
Bane honed his reputation during the Clone Wars, proving skilled enough to repeatedly face off against the Jedi and their Clonetroopers and living to tell the tale.
Star Wras is nothing if not a space Western, and Cad Bane is definitely dressed for the part. He's rarely seen without his trademark, wide-brimmed hat, duster coat and twin pistols. But while he favors his guns, Bane always has a large arsenal of weaponry to fall back on, including a whipcord, flamethrower and jet boots. Even his breathing tubes are a secret asset, as they make him resistant to Force choking.
Bane is one of the few non-Force-sensitives in the galaxy who can regularly go toe-to-toe with the Jedi. Over the course of the Clone Wars, Bane clashed with Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Quinlan Vos and other elite warriors. Bane also out-dueled Clone Force 99 leader Hunter, proving himself a quicker draw than even the best of Palpatine's Clonetroopers.
Cad Bane is a natural choice to be the final, main villain of The Book of Boba Fett: Season 1, considering he has an established history with both Fett and Shand. To draw a comparison to Batman Begins, Bane is essentially the Ra's al Ghul to Fett's Bruce Wayne.
Fett himself plays a recurring role in The Clone Wars animated series, where we see the recently orphaned clone join up with Aurra Sing and other bounty hunters to learn the tricks of the trade. This young, aspiring hunter spends these early years training to become worthy of his father's armor and take revenge against his killer.
Cad Bane himself was one of Fett's mentors during this time, though we don't really see that relationship develop in the show. Executive producer Dave Filoni (who also directed The Book of Boba Fett Episode 6) revealed that one of the unfinished Clone Wars story arcs would have revolved around Bane becoming Fett's mentor, out of professional respect for the late Jango Fett. Unfortunately the show's cancellation means we have yet to see that story play out. Maybe the Book of Boba Fett season finale will include some flashbacks to that alliance?
We have, however, seen Cad Bane and Fennec Shand battle it out thanks to The Bad Batch: Season 1. In this post-Clone Wars era, Bane accepts an Imperial bounty on Omega, the female clone who escapes Geonosis along with Clone Force 99. Bane and Shand nearly kill each other fighting over possession of Omega, but both ultimately live to fight another day.
Cad Bane is an ideal choice of villain for this live-action Star Wars series. But, not necessarily because he harbors a deep grudge against Boba Fett. Cad Bane is the epitome of "It's not personal; it's strictly business." But that's exactly why he's such a perfect foil for this post-Return of the Jedi Boba Fett.
If we've learned anything about Fett over the course of the series, it's that he's grown tired of the bounty hunting lifestyle. He's tired of sticking his neck out for others for the sake of credits, especially when that's exactly what landed him inside the belly of the Sarlacc. His time with the Tusken Raiders taught Boba the importance of family and loyalty and the value of living with complete freedom.
Cad Bane, by comparison, is still living life the same way he did during the Clone Wars. He'll serve any master so long as their money is good. These days, that means acting as an enforcer for the Pyke Syndicate.
Presumably, the season finale of The Book of Boba Fett will capitalize on the shared history between these two characters. Bane and Fett will have their reunion, and Bane will probably lament that his former pupil has grown "soft." Bane will probably leap at the chance to remind the galaxy that he, not Boba Fett, is the most fearsome gunfighter alive. And if he can have his rematch with Fennec Shand at the same time, so much the better.
We can only assume Boba Fett will prove the victor, showing Bane that family and attachments make him stronger, not weaker. The real question is whether Cad Bane will make it out of this series alive. He's cheated death many times over the decades, but sooner or later everyone's luck runs out.
For more on The Book of Boba Fett, find out why the series is so deeply inspired by Dune, the secret history of the Darksaber and what it was like filming that claustrophobic Sarlacc scene.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Continue reading...
If the recent appearance of Wookiee bounty hunter Black Krrsantan wasn't enough, The Book of Boba Fett just inducted another fan-favorite Star Wars character into live-action. Cad Bane is here, and he's got Boba Fett square in his sights for the season finale.
While we wait for the big showdown between Fett's ragtag team and the Pyke Syndicate, let's take a look back at Cad Bane's history in the Star Wars franchise and why his return is bad news for Tatooine's new daimyo.
Who Is Cad Bane?
Bane is a member of the Duros race, hence his distinctive blue skin, oversized red eyes and breathing tubes. In the final years before the rise of the Empire, Bane was regarded as one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy. And once Jango Fett met his end on Geonosis, Bane's claim to that title was basically uncontested.
Bane honed his reputation during the Clone Wars, proving skilled enough to repeatedly face off against the Jedi and their Clonetroopers and living to tell the tale. Even mighty rulers like Darth Sidious and Jabba the Hutt were impressed by his accomplishments.
Bane continued to make a lucrative living after the rise of of the Empire, even if Boba Fett's reputation eventually eclipsed his own. Now we know Cad Bane is still a force to be reckoned with in the era of the New Republic, and he seems ready to finally settle his score with the Fett family.
Bane honed his reputation during the Clone Wars, proving skilled enough to repeatedly face off against the Jedi and their Clonetroopers and living to tell the tale.
Cad Bane's Weapons and Abilities
Star Wras is nothing if not a space Western, and Cad Bane is definitely dressed for the part. He's rarely seen without his trademark, wide-brimmed hat, duster coat and twin pistols. But while he favors his guns, Bane always has a large arsenal of weaponry to fall back on, including a whipcord, flamethrower and jet boots. Even his breathing tubes are a secret asset, as they make him resistant to Force choking.
Bane is one of the few non-Force-sensitives in the galaxy who can regularly go toe-to-toe with the Jedi. Over the course of the Clone Wars, Bane clashed with Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Quinlan Vos and other elite warriors. Bane also out-dueled Clone Force 99 leader Hunter, proving himself a quicker draw than even the best of Palpatine's Clonetroopers.
Cad Bane's History With Boba Fett and Fennec Shand
Cad Bane is a natural choice to be the final, main villain of The Book of Boba Fett: Season 1, considering he has an established history with both Fett and Shand. To draw a comparison to Batman Begins, Bane is essentially the Ra's al Ghul to Fett's Bruce Wayne.
Fett himself plays a recurring role in The Clone Wars animated series, where we see the recently orphaned clone join up with Aurra Sing and other bounty hunters to learn the tricks of the trade. This young, aspiring hunter spends these early years training to become worthy of his father's armor and take revenge against his killer.
Cad Bane himself was one of Fett's mentors during this time, though we don't really see that relationship develop in the show. Executive producer Dave Filoni (who also directed The Book of Boba Fett Episode 6) revealed that one of the unfinished Clone Wars story arcs would have revolved around Bane becoming Fett's mentor, out of professional respect for the late Jango Fett. Unfortunately the show's cancellation means we have yet to see that story play out. Maybe the Book of Boba Fett season finale will include some flashbacks to that alliance?
We have, however, seen Cad Bane and Fennec Shand battle it out thanks to The Bad Batch: Season 1. In this post-Clone Wars era, Bane accepts an Imperial bounty on Omega, the female clone who escapes Geonosis along with Clone Force 99. Bane and Shand nearly kill each other fighting over possession of Omega, but both ultimately live to fight another day.
Cad Bane in The Book of Boba Fett
Cad Bane is an ideal choice of villain for this live-action Star Wars series. But, not necessarily because he harbors a deep grudge against Boba Fett. Cad Bane is the epitome of "It's not personal; it's strictly business." But that's exactly why he's such a perfect foil for this post-Return of the Jedi Boba Fett.
If we've learned anything about Fett over the course of the series, it's that he's grown tired of the bounty hunting lifestyle. He's tired of sticking his neck out for others for the sake of credits, especially when that's exactly what landed him inside the belly of the Sarlacc. His time with the Tusken Raiders taught Boba the importance of family and loyalty and the value of living with complete freedom.
Cad Bane, by comparison, is still living life the same way he did during the Clone Wars. He'll serve any master so long as their money is good. These days, that means acting as an enforcer for the Pyke Syndicate.
Presumably, the season finale of The Book of Boba Fett will capitalize on the shared history between these two characters. Bane and Fett will have their reunion, and Bane will probably lament that his former pupil has grown "soft." Bane will probably leap at the chance to remind the galaxy that he, not Boba Fett, is the most fearsome gunfighter alive. And if he can have his rematch with Fennec Shand at the same time, so much the better.
We can only assume Boba Fett will prove the victor, showing Bane that family and attachments make him stronger, not weaker. The real question is whether Cad Bane will make it out of this series alive. He's cheated death many times over the decades, but sooner or later everyone's luck runs out.
For more on The Book of Boba Fett, find out why the series is so deeply inspired by Dune, the secret history of the Darksaber and what it was like filming that claustrophobic Sarlacc scene.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Continue reading...