This Fan Favorite Bounty Hunter Could Finally Get His Time To Shine In 'The Book Of Boba Fett'

Could This Happen?

By Culture SlatePublished 3 years ago • 3 min read

The post-credit scene of The Mandalorian season 2 finale showed everyone’s favorite bounty hunter Boba Fett clearing out the den of scum and villainy formerly belonging to Jabba the Hutt, now controlled by his former majordomo Bib Fortuna. As the scene ended with Boba Fett sitting on the throne with Fennec Shand alongside him, fans were promised a new series: The Book of Boba Fett. With Fett now at the top of Jabba the Hutt’s crime syndicate, we can expect to see appearances of other bounty hunters. Some may wish to work for Boba Fett. Others may wish to overthrow him.

Obviously, we would not be seeing the bounty hunter Greedo in a series set in the post-Empire era. The famed Aurra Sing dies at some point before the Kessel Run. In addition to Boba Fett, there are other bounty hunters present in the scene from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back when Darth Vader instructs them to search for the Millennium Falcon. The group included the Trandoshan Bossk, the Corellian Dengar, the Gand Zuckuss, and the droids 4-LOM and IG-88. IG-88's fate is ambiguous, so we do not quite expect to see him in the new series either. Bossk and Dengar have worked closely with Fett in the past, and it is inevitable that we mau see them again in Fett’s new organization. While they have not been in the spotlight previously, Zuckuss and 4-LOM may still be included to round out the new group.

Another character that fans hope to see again is none other than the bounty hunter Cad Bane. The charismatic “blasterslinger” rises to become the top bounty hunter after the death of Jango Fett. We have seen him fight toe to toe against lightsaber-wielding Jedi, utilizing his wits and many times underhanded techniques. While Bane was featured in a few episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, his arc was left incomplete. Even though he infamously infiltrates the Jedi Temple, holds several senators hostage, and even kidnaps the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, his whereabouts after the events are never addressed. With the cancellation of The Clone Wars, his story arc, among many others, was never resolved.

Cad Bane plays an important part in Boba Fett’s development. We have seen them working together in The Clone Wars. Dave Filoni (director of The Clone Wars and executive producer of Star Wars Rebels and The Mandalorian) had previously revealed that a four-episode arc was planned, focusing on the relationship between the experienced bounty hunter and his fledgling protégé. However, the series was cancelled before the story came to fruition.

The Book of Boba Fett is a good opportunity to revisit this character and bring closure to his story. In addition to mentoring Boba Fett, his status as a famous bounty hunter from the Clone Wars era would make his appearance in a flashback very appropriate. If he were still alive in the post-Empire time of The Book of Boba Fett, he would not hesitate to visit his former protégé who now heads Jabba the Hutt’s organization. Cad Bane, with his years of experience and many connections, could be an asset to Boba Fett’s position in the Outer Rim underworld scene. On the flip side, he could easily become a dangerous rival. After all, Bane’s allegiance is only to the highest bidder.

Filoni had previously shown an unfinished clip of Cad Bane and the young Boba Fett in a stand-off duel that did not make it on The Clone Wars. A recreation of the scene in the live-action series is something we can potentially look forward to. The western-style duel would fit in with the overall atmosphere of The Book of Boba Fett. Perhaps we could see a duel between the two aged bounty hunters along with a flashback to the stand-off when Boba Fett was still an adolescent facing the veteran Cad Bane. This author thinks the duel would fit in nicely with the common Star Wars trope of the student squaring off against their former teacher.