Cad Bane appears to be killed in the Book of Boba Fett climax, but is the bounty hunter really dead? Cad Bane made his live-action debut in Episode 6 of Boba Fett's Disney+ program.
After strolling into Freetown and shooting Cobb Vanth, The Book of Boba Fett set him up for a major part in the conclusion, including a reunion with Boba Fett.
Although many fans were introduced to Cad Bane in The Book of Boba Fett episode 6, the dangerous bounty hunter has a long history with Boba Fett. Cad Bane appeared prominently in Star Wars: The Clone Wars when it was revealed that he taught Boba Fett after Jango Fett died.
Cad Bane was eventually blamed for Boba Fett's helmet dent due to a canceled episode. He's also been seen in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, but it was widely speculated that he'd make his live-action debut with The Book of Boba Fett.
Cad Bane did, predictably, return to the climax of The Book of Boba Fett and receive a chance to reunite with Boba Fett. The two bounty hunters crossed paths twice in the episode, with the second encounter proving to be far more exciting.
Cad Bane grabbed the early advantage with his rapid shot, but Boba Fett ultimately recovered. The struggle finished with Boba slamming his Tusken Raider-made sword into Cad's chest. The ending of The Book of Boba Fett depicts this as Cad Bane's death, but there could be more to the narrative.
How Did Cad Bane Die?
The Book of Boba Fett's season (and possibly series?) finale saw Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) kill Cad Bane, completing (sort of) the character's Star Wars timeline.
This history was mentioned multiple times in the finale by Cad and Boba, but in case you're unfamiliar, here's the short version: Jango Fett, Boba Fett's “father” (also Morrison), trained Cad Bane; Bane trained Boba Fett; Boba Fett killed Cad.
So, not so much a circle as a wavy line, but aside from bringing the character's nearly 13-year tenure to a close, it's also a classic Star Wars maneuver aimed at drawing a line between the series' heroes and antiheroes.
The prospect of killing his master tempts a student to turn to the Dark Side throughout the film trilogies, which have almost exclusively featured Jedi and Jedi-related characters. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is tempted to kill Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) in the original trilogy, but he refuses.
Darth then murders his own master, Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) battles his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), and loses, transforming into Darth Vader.
There's also something to be said for Rey (Daisy Ridley) against her sort of master/grandpa Palpatine, who has mysteriously reappeared, but the less we think about that, the better.
Read More: How Did French Actor Gaspard Ulliel Die?
The point is, in Star Wars, students opposing their masters is a thing, and the end outcome is usually that the students (i.e., the Jedi) choose the path of good and elect not to kill. No way, Boba Fett!
Boba Fett was a bounty hunter before becoming the Daimyo of Mos Espa. He doesn't have the spotless morality that the Jedi are continuously struggling with. In a sort of final lesson from Cad Bane, he goes in the opposite direction.
