How Do Boba Fett & Cad Bane Know Each Other?

Episode 7 of The Book of Boba Fett gave us an epic showdown between the two greatest bounty hunters in the galaxy. However, while the showdown may have been great, what was clear was that Boba Fett and Cad Bane were very familiar with one another, such that it seemed as if they had a long history with one another. You can clearly see how well they know one another. So, how do Boba Fett and Cad Bane know each other?

When Boba Fett was still a young bounty hunter, he found himself working with Cad Bane and a group of other bounty hunters on several missions. Bane saw the potential in the young Boba and started mentoring him, as he returned the favor because he also learned under Jango Fett in the past briefly. 

The relationship between Boba Fett and Cad Bane can be traced back to Jango Fett, who is their common denominator. Of course, it was not uncommon for fellow bounty hunters to run into each other in the Star Wars galaxy, as that was how Fett and Bane came to know each other. But while Bane was a mentor to Boba, we do know that they weren’t particularly fond of each other as they didn’t hesitate to kill one another in The Book of Boba Fett.

Where Do Boba Fett And Cad Bane Know Each Other?

Even though the main Star Wars storyline revolves around the good vs. evil war between the different agents of each side, such as the Jedi and the Sith, there are those who dwell somewhere in the middle and are simply trying to make a living in a galaxy that they couldn’t care any less about, regardless of who was the one on the leadership seat.

The bounty hunters are some of those people, as they will work for anyone for just about anything as long as the price is right. And, over the course of the entire Star Wars story, the bounty hunters have appeared from time to time as side characters. It was only during the era of The Mandalorian that the bounty hunters received more attention.

Two of the most popular bounty hunters that have been around since the time of the rise of the Empire are Boba Fett and Cad Bane. These are bounty hunters that were able to make themselves known throughout the galaxy, regardless of whether you are talking about the underground or the mainstream society.

In The Book of Boba Fett, it became inevitable that Boba Fett and Cad Bane would clash with one another when the latter was introduced in episode 6 as a mercenary working for the Pyke Syndicate. Then, in episode 7, Bane took on a bigger leadership role as the de facto leader of the Pyke forces that battled it out with Boba Fett’s army.

However, throughout the moments when Boba Fett and Cad Bane interacted with one another in that episode, it was clear that they were already familiar with one another and that they knew each other way back. Cad Bane even said, “I’ve known you a long time, Boba,” before their final confrontation in the season finale of The Book of Boba Fett. This confirms that there was a history between the two.

The truth is that Boba Fett and Cad Bane go way back and somewhere around 30 years prior to the events of The Book of Boba Fett. They first met one another during the Clone Wars when they were both in prison for different reasons. Bane, who recognized Fett, hired him to start a riot, and that was when Boba fought with an undercover Obi-Wan Kenobi while in prison.

Since escaping from prison, they joined up in a few bounties together while also working with other notable names in the underground such as Aurra Sing and Bossk. That was how a young Boba Fett, who was somewhere around 12 to 13 years old during the height of the Clone Wars, met Cad Bane and started working with him on a few bounties from time to time.

It was made clear that Cad Bane knew Boba Fett since the latter was a child when, in the finale of The Book of Boba Fett, the younger bounty hunter said, “Don’t toy with me. I’m not a little boy any longer.”

However, they were never really together as a duo because Bane never liked working in a group unless he was the one in charge. This meant that the only time they worked together was when they needed to work on a bounty that required multiple hunters under the leadership of Cad Bane.

Then again, because they were bounty hunters, it was not unusual for them to take on bounties at the same time. However, being the superior of the two back then, Cad Bane almost always beat Fett to the bounty. He even said in The Book of Boba Fett, “this isn’t the first time I beat you out on a job.”

How Was Boba’s Father Jango Fett Connected To Cad Bane?

Even though Boba Fett and Cad Bane connected with one another through fate, they were already connected with one another before Boba was even born. The fact is that Jango Fett and Cad Bane actually knew each other during their younger years.

This fact was made known when Cad Bane talked about Jango in the finale of The Book of Boba Fett in a manner that made it clear that he knew him. He mentioned Jango being a killer and that his blood was in Boba’s veins.

Jango Fett, who was known for many decades as the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy, mentored a young Cad Bane for a while. Bane eventually rose up as a prominent bounty hunter himself and soon began to see the older Fett as his rival in the field.

But as good as Cad Bane was, he could never surpass Jango Fett as the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy. It was only when Jango was killed during the events of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones that Bane was able to rise up as the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy. And, for a very long time, his reputation in that regard was uncontested.

Given that Jango Fett knew Cad Bane long ago, Boba Fett had also heard about him when he was still a very young child. However, during the time when Jango was still alive, Boba never met Bane. It was only when he ventured out on his own following his father’s death that Boba Fett crossed paths with the famous Cad Bane, whose name became more prominent throughout the galaxy because of all of the bounties that he completed during the Clone Wars.

Did Cad Bane Train Boba Fett?

When Cad Bane started working with Boba Fett on a few missions from time to time, he also took the younger bounty hunter under his wing like some sort of an apprentice. As such, he paid the favor he owed when Jango mentored him in the past. 

However, Bane didn’t train Fett. Most of the skills that Boba learned were natural to him because he is the exact genetic copy of Jango. And the other skills he obtained were learned during his time as a young bounty hunter.

The fact that Cad Bane never trained Boba Fett was clear in the fact that they have different combat styles and approaches in their bounties. However, Bane still took on a mentor role that taught a few lessons to Fett whenever they were working together. It’s similar to how an older co-worker teaches a few trade secrets to a younger co-worker without actually training him.

Cad Bane made it clear that he did teach Boba Fett a few things when, before he tried to deliver the final shot, he said, “consider this my final lesson.” This statement reinforces the possibility that he taught him a few things back when Boba Fett was still just starting to make a name for himself.

Who Killed Cad Bane?

Even though Cad Bane did teach Boba Fett a few things and was still the faster shooter between the two, what became clear was that he didn’t know everything that his former apprentice could do. He learned that the hard way in his final encounter with Boba Fett in the finale of The Book of Boba Fett.

Before Bane could take the final shot that would have killed the former bounty hunter, Boba Fett used his Tusken spear to disarm his former mentor and put his back on the ground. And when it became clear that there was nothing more that Cad Bane could do, Boba Fett stabbed him right in the chest and killed him right then and there.