Boba Fett vs. Cad Bane

In The Book of Boba Fett, we finally got to see the matchup that many Star Wars fans had been waiting for: an official, on-screen fight between Boba Fett and Cad Bane. 

If you saw the show, you may be surprised by how the fight turned out. And you may be wondering: what if these two characters were to face off again? Would the results be any different?

Read on to find out!

Who is Boba Fett?

Boba Fett is the cloned “son” of Jango Fett, who was known as the best bounty hunter in the galaxy prior to the Clone Wars. 

Jango was killed in the First Battle of Geonosis, and Boba spent time in prison during the clone wars for attempting to assassinate Mace Windu, his father’s killer. After getting out of prison, he formed a bounty hunter syndicate known as Krayt’s Claw.

By the time of the Galactic Civil War, Boba had arguably become the best bounty hunter in the galaxy in his own right. He worked for both Darth Vader and Jabba the Hutt and was greatly feared throughout the galaxy.

Despite his reputation, Boba was bested by both Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, and he ended up falling into the Great Pit of Carkoon and being swallowed by the Sarlacc.

Though he ultimately survived this encounter, he was captured by Tusken Raiders shortly after escaping. He eventually managed to get them to accept him as one of their own, then later took over Jabba’s former role as Daimyo of Mos Espa.

Boba’s life has been one of danger and hardship, but the fact that he has managed to stay alive despite all that he’s been through is a testament to his resilience and fighting abilities.  

Strengths

One of Boba’s greatest strengths is his skill with weapons. He has many weapons in his arsenal, including an ESB blaster rifle, rockets, bolas, flamethrowers, and a jetpack. During his time with the Sand People, he also acquired a Tusken spear.

Not only does he have all these weapons at his disposal, he knows how to use them. The array of different options at his fingertips allows him to rain a barrage of deadly fire on any enemy in the area.

What’s more, he has his Mandalorian armor to protect him. The armor is reportedly made of Beskar, a metal alloy that can withstand even lightsaber strikes.

Finally, Boba’s genetics can be seen as a strength. As an exact copy of Jango Fett, Boba inherited many of his father’s skills and further developed them with years of training from a young age. He was even taught by Cad Bane himself for a time.

As a result, he is exceptionally talented in combat, has quick reflexes, and is naturally skilled at using a variety of weapons. 

Weaknesses

When he was young, Boba’s greatest weakness was his emotional nature. His grief over his father’s death led him to act on his thirst for revenge, though he was sorely unprepared for the fight.

Though he eventually learned to control his emotions and act more rationally, his time in the Sarlacc pit seemed to weaken him physically and humble him mentally. It left his body scarred and damaged, which made him less physically fit than he used to be.

As Daimyo, he once again showed a softer, more emotional side in his quest to earn respect through kindness. Though this can be seen as a great strength, it could also prove to be a weakness that enemies could take advantage of.

Who is Cad Bane?

Jango Fett and Boba Fett were each considered “the best” during their time; Cad Bane filled that role during the period of time in between.

He was trained by Jango and rose to prominence throughout the galaxy during the Clone Wars, following Jango’s death on Geonosis. 

With a classic western gunslinger appearance and a tendency to take on powerful Force-users, Bane quickly became one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy.

He was known for taking on only the highest-paying jobs and saw repeat work for Darth Sidious thanks to his skill in fighting Jedi. He continued to work for Sidious after the Clone Wars during the age of the Empire.

He trained Boba Fett for a short period of time, but the two had a falling out and eventually went their separate ways.

They experienced a reunion of sorts decades later, in 9 ABY. At this time, Bane was working for the Pyke Syndicate, powerful enemies of Boba in his new role as Daimyo. This led to a confrontation between the two of them–but more on that later.

Strengths

Cad Bane’s greatest strength is his impressively fast draw. He travels light and carries few weapons, but there are few in the galaxy who can outdraw him. His blaster pistol is his favorite weapon, though he also uses a flamethrower from time to time. 

Because he doesn’t wear a lot of gear or have many weapons to weigh him down, he is also very quick and agile. His reflexes are extremely fast even later in his life. He can outdraw and outgun most everyone in the galaxy, and he can do it while fending off most attacks against him.  

Weaknesses

Cad Bane’s main weakness is his lack of close-combat weaponry. Though he fought well against Jedi during the Clone Wars, this is simply because he never let them get close enough to kill him.

In addition to lacking close combat weapons, his sense of pride and tendency to gloat ultimately proved his undoing. This weakness caused him to lose the most important battle of his life–and it resulted in his death.  

Boba Fett vs. Cad Bane: Who Would Win?

Cad Bane and Boba Fett faced off against each other twice–once in an unfinished and unaired Clone Wars episode, and again many years later, in the season finale of The Book of Boba Fett.

In their first meeting, which took place near the end of the Clone Wars, Boba and Bane faced each other down before drawing at the same time and shooting each other, though they both survived the encounter.

In their second meeting, in 9 ABY, Bane outdrew Boba and shot him, but his Beskar armor saved him. Bane controlled the fight and easily won, but made the fatal decision to gloat over Boba, allowing him the time to bring out his Tusken spear and kill Bane.

This battle shows us a couple of things: 

• Bane is the better fighter, as Boba cannot match his speed, experience, or reflexes.
• Boba’s superior armor and use of a close combat weapon give him a chance despite Bane being the better fighter.
• Bane’s failure to finish off Boba when he had clearly won the fight ultimately led to his own death.

But what if Boba had not killed Bane? What if the two were to face off against each other again? Which one of them would win?

It’s hard to say. As noted, each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses. 

Boba is not as fast as Bane, but his armor allows him to withstand blaster fire. If he could get close enough to Bane to use his staff, he might be able to win the fight. 

But, Boba’s armor doesn’t protect him completely. Bane could aim and shoot at the weaker areas, taking out Boba with a couple of shots. What’s more, his superior speed means that Boba would have a hard time getting close enough to use his staff against Bane.

If these two “best bounty hunters” were to face off again, the battle really could go either way.

Conclusion

Boba Fett and Cad Bane are two of the best bounty hunters in the Star Wars universe. Their first meeting ended in a draw and their second meeting resulted in Boba killing Bane in a fight that could have gone either way.

If Bane had survived and the two were to ever meet again in battle, it is unclear who would win. They both have an impressive array of strengths that could tip the fight in their favor.