Boba Fett may have defeated Cad Bane in The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+, but new evidence from Star Wars just hinted at his return.
The blue-skinned Duros bounty hunter from The Clone Wars animated series first made his live-action debut in Chapter 6 of The Book of Boba Fett.
However, his role was short-lived as Boba had bested Bane in a western-style standoff by the conclusion of the next episode.
Whether Bane survived was left up for fan debate and speculation. That is, until now.
Cad Bane Survived Boba Fett Fight?
The new Star Wars Timelines book included an excerpt about Boba Fett and Cad Bane's seemingly not-so-deadly duel.
In the book, Star Wars referred to the Pyke Syndicate's hired gun as being "out of action" as opposed to dead:
"Beneath the blistering twin suns of Tatooine, Bane returns to fight Boba one-on-one. Fett's armor protects him from Bane's shots, but the Duros seems to have the advantage. Resolved to protect his territory, Boba uses the weapon of his Tusken tribe, his gaffi stick - and stabs Bane through the chest, putting the Pykes' hired gun out of action."
Many Star Wars fans believed Bane would survive since a small red light on his chest began to blink after Boba delivered the winning blow.
This led those same viewers to believe life-saving tech had been triggered or that help was on the way.
Cad Bane Lives?
Bane being labeled "out of action" points towards an uncertain future for the villain; but at least the wording in Star Wars Timelines suggests that he still has one.
The question now is when and where will Cad Bane return?
Thanks to Star Wars Celebration 2023, fans know Star Wars is setting up Thrawn, another blue-skinned, red-eyed villain, to serve as the MandoVerse's primary antagonist.
Perhaps the Grand Admiral may have a reason to work with Bane in Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, or in The Mandalorian Season 4?
It's also possible that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni save the resurrected bounty hunter for a big-screen comeback in The Mandalorian Crossover movie, especially if this film is intended to be a Star Wars-style Endgame.
With so many projects coming down the pipeline, Lucasfilm has a bounty of options for how to handle Cad Bane's future.
But for now, at least fans have official evidence pointing towards his survival and potential comeback.
The Book of Boba Fett is available to stream on Disney+.
