One of the most memorable moments from The Book of Boba Fett was the tense standoff where Cobb Vanth is defeated by Cad Bane. While the overall show may have missed the mark for some fans, Cad Bane's blaster aim was on point considering his character. Like most of the duels he has been a part of in the Star Wars universe, he leaves unscathed, while Vanth is left with a blaster bolt hole in his chest.

Cobb Vanth was destined to be a fan favorite character from his first debut in The Mandalorian season 2. Few characters in the Star Wars universe have had the honor of riding a piece of Anakin Skywalker’s old podracer while simultaneously wearing the armor of Boba Fett. However, his clean attitude and solid morals aren’t much use in his duel with Bane. In fact, his compassion for the people of Freetown is one of the biggest reasons he lost.

Related: Cobb Vanth Is What The Book Of Boba Fett Should've Been

Cobb Vanth—a man who cares deeply for the people in his town—stood no chance against a seasoned bounty hunter like Cad Bane. In the most crucial moment of the duel, Vanth makes the error of glancing at his disobedient deputy on the sidelines. Cad Bane immediately takes advantage of Vanth’s mistake by taking out Vanth and then riddling the deputy with blaster bolts. Vanth was merely looking out for his deputy but chose the worst moment to do it. This action makes perfect sense considering his protective and endearing qualities are how he won the people of Freetown over—along with the audience.

Could Cobb Vanth Have Won His Duel Against Cad Bane?

Cobb Vanth in The Mandalorian

Since the people of Mos Pelgo/Freetown are Vanth's top priority, it's hard to see him fail—especially when he's just doing the right thing. But Vanth’s compassion wasn’t the only reason he lost; his deputy wasn't supposed to be in the firing line in the first place. Even though Cobb told him to stay inside, the deputy foolishly thought he could help—a mistake he paid for with his life.

Unlike Vanth, Cad Bane has claimed many lives in previous quick draw duels—from fellow bounty hunters in The Clone Wars to clone commandos in The Bad Batch. He almost never loses. On the other hand, Vanth has certainly handled a blaster before, most notably when freeing Mos Pelgo (though he had Boba Fett’s blaster-resistant beskar armor to help). Even if Vanth still had Fett’s armor, chances are that he still would have made the same mistake that cost him the duel.

Cad Bane rivals Boba Fett as one of the greatest bounty hunters of all time, and Cobb Vanth wasn’t prepared to face someone like that. But despite being bested by the bounty hunter, a brief clip at the end of The Book of Boba Fett reveals that Cobb Vanth may have survived his encounter. He can be seen being nursed back to health in Boba’s bacta tank, hinting that there may be more to his character in future Star Wars installments.