Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars: Darth Vader #15 and War of the Bounty Hunters

Darth Vader has turned a Sith assassin known into his most loyal agent in his new self-titled Star Wars series. After losing in a fight against the Sith Lord, Ochi of Bestoon has essentially become reduced to Vader’s sidekick.

For the past several issues, Darth Vader has been dismissed by the Emperor, hunted down by various threats, and even learned about Palpatine's secret backup plans. Soon, the various Star Wars titles will intersect with the event War of the Bounty Hunters, set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. While Boba Fett, Dengar, and Bossk among others fight each other, Vader has his own masked assassin by his side.

Related: Darth Vader Knew He Could Defeat Palpatine Before Return of the Jedi

After only a few months, Ochi of Bestoon has turned from an attempted assassin of Darth Vader into the Sith Lord’s personal servant. As the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover begins, it’s hinted that the event will bring about revelations regarding Ochi, and potentially cause division in his relationship. Although Vader and his sidekick have grown to know each other throughout their adventure to the forbidden planet of Exegol, their partnership might not last much longer. A summary for Darth Vader #15 shared by StarWars.com teases that Ochi has his own hidden agenda and that his visit to Exegol will change things going forward. The issue will be written by Greg Pak with art by Raffaele Ienco with a cover by Aaron Kuder, and variant covers by David Nakayama and Chris Sprouse. It is set to release alongside other crossover tie-in issues in August.

  • STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #15
  • GREG PAK (W) • RAFFAELE IENCO (A) • Cover by AARON KUDER
  • Wanted Poster Variant Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
  • Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Variant Cover by CHRIS SPROUSE
  • “THE ASSASSIN’S CHOICE”
  • Mere months ago, OCHI OF BESTOON was the assassin who dared to take on DARTH VADER himself in the fiery lava pits of MUSTAFAR.
  • Now Ochi serves Vader as his most loyal agent during the WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS. Who is Ochi of Bestoon? What are his true goals? And how have the secrets of EXEGOL shaped him forever?
  • Also featuring the next great reveal about BOKKU and the Hutt Council!

Ever since Darth Vader started to explore the lingering plot threads introduced in The Rise of Skywalker, fans knew that Ochi of Bestoon wouldn’t stick around forever. It was inevitable that the Sith assassin would eventually depart into his own offscreen adventures leading up to the Sequel Trilogy. However, his involvement with War of the Bounty Hunters opens up several opportunities for an exit. For all that the comics and the movies have established, Ochi might even meet his demise at the hands of an infamous bounty hunter like Boba Fett, Dengar, or Bossk.

At this point, it’s possible that the hinted plot twist regarding Ochi’s motivations could reveal him to have been working for the Emperor the entire time. It’s also in character for the Emperor to have foreseen Ochi’s loss to Darth Vader and planned for their trip to Exegol. Of course, there are several story elements that still need to be cleared up regarding the Sith Lord’s knowledge of the Emperor’s backup plan as depicted in The Rise of Skywalker. The fate of the Sith assassin might just be the key to all of this.

More: Star Wars Explains Why Palpatine's Cult Were Called 'The Sith Eternal’

Source: StarWars.com