Darth Vader’s famous bounty hunter line-up in the Star Wars original trilogy was notably missing Cad Bane - one of the most legendary bounty hunters alive at the time - raising questions as to why he wasn't included in the roster. Vader’s team included fearsome bounty hunters such as IG-88, Dengar, 4-Lom, Zuckuss, Bossk, and of course, Boba Fett. Had Cad Bane been hired to join them in the hunt for Han Solo and Millennium Falcon, it could have been the most powerful team of bounty hunters to ever have been assembled. Nevertheless, he is noticeably absent from Vader’s ensemble, despite being alive and likely active as a bounty hunter at the time.
With Cad Bane’s cybernetic breathing tubes, large-brimmed cowboy hat, and gravelly auto-tuned voice (provided by Corey Burton), he comes off as a uniquely menacing character in the Star Wars universe. Bane was first introduced in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode “Hostage Crisis,” where he infiltrated the Galactic Senate and took several senators hostage. His most recent appearance in canon was in The Book of Boba Fett, where he worked for the Pyke Syndicate in order to further their illegal Spice empire. The Book of Boba Fett takes place almost five years after Return of the Jedi, meaning that a good chunk of Cad Bane’s lore during the Original Trilogy has yet to be explored.
Many people across the galaxy considered Cad Bane better than Boba Fett at bounty hunting. Nevertheless, there are several reasons why Bane wouldn’t have been hired or mentioned in Vader’s group of bounty hunters in Empire Strikes Back. He was either asked to join, but refused — or he was preoccupied with another job. Bane is notorious for preferring to work alone, and only takes on accomplices when absolutely necessary. While Vader’s bounty hunters in Star Wars' original trilogy were technically all working solo, the idea of having to fight among the others for a paycheck may not have been enticing enough for him. It’s also possible that he saw that Boba Fett would be hired and wanted nothing to do with him given their history.
What Happened To Cad Bane After The Prequels (In Legends & Canon)
In Star Wars Legends lore, Bane continued his bounty hunting well after the Clone Wars ended. During the reign of the Empire, he was among some of the Emperor’s personal freelancing bounty hunters. Similarly to canon Star Wars, Legends continued Boba Fett and Cad Bane’s history with one another, with both of them becoming rival bounty hunters. However, the majority of Cad Bane’s dealings during the original trilogy were left unexplored in Legends before Disney took over Star Wars.
One of the last on-screen canon appearances of Bane after the prequels is in The Bad Batch, where he’s tasked with hunting down and capturing an unmodified clone of Jango Fett’s named Omega. From here, not much is known about his canon dealings during the original trilogy. At some point before The Book of Boba Fett, he is hired by the Pyke Syndicate before his untimely demise at the hands of Boba Fett. It’s possible that The Bad Batch season 2 could explore Bane’s story. Since most lore plot holes are eventually filled in the Star Wars timeline, it’s likely that a future show or movie will explore what Cad Bane was up to during the original trilogy, and why he did not join Vader’s team.