Cad Bane (voiced by Corey Burton) has become somewhat of a fan-favorite Star Wars character in recent years, and that is due largely in part to the role he played in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series. He is smart, able to adapt to his surroundings, and more than able to go toe to toe with even Jedi. There is a reason that Cad Bane is so well known in the Star Wars universe and so well liked as a character from fans of the series. There's only two rules when it comes to Cad Bane: don't come between him and his paycheck, and don't disrespect his hat.
If you want to know more about why fans just can't get enough of this bounty hunter, then we recommend checking out these episodes to see exactly what he is all about.
"Evil Plans" (Season 3, Episode 8)
Starting off at the bottom of the list is the eighth episode of season three, in which Cad Bane abducts C-3PO (voiced by Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2. This proves to be the setup to another episode that happened earlier in the series, giving more context as to how Cad Bane retrieved the information that he had. While this isn't a bad episode, it is certainly one that does not give proper justice to Cad Bane as a bounty hunter, and it is more of a light episode compared to other entries in the list.
"Holocron Heist" (Season 2, Episode 1)
Taking place chronologically first in the Clone Wars series, Cad Bane is tasked to obtain a Jedi holocron from the Jedi temple, which is impossible to break into without proper assistance. This episode highlights Cad Bane's heisting abilities, though we don't get to see very much else from him in this episode. Fortunately, later episodes would give us a much better look into the bounty hunter and his full capabilities, but for now this is a great early example of his stealth and infiltration skills.
"Deception" (Season 4, Episode 15)
Season four has some of the best episodes that involve Cad Bane, but unfortunately this episode simply does not give a lot of screen time to the bounty hunter, nor is what he does in the episode particularly flashy. What he lacks in displays of power though he makes up for with his ability to scheme up plans, as he is able to successfully cause a distraction to allow for an escape attempt for himself and two other prisoners. Much like "Holocron Heist" the focus in this episode is more on Cad Bane's wits than his fighting capabilities.
"Cargo of Doom" (Season 2, Episode 2)
Following the events of "Holocron Heist" Cad Bane manages to not only kill a Jedi, but also hold Ahsoka Tano (voiced by Ashley Eckstein) hostage in an attempt to make Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) open up the Jedi holocron that Cad Bane stole in the previous episode. This is where the audience starts to get a better idea about the lengths the bounty hunter will go to in order to complete his mission. He has no issue in killing Jedi or threatening to kill a Padawan just to get what he wants, making him a ruthless opponent.
"Hunt For Ziro" (Season 3, Episode 9)
In the ninth episode of the third season, Cad Bane is paid by the Hutts to track down Ziro (Corey Burton) after he attempted to escape the Hutts. It is made clear that even though he was the one who had already successfully managed to release Ziro from the grips of the Republic back in season one, Cad Bane has no issues with taking a job to recapture Ziro for the Hutts so long as he gets paid. This episode shows that the highest priority for the bounty hunter is getting paid first and foremost. Viewers also got to see Cad Bane hold his own against two Jedi, one of which was Obi-Wan Kenobi (voiced by James Arnold Taylor). Although he has to make a quick getaway to avoid capture, the stylish antagonist shows remarkable skills when it comes to combat, once again proving his deadliness.
"Hostage Crisis" (Season 1, Episode 22)
This episode was the finale to the first season, and it is what we believe to be an excellent representation of Cad Bane at his best. Not only does the plan he created go almost exactly as intended, but he also shows no hesitation towards killing one of the hostages after they attempted to leave his captivity, showing the other senators and the audience alike that he does not like to mess around. With the assistance of fellow bounty hunters, Cad Bane is able to hold the senators hostage, demanding the release of Ziro in exchange for their safety. If you had to pick one episode to get the idea of who Cad Bane is and what he can do with enough planning and resources, this is our pick. So why is it at the middle of the list? That is because the episodes past this do more to flesh out Cad Bane as a character in multiple ways, while this episode serves best as the general idea of who he is and what he does.
"Children of the Force" (Season 2, Episode 3)
"Children of the Force" is the third episode in the second season, and it takes place after the events of "Cargo of Doom." What places this entry so high into the list is that it involves Cad Bane kidnapping force-sensitive children. Such a task might be too devious for some, but Cad Bane doesn't seem to show much remorse about the task he has been sent to accomplish. For him, it was just another paycheck. The bounty hunter also makes a daring escape from captivity, something that viewers will know is a bit of a specialty for him. While this episode does have less screen time for Cad Bane than other episodes, it is the actions he takes in the episode that help viewers to understand just how far he will go to get paid.
"Friends And Enemies" (Season 4, Episode 16)
Continuing off from the events of "Deception," this episode shows Obi-Wan Kenobi (who is at this point undercover and was one of the prisoners Cad Bane helped to escape with him) struggling to get along with the bounty hunter. Cad Bane attempts to betray the undercover Jedi in an attempt to not split the deal that was struck with the third prisoner Moralo Eval (voiced by Stephen Stanton). Once he fails to shake off the extra baggage though he reluctantly accepts that Obi-Wan is a part of the team, even saving him when they are intercepted by Anakin and Ahsoka (who are unaware of Obi-Wan's plans). Those who watch this episode will understand that for Cad Bane, money really is the only thing he is concerned with. He is even willing to put his own grudges aside once a deal has been struck, whether he likes it or not.
"The Box" (Season 4, Episode 17)
Once Cad Bane and Obi-Wan put their differences aside, they were both entered into a tournament held within what is only known as "The Box." The two of them manage to make it through the challenges of the box, with Cad Bane even saving the life of Obi-Wan when he was given an impossible task to complete. While Cad Bane may not have morals when it comes to what he will do for money, he does seem to have morals in how he goes about completing the mission. In his own words, "If you're gonna kill him, do it like a man." Even though he doesn't really want anything to do with Obi-Wan, the bounty hunter still acknowledges that the way that Moralo Eval was going about disposing of Obi-Wan was gutless and despicable. This adds another layer of complexity towards his character and what his beliefs really are. Another notable mention is Cad Bane's lack of hesitation when it came to killing another bounty hunter who was seen wearing his signature hat. Even then, however, he kills the rival himself face to face, as he would expect any other proper bounty hunter to do.
"Crisis on Naboo" (Season 4, Episode 18)
The finale to the "Obi-Wan undercover" saga ends with the attempted abduction of Chancellor Palpatine by Cad Bane and the bounty hunters that survived the events of "The Box." This is the by far the biggest heist we see from Cad Bane, and everything goes to plan even with Obi-Wan's attempted sabotages, although the Jedi ultimately come out on top over the bounty hunters at the last moment. While this is more just the finishing touches on the story of Cad Bane, we still think that it is what serves as the payoff for how the previous episodes and their events unfolded. It also helps to serve as the plot that begins to sew the seeds of betrayal from Anakin Skywalker. Without the elaborate execution of the plan by Cad Bane, things might have easily gone a different direction for the series.