This article contains spoilers for The Book Of Boba Fett episode 7.
Star Wars has always been a struggle of good versus evil, and that means the overwhelming majority of Star Wars stories end with the good guy beating the bad guy. The bad guy doesn't always survive their defeat, but not every character needs to live forever.
The Book of Boba Fett triumphantly returned to its primary narrative after an hour or two of cross-promotion for other Star Wars shows. This week's final episode saw the grand finale of the mounting tensions on Tatooine and saw Fett and friends take on a famous Star Wars villain in a final showdown. Spoilers ahead for the entirety of Season 1 of The Book of Boba Fett.
After his sudden appearance in Episode Six of The Book of Boba Fett, iconic bounty hunter Cad Bane became the biggest threat of the new show. Bane dropped into the plot like a classic western character, literally walking slowly into view from the distant desert sands. In short order, Bane engaged fan-favorite Mandalorian side-character Cobb Vanth in a classic duel and established his gunslinger title. Easily putting down two attackers in a matter of seconds, Bane explains that he's been employed by the Pyke Syndicate in much the same way that Din Djarin is hired by Fett.
Bane becomes Fett's direct analog in the final battle. He's similar in backstory, equipment, skill, and even personality. The pair finish off the lengthy action scene with a duel to the death. There isn't a ton of Cad Bane in this series, but what there is does stand as a decent role for the character. And then, of course, Bane is killed in single combat with Boba Fett.
Cad Bane has never been the most integral character to the Star Wars canon. He's one of many bounty hunters who occasionally shows up to play the antagonist for hire. He's straightforward, simple, and fun. The character is iconic, largely for his presence in animated series like The Clone Wars or The Bad Batch. He's a pretty good choice for Boba Fett's nemesis, however poorly the show handles the idea.
A lot of fans wouldn't know it, but he played a part in training Fett after Jango died, so he is tied in with the character. Fans really seem to like Cad Bane, much in the same way they used to like Boba Fett. He's a cool design that doesn't need a ton of explanation and doesn't experience much growth. It is, subsequently, fitting that the character would die in the final old-west gunfight of the series.
The impulse of franchise media and the dominating wisdom of massive empires like Star Wars is to never let any marketable face die. Keep them in the franchise, let them stay in the mix, bring them up whenever they'll bring more attention to a project. Boba Fett himself was presumed dead for decades of cinematic storytelling, and sure enough, Disney dragged him out of the pit and gave him his own series. This impulse makes a lot of sense, to the kind of people who make these films. As much as big character deaths spice up a narrative, every character is somebody's favorite. Everyone has probably lost interest in a series or even a franchise after their favorite character died. But without the specter of death, most action franchises would lose all the stakes and meaning they ever had.
Of course, being canonically dead is no significant hurdle to a character reappearing. It's laughable to suggest any character is beyond being brought back if Disney thinks there's enough money in it. Since Rogue One they've been bringing back real dead human beings through special effects to keep their characters on-screen. Mark Hamill doesn't look like he did when he was in his early 30s, but Disney needs young Luke Skywalker, so they've begun automating the role.
If the outcry for Cad Bane is substantial enough, the blue-skinned bounty hunter will be back one way or another. Whether they change him like they did Darth Maul or just keep telling stories in the past to keep him in, there's no telling if Bane will be back. But, hopefully, Cad Bane and characters like him can be trusted to stay dead once they've reached their conclusion.
Cad Bane's death is as meaningful and impactful as can be expected for the character. Star Wars can't have its cake and eat it too, it can't have climactic death scenes and keep every character around. Only by letting old characters die can new and exciting ideas fill their place. Cad Bane died on Tatooine, slain by his apprentice Boba Fett in a duel to the death. His last words were an affirmation that his old trainee was exactly the killer he'd always believed him to be. Hopefully, Disney has the restraint to let that be the proper end of this character's story.