Star Wars: Here’s Who (& Why) Killed Cobb Vanth

Many side characters quickly became fan favorites throughout the Star Wars universe due to their skills, wits, or charisma. One of those characters was (or is) Cobb Vanth, the Marshal of Mos Pelgo (aka Freetown) on the planet of Tatooine, who met a very somber fate after assisting Mando and Boba in ‘The Book of Boba Fett.’ But who killed Cobb Vanth, and why did they do it?

Cobb Vanth was seemingly killed in a gunfight against Boba Fett’s arch-nemesis bounty hunter, Cad Bane. Ban came to Freetown as a ‘messenger’ for the Pyke syndicate, instructing its people to let the spice trade run free across Tatooine. Vanth refused and met his unfortunate demise because of it.

Luckily for Cobb Vanth’s fans, we didn’t think he was actually dead for too long. Instead, a post-credits scene for ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Episode 7 revealed that Boba Fett not only saved Cobb Vanth by putting him in a Bacta Tank to heal – he also hooked him up with the modifier, who we already know can do technological wonders with one’s body, as he did when he saved Fennec Shand.

Who is Cobb Vanth?

Fans who only watched the Star Wars movies might not know who Cobb Vanth even is, but for ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ fans, Cobb quickly became a fan-favorite character.

We first met Cobb in ‘The Mandalorian’ Chapter 9, where Din Djarin sought after a fellow Mandalorian rumored to reside in Mos Pelgo (later renamed Freetown). That ‘Mandalorian’ proved to be none other than Cobb Vanth, who wasn’t a real Mandalorian, per se – he just had Mandalorian bear armor. So, who was this guy, and how did he have Boba Fett’s armor?

Cobb was born and raised on Tatooine as a slave. Over the years, however, he fought hard and rose to become the marshal – and eventually the mayor of Mos Pelgo. He protected the town and its people from the Red Key Raiders until it was taken over, and he was forced to flee into the desert.

After encountering some Jawas, they sold him a Mandalorian armor they found in the desert. It was Boba Fett’s beskar armor that was spat out from a Sarlacc pit, as the Sarlacc couldn’t digest it. Vanth then returned to Mos Pelgo with the armor and single-handedly freed the city – and became its mayor and protector at that point.

When he met Din Djarin, they didn’t see eye-to-eye at first, as Mando wanted him to return the armor that didn’t belong to him but rather a true Mandalorian. Vanth agreed to give back the armor if Djarin helped him kill a krayt dragon living nearby. Mando agreed, and after the job was done, Vanth returned the armor that eventually found its way back to its rightful owner, Boba Fett.

Who killed Cobb Vanth & why?

Cobb and Din remained friends after the ordeal with the krayt dragon, so Mando turned to Vanth when Boba Fett needed help fighting off the Pyke Syndicate. Vanth was already well-acquainted with the Pykes, as he killed three of them for trading spice across Tatooine. 

Vanth was reluctant, but since he knew Mando and knew how big of an issue the Pyke Syndicate became, he agreed to hold a town hall meeting with his people to see if they were willing to get involved in the conflict between Fett and the Pykes. That meeting never really materialized, as Vanth met his fate soon after Din Djarin left.

That fate came in the form of Cad Bane, a highly prolific Duros bounty hunter that rivaled even the greatest bounty hunters in the galaxy’s history– like Boba Fett, who was kind of Bane’s arch-nemesis.

The Pykes hired Bane to resolve the issues on Tatooine and enable their spice trade routes to run smoothly. In the name of the Pyke Syndicate, Cad offered Cobb Vanth a match to any price that Fett had offered him to join the conflict. Bane didn’t even ask Vanth to join the Pyke side, but rather to just stay out of the conflict altogether.

Vanth refused, saying he wouldn’t allow Tatooine to be a part of the spice trade, as the planet had already seen enough violence. A gunfight ensued, and although Cobb’s deputy, Scott, was first to draw his blaster, Bane was simply better – he killed Scott and seemingly Vanth, who didn’t even have a chance to react.

Bane told the citizens of Freetown to just stay out of the spice trade and that they’d be left alone before turning away and leaving. Naturally, the fact that their Marshal was shot like an animal only fueled a fire within them, as they formed a garrison and joined Boba Fett in his fight against the Pykes in Mos Espa.

Is Cobb Vanth actually still alive?

For about an episode of action, we were led to believe that Cobb Vanth was, like his deputy, shot dead by Cad Bane. However, the post-credits scene of ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Episode 7 revealed that Vanth had actually survived his wounds.

Although they were very serious, Vanth was saved by Boba Fett, who put him in a Bacta Tank to heal and recover. However, that might not have been enough on its own, as the wounds were too severe, so Boba Fett took it a step further and introduced Cobb to the modifier.

The modifier was the guy who also saved Fennec Shand’s life by replacing some of her wounded vital organs with high-tech android parts. In a way, one might consider the modifier’s modifications as upgrades.

Whether or not we’re going to see Cobb Vanth back in action at some point in the future of the Star Wars universe remains to be seen, but it is almost certain that our favorite Marshal is coming back – probably stronger than ever.

I’d expect his return to happen in the continuation of The Mandalorian’s story – whether it’s Season 4 or a rumored movie that’ll serve as a ‘replacement’ for ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 4.

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