Revenge of the Bounty Hunter
In Tales of the Underworld, Colby's transformation into Cad Bane parallels Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader.
In The Phantom Menace, Anakin is introduced as a young boy living in poverty before falling under the corrupting influence of the Sith Lord Palpatine. In "The Good Life" (Tales of the Underworld 1.4), Colby is likewise introduced as a young boy living in poverty who falls under the corrupting influence of the gangster Lazlo.
At the conclusion of "A Good Turn" (Tales of the Underworld 1.5), Colby, who is now a criminal going by the name "Cad Bane," confronts his former friend Niro, now a marshal on the opposite side of the law, while his lover Arin looks on. This three-way confrontation, set against the backdrop of a raging fire, mirrors the confrontation between Anakin (now named "Darth Vader"), his former friend Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his lover Padmé Amidala on the fiery planet Mustafar at the conclusion of Revenge of the Sith. Padmé tries to save Anakin by persuading him not to go any further down the path of the dark side, but he perceives this as a betrayal, telling Obi-Wan, "You turned her against me!" Similarly, Arin saves Cad Bane by stealing his blaster so Niro and the police officers will not gun him down, but he perceives this as a betrayal and calls her a "traitor" as he is taken away.
The true depth of the parallels between Anakin and Cad Bane does not fully come into focus until "One Good Deed" (Tales of the Underworld 1.6), in which it is strongly implied that Arin was pregnant with Bane's child at the time of her "betrayal," just as Padmé was pregnant with Anakin's when she "turned against him" on Mustafar. Just as Obi-Wan hid Anakin's son Luke and watched over him, Niro has hidden Cad Bane's son Isaac and watched over him. Anakin and Cad Bane's descents into evil destroy their relationships and leave them alone, separating them from their lovers, friends, and children.
The parallels running through the two stories heighten the contrast between their different conclusions, underscoring the redemption at the end of Anakin's story and the tragic lack of redemption at the end of Cad Bane's. In A New Hope, Anakin and Obi-Wan confront each other again after many years, and Anakin kills Obi-Wan while Luke watches. Ultimately, though, Anakin finds redemption through the healing of his relationship with Luke. In Return of the Jedi, he dies peacefully while Luke weeps over his body, their relationship as father and son restored. In "One Good Deed," Cad Bane and Niro confront each other again after many years, and Cad Bane kills Niro while Isaac watches – but unlike Anakin, Cad Bane is not redeemed and his relationship with Isaac is not healed. Instead, he walks away, still alone, and leaves Isaac weeping over the body of Niro, who he still thinks was his father.
EXPLORE FURTHER…
Characters: Anakin Skywalker / Arin / Cad Bane / Darth Vader / Niro / Obi-Wan Kenobi / Padmé Amidala
Shows: Tales of the Underworld
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Concepts: children / fathers / friendship / love / redemption
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