Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld (Episodes 4-6) Review – The good, the bad, and the blue-skinned legend: Cad Bane

Who's Cad Bane? Well, there’s always a legend hiding in the shadows. In Star Wars, the bounty hunters usually get the short end of the myth. But not this time. Episodes 4 through 6 of Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld slow things down, spice things up and draw their blaster with intention, unholstering a Western tragedy in three acts where revenge and regret ride the same speeder.

Author’s note: This review is divided into two parts. The first, focused on Asajj Ventress and the opening three episodes of Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld, can be read here. The one you’re reading now dives into the second arc, centered on Cad Bane. Each three-episode segment forms a self-contained narrative, allowing for a more in-depth look at each character’s journey.

This is the rise and reckoning of Cad Bane. Or Colby, before the name and the fear it carried. A boy chasing survival turns into a man chasing death. By the time the dust settles, we’re left with more than just body counts and blaster fire. We’re staring into the blue face of someone who could’ve been a hero, and chose to be something else.

The boy who would become Cad Bane

In the dusty backstreets of a lawless town, two street kids survive by stealing scraps and running faster than anyone chasing them. They're rough, hungry, and invisible. That is, until a man named Lazlo spots something different in one of them: Colby.

With a few quiet words and a criminal's charm, Lazlo offers more than food. He offers purpose. And Colby, wide-eyed and tired of running, takes his first step into the underworld. Not with a blaster, but with a choice.

Colby and his friend Niro, partners in survival, partners in hunger. They take the money and buy sweets. Not weapons. Not clothes. Just sweets. It's a quiet, gut-punch of a moment. Because for all the grit and crime around them, they’re still kids. And for a second, they taste something close to happiness. But it doesn’t last. It never does. Not in a world where kindness comes with a leash, and sugar always melts into blood.

Even after Niro hesitates, Colby steps up and plays the part. He acts like a negotiator, cool and in control, offering to do what Lazlo asked for ten times the cut they got the night before. It’s not about the credits. It’s about proving he can command a room, that he’s more than a street kid with quick hands.

So, they become the distraction. While the kids act their parts, Lazlo and his crew hit the gambling den behind the candy shop. And just like that, Colby learns the first rule of the underworld: power comes from performance.

The moment Cad Bane is born

The heist doesn’t go clean. During the escape, Lazlo’s crew kills a pedestrian, collateral damage, inevitable in the life they’ve chosen. It’s the first time Colby and Niro truly confront what it means to be part of this world, and that clarity hits harder than any blaster. When the authorities arrive, Niro gets dragged away by officers while Colby watches. And in that moment, with no hesitation, no second thoughts, he turns his back on his only friend and walks toward the man who offered him power.

It’s not a loud betrayal. There’s no screaming, no heartbreak on display, just a quiet fracture, the kind that redefines a person from the inside out. It mirrors the turning point in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, when Anakin Skywalker slaughters the Tuskens not out of necessity, but from a choice rooted in pain and fury. That was the birth of Darth Vader.

The same holds true for Colby. Lazlo tells him that Niro got caught, so he’s keeping his share. Then he looks him in the eye and says,

“Welcome to the family.”

And just like that, Colby dies, and Cad Bane is born.

Star Wars: Legends of the Underworld - A spotlight for the forgotten

I could walk you through every step that follows, every line, every glance, every scar that deepens across the rest of Cad Bane’s arc. Yet, I chose not to. Instead, I invite you to watch these episodes with your mind and heart open. Just like in the first part of this split review, I’m choosing to leave gaps between what I highlight, not out of omission, but as an offering. Like the stolen sweets Colby once shared with Niro, this too is a moment meant to be tasted.

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For the ones who love Star Wars, for those drawn to the outlaws and the ones long dismissed as villains, for those who’ve waited to see their stories told with this level of scrutiny, care, and emotional depth, this is for you. These six episodes carry a weight that feels welcome this May the 4th, and we’re grateful. We, the galaxy, and the rogues who finally stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Rating with a touch of flair: 5 out of 5 candies bought with bloody money.

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