This post contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett “Chapter 7.”
Cad Bane gunned down Freetown’s Marshal in cold blood. But The Book of Boba Fett‘s season one finale showed it’s hard to keep a good man down. Especially on a planet with a bacta tank and a top-notch modification doctor. However, in a post-credits scene, The Book of Boba Fett revealed that even though Timothy Olyphant’s Cobb Vanth didn’t walk away from his encounter with the famed bounty hunter, someone carried him to help. And when he returns he’ll be stronger than ever. Giving both Boba Fett and Din Djarin a formidable ally—Cyborg Vanth.
The penultimate episode of the first (final?) season of The Book of Boba Fett left the question of Cobb Vanth’s fate up in the air. Cad Bane clearly killed Freetown’s deputy during his attack. However, Cobb Vanth didn’t appear to die instantly. Bane shot him near his shoulder. And the city’s denizens rushed to Vanth’s aid. But during the season finale, “In the Name of Honor,” it appeared as though the Marshal had ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Taanti the bartender implied that Cobb Vanth had died when Din Djarin shared his condolences for Tatooine’s fallen protector.
He didn’t stay dead for long, though. A brief post-credits scene showed someone using Boba Fett’s bacta tank. The bacta tank is, of course, a tank filled with bacta fluid, which can accelerate healing and treat major wounds. Being submerged in the tank allows the body to regrow nerves, skin, muscles, and other tissues. Based on what the Daimyo said to Black Krrsantan earlier, it seemed likely we’d find the severely injured wookiee inside the medical apparatus. Instead, The Book of Boba Fett‘s post-credits scene revealed Cobb Vanth, alive and healing from Cad Bane’s blaster shot.
If the scene had ended there it would have been enough to know Vanth still has a future in the franchise. But it revealed far more than that. In The Book of Boba Fett‘s final moments, we learned who was caring for the fallen Marshal. It was the same modification doctor Boba Fett brought a dying Fennec Shand too. The mod doctor, who is also responsible for the mechanical attachments sported by Boba’s colorful motorcycle gang, managed to save Fennec from what should have been a fatal stomach wound. Instead, her mechanical guts have her as spry and effective as ever.
Cobb Vanth’s wound might not need as much work. Or he might need his very own mechanical arm or torso. We won’t know for sure the extent of the modifications he received until we actually see him again in the Star Wars universe. Whatever the nature of his changes he will likely be stronger and more formidable than before. And considering he’s making all sorts of important allies across the planet, that might be just as important for his friends as it is for him.
When a new threat arrives to challenge Tatooine’s peace, Boba Fett can call on Cyborg Vanth to fight by his side. As can the Mandalorian, who knows how much he can rely on the Marshal. Only this time, like Boba Fett and Din Djarin do with their helmets, Vanth will have the technology to help him battle all enemies.
It’s hard to keep a good man down. But it’s going to be even harder to keep a good cyborg down.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.