WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 1, "Chapter Nine: The Martial," available now on Disney+.

The Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 premiere introduces Cobb Vanth, Marshal of Mos Pelgo (Timothy Olyphant). In the show, Vanth fits the archetype of a Wild West sheriff almost perfectly, from his swagger to his mistrust of the native Tusken Raiders, as well as the respect he inspires in everyone in Mos Pelgo. He's a the reversal of Mando's other Tatooine companion from Season 1, Toro Calican: Older, experienced, mistrustful of strangers and equipped with a solid moral compass.

However, this is not the first time Cobb Vanth appears in a Star Wars tale. He debuted in Chuck Wendig's Aftermath trilogy, a canon set of novels that covered the collapse of the Imperial Navy across the Galaxy after the Rebels shot down the Death Star.

Wendig's overarching epic followed a handful of protagonists from both sides of the conflict. Howver, it was also sprinkled with interludes that showcased how the fall of the Empire had affected different parts of the Galaxy, from Naboo to the asteroid field of Alderaan.

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Cobb Vanth was born, raised and sold as a slave on Tatooine and his back was branded with a star. When the Empire fell, he quickly took on the mantle of the Sheriff of Mos Pelgo to repel the local slavers who rushed to take control of the enclave after the Death Star exploded. At least, this is what's shown in The Mandalorian.

In the Aftermath books, Vanth first pops up in 4 ABY and is already the sheriff of Mos Pelgo, although he has not yet found his armor. This first story is told from the point of view of Adwin Charu, an employee of the mining company / crime syndicate Red Key. It starts when Vanth, donning his most affable hillbilly attitude, offers to help Adwin buy some equipment from the Jawas.

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Timothy Olyphant as Cobb Vanth in The Mandalorian

In Aftermath, it is Charu who first notices the dinked Mandalorian armor lying among other trinkets and he wishes to reach for it. However, Vanth can predict a mining company employee is a bad omen for Tatooine, a belief confirmed when Charu shoots him. Vanth repays the gesture by beating Charu, taking the armor and and requesting he and Red Key leave the sector forever.

By 5 ABY, Vanth is the de-facto mayor of Mos Pelgo and uses his Mandalorian armor and deep knowledge of the region to help Mos Pelguians thrive and resist Red Key's advances. In one of those squirmishes, Vanth and his team rescue Borgo, a baby Hutt, which they keep as well as they know how.

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The twin suns are smiling on him, because the next person Vanth saves is Malakili, the late Jabba the Hutt's beastmaster. He's still mourning the death of his beloved rancor and is only too happy to care for an adorable, sentient Baby Hutt. Through Malakili, Vanth is also able to obtain a precious Krayt pearl to negotiate a temporary alliance between Tusken Raiders and Mos Pelgo that allows them to defeat the local Red Key thugs.

Despite his carefree, debonair appearance in Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Cobb Vanth is a veteran warrior and a respected leader in his own right. Judging by how he accepts the loss of his priced armor, he seems ready to embrace peacetime politics.

Created by Jon Favreau, Star Wars: The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, with guest stars with guest stars Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito. Directors for the new season include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Carl Weathers, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez.

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