Spoilers forward for “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” Season 1, Episode 2.
“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” episode 1 begins with a hapless space pirate, but soon moves away from the action. Most of the episode is spent introducing the central quartet of youngsters and the secluded world they live in, only to send them into hyperspace at the end.
Episode 2, on the other hand, fills the eyes and ears of children and viewers with the wonders and horrors of the galaxy. it focuses on Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter) and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) adjusting to their new situation, meeting new characters and exploring new places. From the mysterious spaceship Onyx Cinder and its annoyed droid first mate SM-33 (voice of Nick Frost) to the grimy space station they all end up on, the main characters get to experience new corners of the “Star Wars” galaxy alongside wizards. However, the station offers a familiar face to the most dedicated fans.
One of the pirates harassing the kids for Wim’s mysterious credits on the space station is none other than Vane (Marti Matulis), the sharp-eyed Nikto who previously ran with Gorian Shard’s (Nonzo Anozie) group of pirates trying to shake down Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in “The Mandalorian” Season 3. He’s not a main character by any means, but he’s still a familiar(ish) face that’s been around the neighborhood a few times. Time will tell if his “Skeleton Crew” appearance is just a fun little cameo, or if he’s being set up as a crossover character like Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s Carson Teva, who has played a supporting role in several different Disney+ shows.
Vane is one of the unsung punching bags of the Star Wars shows
Vane’s villainy isn’t exactly at what you’d call Darth Vader levels. His showdown with Greef Karga and Din Djarin on “The Mandalorian” in the Season 3 premiere “Chapter 17: The Apostate” goes about as well as you’d expect. His return in “Chapter 21: The Pirate” continues his unfortunate minion status, as Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) and Din’s Mandalorian tribe deliver a sound defeat to the Shard’s forces. However, Vane appears to be a survivor, as he abandons the losing battle and goes rogue.
The character’s reappearance on “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” Episode 2 appears to continue his role as a designated hapless minion. When Vane tries to scare the kids for their credits, SM-33 arrives on the scene and promptly beats him up. But Vane now appears to be connected to the pirate crew led by Brutus (voiced by Fred Tatasciore), and may just prove to be an important link to the larger plans of the galaxy far, far away. He’s also a perfect henchman villain too “Skeleton Crew,” a show especially suited for younger “Star Wars” fans. Like the Fratelli family in “The Goonies,” Vane is ineffective enough to provide moments of levity, yet terrifying enough to pose a viable threat to the heroes.
The characters of “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” are largely new, but the show also brings back Teek alien race from the old non-canon movie “Ewoks: The Battle of Endor.” Vane’s presence fits well with this mix of new and comparatively obscure, and it will be interesting to see if he remains the only familiar character we see before “Skeleton Crew” Season 1 ends.
