Rako Hardeen, also known by the moniker "Marksman of Concord Dawn," was a human male bounty hunter and a skilled marksman. He originated from the Mandalorian planet of Concord Dawn. In the year 20 BBY, he was contracted to assassinate the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, a task he seemingly accomplished within the depths of the Coruscant Underworld. However, Hardeen was unaware that his employers were actually the Jedi Order. They orchestrated Kenobi's apparent demise as part of an elaborate scheme. The plan involved Kenobi going undercover, disguised as his own assassin, to uncover a conspiracy against Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Following the staged assassination, Hardeen celebrated at Trueping's cantina. It was there that he was contacted by his enigmatic employers, only to be captured by Kenobi and Mace Windu. Using a facial transformation program and a vocal emulator, Kenobi then impersonated Hardeen. This allowed him to infiltrate a Separatist plot to abduct the Chancellor during the Festival of Light celebrations on Naboo.
A human male hailing from the Mandalorian planet of Concord Dawn, Rako Hardeen operated as a bounty hunter by the year 20 BBY. His reputation as a marksman grew to the point where he was sometimes referred to as the "Marksman of Concord Dawn." Hardeen unwittingly became involved in a complicated scheme designed to foil a kidnapping attempt on Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. This plot was orchestrated by Moralo Eval and Count Dooku. Hired by an anonymous client, who were secretly members of the Jedi Council, Hardeen was tasked with assassinating Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was to shoot Kenobi from a rooftop on Coruscant as Kenobi returned to the Jedi Temple alongside Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano. After fulfilling his agreement by shooting Kenobi in the chest, Hardeen was pursued by Skywalker. However, the bounty hunter successfully escaped using smoke bombs and a speeder bike.
While celebrating his apparent success at Trueping's cantina, he was summoned to a back room to collect his payment and meet his employer. Instead, he encountered Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi, his supposed victim, who had been physically altered to resemble him. Hardeen was then captured by the two Jedi, and Kenobi assumed his identity to infiltrate a Republic prison. Hardeen's reputation for killing a Jedi was crucial to the plan, allowing Kenobi to gain the trust of fellow prisoners and attract the attention of Moralo Eval. Kenobi intended to extract information from Eval to prevent the planned kidnapping.
Inspector Tan Divo had been investigating Hardeen. When the Jedi apprehended the marksman, Divo's requests for access were denied. He was never able to ascertain Hardeen's fate after the plot to assassinate the Chancellor was thwarted. Later, Kenobi donned the Mandalorian armor he acquired on Nal Hutta while impersonating Hardeen. This was part of a mission to infiltrate the Mandalorian capital city of Sundari to rescue Duchess Satine Kryze.
Rako Hardeen was a human male characterized by gray hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Standing at 1.89 meters (6 feet, 2 inches) tall, his height and build closely resembled those of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who impersonated him. He sported noticeable stubble and a prominent, dark red tattoo on his face. As a bounty hunter, he readily accepted contracts that involved killing Jedi and celebrated what he believed to be a successful assassination. However, he expressed displeasure when the Jedi apprehended him after discovering that Kenobi was, in fact, alive. Despite this, his intended victim pointed out that Hardeen certainly intended to kill a Jedi. Hardeen's mental fortitude was also weak enough that Windu could easily use the Force to induce sleep.
Hardeen favored using a sniper rifle to carry out his assassinations and demonstrated considerable proficiency with the weapon. His skill as a marksman earned him the nickname "Marksman of Concord Dawn." Hardeen possessed skills in both armed and unarmed combat, as well as infiltration and tracking.
Hardeen's arsenal included a sniper rifle, equipped with a red lens scope and a stock, along with a speeder bike, which he used to escape after Kenobi's staged "death" with the aid of smoke bombs. He also owned a custom Mandalorian helmet featuring an open face and a visor. Obi-Wan Kenobi appropriated Hardeen's clothing and equipment when impersonating him. These items were subsequently confiscated when "Hardeen" was arrested by Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano and incarcerated at the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center.
Rako Hardeen made his debut in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series episode "Deception," which premiered on January 20, 2012. James Arnold Taylor, who also voiced Obi-Wan Kenobi in the series, provided the character's voice.
During the production process, George Lucas, the executive producer of the series and creator of Star Wars, initially wanted a different actor to voice Hardeen to ensure a distinct voice from Kenobi's. However, Cary Silver, another executive producer, and Dave Filoni, the series director, ultimately cast Taylor as the voice of Hardeen, confident in his ability to deliver the unique vocal performance required. Lucas remained unaware of this casting decision until Silver and Filoni revealed it after playing a voice clip of Hardeen for his approval.
Originally, the episode "The Box" was intended to include a subplot where Anakin Skywalker would search for the real Hardeen upon discovering that Kenobi was still alive. Despite the Council's denial of Hardeen's existence, Skywalker would intercept Captain Rex transferring Hardeen off-world, forcing the Council to reveal the truth. This storyline was ultimately cut due to time constraints, concerns about clarity and character focus, and the unlikelihood of Rex keeping such a secret from Anakin.