The Bad Batch is Star Wars' unsung hero – it needs to end in style
The batch will bow out in season 3.
The Bad Batch hasn’t had nearly as much attention as Star Wars’ other animated shows – but it’s actually essential viewing, especially when it’s about to bow out with season 3.
The animated arm of the Star Wars franchise has helped to flesh out the universe significantly. The Clone Wars in particular proved a huge hit with fans and gave us the likes of Ahsoka Tano, Saw Gerrera and Bo-Katan, who have all gone on to feature prominently in live-action and expanded media.
While Rebels also proved a big hit, bridging the gap between The Clone Wars and the original trilogy, The Bad Batch, which premiered in 2021 and continued the adventures of the titular crew of defective clones who first featured in season 7, has been slightly overlooked.
The Bad Batch has certainly not had the levels of attention that the previous two shows have, but with ties to so many corners of the universe, it is key for fans, diving into the psyche of The Empire like few other projects. With so many components carried over and the involvement of the likes of Dave Filoni and Kevin Kiner, fans who haven’t given it a chance to date will find so much to appreciate.
The series focuses on the batch’s efforts to survive in a constantly changing galaxy, looking to keep themselves out of Imperial surveillance and working for Cid, who provides them with mercenary work.
The show being set so soon after the prequel films means this is a side of the universe that is starkly different to the likes of Andor, Solo or Rebels, where Imperial authority is dominant. Here, there are pockets out of the Empire’s reach and the visual style retains some of the Blade Runner, neon feel of Episodes I-III.
The show does a fine job of connecting many of the threads from across the franchise in season 1. The Mandalorian’s Fennec Shand appears, hunting Omega who has a bounty placed on her. Ming-Na Wen reprises her role from The Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett, fleshing out some of her backstory, set some 25 years before she first encountered Din Djarin.
There are other links, with Kanan and Hera from Rebels making cameo appearances. There is a prominent role for Grand Moff Tarkin, of course introduced in the first Star Wars film in 1977 played by Peter Cushing and voiced here by Stephen Stanton, giving us a sense of his involvement from the very first days of The Empire.
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Crucially, there are hints at a larger conspiracy involving Emperor Palpatine – we know that he somehow survives the events of Return of The Jedi and his interest in cloning here could well be how that came about, something that might well feature more in the final season, helping to flesh out some of the story of the Sequel trilogy.
With such a lengthy period between Clone Wars and Rebels, The Bad Batch is a crucial way of bridging the tonal and aesthetic shift, as well as showing us early iterations of resistance to the Empire through Saw Gerrera before he became the jaded fighter, we see in Andor and Rogue One. We also see Rex long before he meets Kanan, Ezra and co in Rebels.
The final season promises more links to all corners of the universe, with appearances from Fennec, Cad Bane from Clone Wars and most tantalisingly, Asajj Ventress, one-time pupil of Count Dooku and a major antagonist in Clone Wars’ original 2D Clone Wars series from 2003 and the latter series.
With a tighter focus than Clone Wars and Rebels following the crew of Hunter, Tech, Echo, Omega, Wrecker and Crosshair, we get a sense of the camaraderie between them and how important each is to the other. Each feels fully formed and distinct.
But season 3 is what it all comes down to – the batch are not mentioned in later works, so their final fate is up in the air.
It promises to be an action-packed final season, with ambiguity over the crew’s ultimate fate. If a totally happy ending might be out of the question, it would be a relief to see something resembling one for at least some of the crew – after all, they have been put through the wringer across both this show and The Clone Wars.
With the show connecting to so many corners of the universe it seems safe to say there will be more references and appearances, and we might see fledgling signs of rebellion that have been hinted at.
It will be important for a show that has flown under the radar somewhat to stick the landing as one of Star Wars’ most under-appreciated properties. Here’s hoping the batch goes out in the style they deserve.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3 will begin on Disney Plus on 21st February. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Disney Plus. Sign up to Disney Plus now for £79.90 for a year or £7.99 a month.
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