Star Wars: The Bad Batch is the spiritual successor to Dave Filoni's wildly successful Clone Wars series. The Clone Wars finally completed its story more than a decade after its inception with the climactic Siege of Mandalore, heartbreaking execution of Order 66, and ultimate collapse of the Republic and restructuring of the galaxy.
The Bad Batch follows Clone Force 99, a group of clones with desirable mutations introduced early in The Clone Wars' final season. Following the aftermath of Revenge of the Sith, the first season finds the titular squad in an unfamiliar galaxy with a newer, darker world order. As the clones and the mysterious Omega journey to find their new purpose in these strange times, they meet many familiar faces along the way.
10 Delta Squad Has Been Assimilated Into The Empire
Late in season one, the Bad Batch received an urgent request from Captain Rex to find one of his comrades. This friend, Gregor, recently sent out a distress signal from the abandoned planet of Daro. After some deliberation, the Bad Batch's leader—Hunter—reluctantly agrees to deviate from their current contract to search for the missing clone.
Clone Force 99 quickly discover that Daro isn't, in fact, abandoned, when they find an active Imperial base. After tripping the alarm, the Bad Batch realizes that the base's new soldiers aren't clones—with the exception of a trooper Tech. This trooper is none other than Scorch of Delta Squad from Star Wars: Republic Commando. Although he's never named in the episode, it's a nice nod to the larger Star Wars continuity.
9 A Happy Reunion Between Munchi And Bib Fortuna
After discovering that a bounty hunter is pursuing Omega, the Bad Batch travel to Ord Mantell to see if they can learn more from a shady informant named Cid. Cid promises to find the information they're looking for in exchange for a job: recovering a child named Munchi from Zygerrian slavers.
The part Cid neglects to mention is that Munchi is a young rancor owned by the infamous Jabba the Hutt. Fortunately, the Bad Batch manage to survive the ordeal and bring the child back to Ord Mantell. There, they are met by Jabba's right hand man: Bib Fortuna, whose first appearance dates all the way back to Return of the Jedi.
8 Martez Sisters Are Working Against The Empire
Following Munchi's rescue, Cid tasks the Bad Batch with another mission in exchange for keeping them hidden from the Empire. This time, the elite clone squad is sent to Corellia to recover the remains of a Separatist tactical droid, which has been rendered obsolete by the end of the Clone Wars.
Little does the Bad Batch know that there are others, like Trace and Rafa Martez, looking for the droid as well. Fans of The Clone Wars will recall that Ahsoka had a run in with the sisters following her departure from the Jedi Order. While initially at odds with each other, the Bad Batch and Martez sisters eventually team up when both parties are overwhelmed by police droids.
7 The Onderon Insurgents Are Led By Saw Gerrera
After witnessing Order 66 on Kaller, Clone Force 99 warily returns to Kamino to receive their next mission from the fledgling Empire. Skeptical of the clones' efficacy, Admiral Tarkin sends the Bad Batch to the planet of Onderon under the ruse that they are eliminating Separatists.
When Hunter and his company arrive on the planet, however, they are surprised to learn that the insurgents they are tasked to eliminate are former Republic fighters led by Rogue One's Saw Gerrera. After listening to Gerrera's explanation and seeing the civilian refugees firsthand, Hunter decides to forego Tarkin's mission, much to Crosshair's vexation.
6 Lama Su Hires Cad Bane To Recover Omega
When Crosshair and his Imperial constituents manage to successfully track the Bad Batch to Bracca, Lama Su decides that he is unsatisfied with Nala Se's efforts to recover Omega from the enhanced clones and decides to take matters into his own hands. Enter Cad Bane, The Clone War's most prolific gunslinging bounty hunter.
Star Wars fan recognize Bane as an exceptionally dangerous individual who is capable of going up against enemies that far outclass him. Bane once again proves his prowess in The Bad Batch by successfully disarming Hunter and capturing Omega. Only with the aid of another bounty hunter does Omega escape the deadly gunslinger's clutches.
5 The Syndulla Family Endures Imperial Rule
As the Empire turns their attention towards the military occupation of Ryloth, fans witness an increasingly rebellious Hera endanger the lives of her parents, Cham and Eleni Syndulla, who were key figures in the Republic's liberation of Ryloth during The Clone Wars. Unfortunately, the teenage Twi'lek's actions inadvertently land her parents in prison with the Empire.
Desperate to save her parents, Hera reaches out to Omega (who had previously given her their communication frequency on a supply run), and pleads to the Bad Batch for help. Hunter, already hesitant about the mission due to Crosshair's presence, eventually gives in to Omega and aids the future Rebel pilot in her hour of need.
4 Order 66 Triggers Kanan Jarrus' Resentment Of Clones
Star Wars: Rebels features the surprise return of many Clone Wars characters, including some fan favorite clones. When Fulcrum unites the Lothal rebel cell with her former comrades, Kanan Jarrus is deeply distrustful and resentful towards his new allies. Their presence brings back traumatic memories of Order 66 for the Jedi Knight, but he later overcomes these fears.
The opening of The Bad Batch details the very encounter Kanan endured. Going by the name Caleb Dume at the time, Kanan watched the clones he had come to respect turn and gun down his master, Depa Billaba. Not trusting Hunter and Crosshair, the Padawan heeded his fallen master's words and fled from the carnage.
3 Fennec Shand Is Secretly Working For Nala Se
The enigmatic bounty hunter that hunts Omega throughout the series is none other than The Mandalorian's Fennec Shand. The Bad Batch first encounters Fennec on the planet Pantora, where the bounty hunter quickly befriends the young Omega after she is separated from Clone Force 99.
Upon encountering the duo, Hunter is quick to realize the threat Fennec possesses, leading to a high speed chase. After successfully shaking the bounty hunter, Fennec resurfaces on Bora Vio during Omega's hour of need. Fighting off the lethal Cad Bane, it's revealed that Fennec is secretly working with Nala Se to prevent Omega from falling into the Empire's hands.
2 Tarkin Orchestrates The Decommissioning Of Clones
In a show that predominantly focuses on the clone armies of Kamino, it's inevitable that the one and only Wilhuff Tarkin is going to be involved. While he has yet to accrue his moniker of Grand Moff that he sports in A New Hope, Admiral Tarkin is no less cold and ruthless in The Bad Batch.
Not only does Tarkin pit the titular squad against surprise rounds in the Kaminoan training facility, he also sends an Imperial probe droid to spy on their assignment in Onderon to see if they follow through with orders. His apathetic skepticism and mistrust of the clones quickly leads to a split between Clone Force 99 and the new Empire.
1 Rex Helps The Bad Batch Extract Their Inhibitor Chips
While the inhibitor chips immediately got triggered in most clones when Palpatine executed Order 66, it did not immediately affect the Bad Batch (with exception of Crosshair). However, the elite clone squad made the mistake of assuming that the inhibitor chips wouldn't affect them if they left them be.
This assumption leads to a tense standoff between Clone Force 99 and the battle-hardened Captain Rex in Cid's diner. Captain Rex finally suggests the group finds him on Bracca to get their chips removed. Unfortunately, after previously bumping his head, Wrecker's chip begins to slowly activate, leading to an intense struggle on the deteriorating Venator-class Star Destroyer.
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