Though it's only been a little over a year since we were treated to the satisfying conclusion of The Clone Wars (and the frankly devastating real-time overlap with the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith), Disney's released lineup of content is so exciting that it's hard not to be impatient for all that's to come. From Kenobi to Rogue Squadron, Lucasfilm has promised a whole host of new shows and films set in the Star Wars universe, and we cannot wait to watch. Luckily, the wait is (almost!) over. In a little under a week, Disney+ will launch its latest installment in the Star Wars universe: The Bad Batch.
Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for the Star Wars franchise. Please note that this guide is based on the current canon as defined by Lucasfilm.
What is The Bad Batch about?
The Bad Batch follows Clone Force 99, a special forces battalion of clone commandos endowed with exceptional abilities via genetic mutation, as they set out into the aftermath of the Clone Wars. The troopers were introduced in the final season of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While we don’t know much of what they’ll face in the post-Clone Wars era, the trailer revealed that the ragtag group of heroes will be tested for their skills (and lambasted for their individuality and refusal to cooperate) by Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, travel to the cloning home base of Kamino, have a bounty put on their heads, and cross paths with some of the galaxy’s most notable personalities—including Saw Gerrara, Fennec Shand, and fellow veteran Captain Rex.
What Star Wars characters are featured in The Bad Batch?
While we might not yet know a terrible amount about the plot or focus of The Bad Batch, we do know that you’re sure to see some familiar faces.
Clone Force 99 a.k.a. "The Bad Batch"
The titular lionhearts of the series, Clone Force 99 (better known as “The Bad Batch”) was initially comprised of four soldiers:
Commanding officer Sergeant Hunter, whose enhanced senses allow him, among other feats, to feel for electromagnetic sensors.
Crosshair, whose enhanced eyesight makes him an extraordinary sniper, unparalleled in accuracy.
Wrecker, an incredibly powerful, muscular commando with an even stronger personality.
Tech, the brains of the bunch, whose skills with technology and reasoning make him an asset to the team.
The most recent addition to the team is Echo (CT-1409), a clone trooper in the Grand Army of the Republic who previously served in both the Domino Squad (as a cadet) and the 501st Legion (under Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex). Seriously wounded while on a mission at the Jedi prison known as the Citadel, Echo was feared dead. He was later found to have been captured by the Separatists, experimented on, and modified into a cyborg. Kept in stasis so he could feed the Separatists intel, Echo was spared from his cruel fate by Captain Rex and the Bad Batch, who led a rescue mission to Skako Minor to retrieve their comrade. Once he recovered, Echo was eager to fight back, and following a successful mission at Anaxes, he was promoted to corporal and found a new home, joining the Bad Batch.
Grand Moff Tarkin
Grand Moff Tarkin’s chilling presence is undeniably felt in the trailer for The Bad Batch; in the clip, he both oversees the squad as they undergo training and calls for their execution, demanding the group be “wiped out.” Tarkin is no stranger to Star Wars fans, having been a looming figure in James Luceno’s Tarkin, The Clone Wars, Rebels, Rogue One, and Episode IV: A New Hope. The eerie, cold, and occasionally arrogant Imperial officer is perhaps best known for his involvement in the construction of the Death Star and his use of that weapon on the planet Alderaan. Years prior, however, he had been an officer in the Republic Navy, where he forged a relationship of mutual admiration and respect with General Anakin Skywalker. But Tarkin held ideals that were not aligned with many of his counterparts (notably, then-Padawan Ahsoka Tano). He allied with Sheev Palpatine, also known as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who would issue an emergency proclamation ushering in a new order: the Galactic Empire.
In Tarkin, we catch up with the title officer years after the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, though flashbacks and reflections offer a fuller character portrait. It's a must-listen if you're fascinated by Tarkin's rise to the title of Grand Moff, and it further details his deep loyalty to Emperor Palpatine and the cause of the Empire. The Bad Batch, then, seeks to elucidate Tarkin's dealings in the transition between the Fall of the Jedi and the Reign of the Empire (you can read a bit more about the timeline distinction here). Whatever the case may be, as both an Imperial officer and a governor in the Outer Rim, Tarkin has always sought to advance the whims of the Emperor and tighten the Empire’s grip on the galaxy. So it’s quite likely that Tarkin, and the host of Imperial forces at his disposal, will cause a fair bit of trouble for our heroes.
Fennec Shand
Though a relative newcomer to the canon, Fennec Shand became a fan favorite with the Disney+ original series, The Mandalorian. When we meet her in The Mandalorian, Shand is an outstanding sharp-shooter and quick-thinking assassin who crosses paths with bounty hunter Din Djarin before later befriending and working alongside Boba Fett. But The Bad Batch is set quite a while before The Mandalorian (which takes place years after the Rebellion’s victory at the conclusion of Return of the Jedi), so we’ll likely get a glimpse of Shand at the start of her career and in her early days as a mercenary.
Saw Gerrera
Saw Gerrara is most likely to be recognized amongst fans as the leader of extremist Rebel faction, the Partisans. But long before the Rebellion, Gerrara fought fearlessly against Separatist forces on his home world of Onderon during the Clone Wars. His fighters were trained by a Republic task force including Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the Onderonian rebels successfully achieved liberation from the Separatists, at no small cost. Gerrara's sister Steela was killed in the decisive battle.
Rebel Rising follows the story of Jyn Erso from the time Gerrara rescues her shortly after Imperial forces murder her mother and abduct her father; the next time we see Saw in Rogue One, he has established a base of operations on Jedha and must make use of cybernetic prosthetics and a breathing apparatus—likely due to injuries sustained during a Partisan campaign. Still, we have yet to hear much about Gerrara's time spent between the events of the Clone Wars and the start of the Galactic Civil War. Based on the era that The Bad Batch is set in, we're likely to see some additional backstory on Gerrara's formation of the Partisans and his transitionary period from grief-stricken freedom fighter to leader of a radical Rebel cell.
Captain Rex
There are few characters from the animated Star Wars galaxy more universally beloved than Captain Rex. Rex, formerly known as Clone Trooper 7567, was second-in-command to General Anakin Skywalker in leading the 501st Legion during the Clone Wars before later joining the cause of the Rebellion in the era of the Galactic Civil War. (You can listen in to The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark to revisit some of the missions of the 501st from the perspective of characters ranging from Rex to Darth Maul.)
The last time we caught up with Captain Rex was in the final season of The Clone Wars, as Palpatine commands that all troopers execute Order 66. Former Jedi Ahsoka Tano survives the initial onslaught and, working off intel from fallen comrade Fives, removes Rex’s inhibitor chip—the biochip implanted in the brain of every single clone trooper that both maintained their obedience and housed Palpatine’s traitorous command. As The Bad Batch overlaps with this timeline a bit, it will be interesting to see where, why, and with whom Rex pops up again.
Emperor Palpatine
Though we don’t know much about Emperor Sheev Palpatine’s involvement in the overall plot of The Bad Batch, his eerie appearance on the show’s poster implies that he just might have a major impact on the series. At its start, Palpatine—who is pretty much the Biggest Bad in the whole Star Wars universe—has just seized control of the Senate, established the Galactic Empire, and secretly initiated Order 66 (the vicious extermination declaration that led to the mass killing of Jedi across the galaxy), all the while hiding his true identity: the evil Sith Lord Darth Sidious.
Set years after the end of the Clone Wars, Paul S. Kemp's Lords of the Sith is a great listen for anyone looking for a bit more context into the relationship between Sidious and his new apprentice, Vader (along with some backstory on the earliest days of the Empire and the rebellions that rose to meet it). Based on the time period in which its set, The Bad Batch might also offer a glimpse into the formalization of the Galactic Empire, filling fans in on everything that happened after the fall of the Jedi Order. One thing's for certain: whatever Palpatine is up to, it’s bad news for the Bad Batch.
What can we expect from The Bad Batch?
With Dave Filoni (of Rebels, The Clone Wars, and Forces of Destiny, among others) attached, we can definitely expect that The Bad Batch will be absolutely excellent. Fans will also likely get a glimpse into the deeper, more internal lives and emotions of the troopers, something that was done effectively in The Clone Wars. Considering the show is set post-Order 66, Clone Force 99 will be stepping out into a stark new landscape of political intrigue, unthinkable massacre, and seemingly unstoppable evil. We can also hope to get more insight on the battalion, and how exactly they became a public enemy to Tarkin and the Empire. As Star Wars content is known to surprise fans with cameos, we’ll also be on the lookout for any possible tie-ins to the larger universe. (Fingers crossed we get to see a young Kanan Jarrus!)
Is The Bad Batch canon? Where does it fit in the Star Wars universe?
Yes. The Bad Batch will be a part of the established Star Wars canon as defined by Lucasfilm, likely fitting in the television/cinematic universe timeline between The Clone Wars and Solo: A Star Wars Story or the Rebels animated series.
When does The Bad Batch come out? How can I watch it?
Fittingly, The Bad Batch premieres on Star Wars Day—May the Fourth—2021. It will likely be available for streaming around 3 AM, EST. The premiere is set to be a little over an hour long, a fact sure to delight fans who have been waiting patiently for new content set in the Star Wars universe. A new episode will debut weekly.
