Star Wars: The Bad Batch - 8 Ideas It Must Explore
Star Wars: The Clone Wars may be over, but the Bad Batch aren't finished yet.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch was announced July 13th of this year. Both sequel and spinoff to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it is set to release on Disney+ in 2021. Dave Filoni's fifth project in the Star Wars universe will centre around the titular Bad Batch who were the focus of the first four episodes of Season 7 of The Clone Wars.
A team of genetically altered clones each with their own unique abilities they acted as a squad of elite soldiers sent into the most dangerous missions. Formally known as Clone Force 99 their ranks consist of Hunter, the squad’s leader; Crosshair, the sharpshooter; Wrecker is the muscle and Tech the brains. They gained a new member in Echo at the end of their Clone Wars arc, who had been altered into a cyborg like form after being captured by the Separatists.
There is not much information on the show yet, but it has been confirmed that it will follow the Clones post-Order 66. If this is true it will create some unique storytelling opportunity, as we have seen very little of the galaxy in the immediate aftermath of Order 66 outside of the comics.
It may not have been an obvious choice for an animated spin-off, but there are plenty of interesting ideas The Bad Batch could explore in 2021...
8. The Transition Into The Empire
The Galaxy had changed a lot between Episodes III and IV. Whilst we have seen glimpses of what happened to the galaxy following the rise of the Empire, the full transition to a Galactic Empire probably took some time. Palpatine had a lot being planned behind the scenes, with certain military leaders such as Tarkin already allying themselves to him.
Although the Bad Batch are not involved in politics, we could see how the Clones were phased out of use. The Empire would probably find The Bad Batch too erratic to keep in active service - that is even if the squad of clones would even serve a governing body such as the Empire.
Depending on the direction the show takes it would be interesting to see the soldiers' perspective as the governing body they have been fighting for undergoes a sudden, radical change. The Bad Batch value their freedom, so seeing their reaction upon that being stripped back could play a catalytic part in them splitting from The Empire. Thematically, this would be sad to see as it would prove the clones were seen as nothing more than tools by the powers that be.