The Bad Batch Show Summary

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Ben is an author and writer with a love for shaping the English language He grew up watching the first six Star Wars films and from the age of 5 has been hooked by the complicated interweaving story arcs initially sculpted by George Lucas. Outside of working hours, you can find him visiting friends, working on his car, or blasting around a karting track. Of course, he also rarely passes a week without watching or playing something Star Wars-related.

The Bad Batch Key Moments

Episode 1 – Order 66: Hunter allows Caleb Dume to escape and Crosshair, affected by his inhibitor chip, becomes distrustful.
Episode 1 – the Bad Batch returns to Kamino to find the Republic has been dissolved and replaced by the Empire. They meet Omega.
Episode 1 – Tarkin, hoping to cancel the expensive cloning contract, sends the Batch on a mission to test their loyalty.
Episode 1 – the Batch refuses to execute Saw Gerrera’s followers. They return to Kamino and are arrested.
Episode 1 – Tarkin enhances Crosshair’s inhibitor chip, turning him against his brothers.
Episode 1 – Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and Omega flee Kamino.
Episode 2 – the Batch tries to hide out with Cut Lawquane but is forced to continue running as the Empire’s presence becomes more authoritarian. Omega wants to stay with Hunter.
Episode 3 – Tarkin becomes more sure that conscripted soldiers will be more effective than clone troopers.
Episode 4 – Omega is almost kidnapped by Fennec Shand on Pantora.
Episode 5 – the Batch meets Cid. They complete mercenary missions in exchange for protection and a small amount of money. They’re trying to discover who hired Shand.
Episode 7 – Rex finds the Batch, telling them to immediately remove their inhibitor chips.
Episode 7 – Rex leads the Batch to an old Jedi cruiser’s medical bay on Bracca where they can have the surgery.
Episode 7 – Wrecker’s chip activates, but his teammates subdue him and perform the operation anyway.
Episode 8 – Crosshair corners the squad on Bracca but is injured as they escape.
Episode 8 – Hunter is badly injured trying to defend Omega from Cad Bane, who kidnaps her.
Episode 9 – the men learn that Omega’s DNA is an exact replication of Jango Fett’s.
Episode 9 – the Batch track Omega to Bora Vio. Lama Su, having hired Bane, sends Taun We to collect her. Nala Se has hired Shand to protect Omega from Su. Shand kills Taun We on Bora Vio and fights Bane so she can escape with Clone Force 99.
Episode 12 – Crosshair is given permission to actively hunt down the Bad Batch.
Episode 14 – Rex requests the Batch to rescue clone commando, Gregor, from Daro. They manage to extract him, but Hunter is captured and taken to Kamino.
Episode 14 – the Empire cancels the Kaminoan cloning contracts. Lama Su and Nala Se attempt to escape the planet but are caught. Lama Su is detained, but Nala Se is allowed to carry on working for the Empire.
Episode 15 – on Kamino, Crosshair uses Hunter to set a trap for the rest of the Bad Batch.
Episode 15 – Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and Omega sneak into Tipoca City and free Hunter.
Episode 15 – Hunter tries to persuade Crosshair to remove his inhibitor chip, but he reveals that he removed it himself some time ago and is serving the Empire of his own free will.
Episode 15 – Admiral Rampart begins decimating Tipoca City from space under Tarkin’s orders, even with Crosshair still inside. Hunter stuns Crosshair.
Episode 16 – the Bad Batch tries to escape from Tipoca City before it sinks into the ocean.
Episode 16 – Omega saves Crosshair from a flooding room.
Episode 16 – the city sinks to the ocean floor.
Episode 16 – to escape, the droid AZI-3 guides the men and Omega to the surface in lab capsules. However, he runs out of power near the surface. Omega opens her capsule to save him and almost drowns but is saved by Crosshair.
Episode 16 – Hunter asks Crosshair to come with them, but he refuses.

The first episode of The Bad Batch is feature-length, while the remaining 15 are closer to the 25-30 minutes fans will be used to from Clone Wars.

Order 66

The first episode opens on Kaller, where the Bad Batch assists Jedi Master Depa Billaba, her padawan Caleb Dume, and their clone squadron. When Order 66 is issued, Billaba is overrun and killed, instructing Dume to run.

As defective clones, the Bad Batch isn’t influenced by Order 66 in the same way as the “regs”, with the exception of Crosshair. Because of this, Hunter allows Caleb to escape.

They return to Kamino, where they learn that the Clone Wars are over and that the Republic has been reorganized into the Galactic Empire. They also meet Omega, a young, female defective clone. Admiral Tarkin – Captain Tarkin in Clone Wars and soon to become Grand Moff Tarkin – arrives to assess how effective the clones are.

He has always supported conscription rather than the expensive clone armies and so sends the Bad Batch on a mission to test their loyalties. They’re sent to Onderon to eliminate a group of terrorists but learn that these are Saw Gerrera’s fugitives. Abandoning the task, they return to Kamino and are arrested.

Tarkin enhances Crosshair’s inhibitor chip, making him betray his fellow clones. When the Bad Batch flees the planet along with Omega, he stays behind.

On the Run

Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and Omega flee to Saleucami, meeting Cut Lawquane. This clone deserter appeared in the Clone Wars episode “The Deserter”. As old friends, they’re welcomed by him, his wife Suu, and his two adopted children.

As the Empire’s presence continues to grow on the planet, Cut decides to try to flee. The Bad Batch helps smuggle them off-world, evading the Empire’s new chain code system. Hunter tries to persuade Omega to go with Cut, so she has a family to protect her, but she chooses to stay with the group.

Crosshair, meanwhile, heads up a new elite team of conscripted soldiers under Tarkin’s orders. He and his troops are again sent to Saw Gerrera’s camp on Onderon.

This time, they execute everyone they find, with Crosshair also killing a disloyal recruit. The successful mission further persuades Tarkin that conscripted soldiers are cheaper and more effective, worrying Kaminoan Prime Minister Lama Su.

While on Pantora, the Bad Batch gathers supplies while Tech alters their ship’s signature so the Empire won’t pick them up. A landing bay attendant recognizes the men and informs bounty hunter Fennec Shand (The Mandalorian).

Shand attempts to abduct Omega, but Hunter chases her through the streets, retrieving the young girl. They lose Shand and depart Pantora as quickly as possible.

As they attempt to learn who hired Shand, the Bad Batch begins some mercenary work for someone Echo once heard of on Ord Mantell, an old Jedi informant named Cid. During one of their missions on Corellia, Wrecker hits his head, causing his inhibitor chip to start working intermittently.

At the same time, the Batch runs into Trace and Rafa Martez, who are trying to capture the same tactical droid they are. In the end, the droid is destroyed, but Tech makes a copy of the data, which Hunter passes to the Martez sisters. In return, they pass on the Batch’s information to the Rebel client they’re serving, which turns out to be none other than Captain Rex.

Soon after, Rex turns up at Cid’s hideout and is immediately alarmed to find out that they haven’t yet removed their inhibitor chips as he has. He takes them to the starship graveyard world of Bracca to use the medical bay on an old Jedi cruiser.

Although Wrecker’s chip begins to function and he attacks his friends, they subdue him and remove everyone’s chips. Rex leaves them once this is complete, but members of the Scrapper’s Guild spot Hunter and report their position to the Empire.

Crosshair is sent to kill the Bad Batch members. Separately, Lama Su hires Cad Bane to abduct Omega to ensure no harm comes to her (out of the protection of their financial asset, rather than any care for the girl).

With Crosshair and his troopers cutting the Batch off from their ship, they try to get out through the starcruiser’s ion engines. Crosshair has the engines turned on, but they escape using explosives, and the ignition badly injures their treacherous colleague.

Cad Bane confronts Hunter and Omega as they flee, shooting the clone sergeant in the chest and taking the young clone. Wrecker, Echo, and Tech pull a badly wounded Hunter onto their ship and escape.

Omega’s Capture

As they try to track Cad Bane and Omega, Tech informs the others that Omega is an unmodified female clone of Jango Fett. She is, therefore, the only source of fresh cloning material that the Kaminoans have available aside from Boba Fett, who has been missing for a long time. This is why she’s so valuable to them.

On the way to Bora Vio, where Omega is to be exchanged with Lama Su’s representative, she tricks Bane’s droid into setting her free, allowing her to contact the Batch with her location. On Bora Vio, Prime Minister Lama Su sends his second-in-command, Taun We, to retrieve Omega.

Nala Se, the chief scientist, also receives orders to execute the girl after extracting the necessary genetic material. To protect her, Nala Se hires Fennec Shand to rescue the young clone. Shand kills Taun We and enters into a gunfight with Cad Bane, allowing Omega to find the Bad Batch and escape.

They conduct a mission on Ryloth to free freedom fighters Cham and Eleni Syndulla, the parents of Hera Syndulla from Rebels. Hera and Omega become good friends in these episodes. Crosshair realizes that the Batch is attacking the Imperial refinery as a distraction while others release the prisoners and thus sets a trap.

However, clone Captain Howzer, loyal to Cham and the freedom fighters, tells them about the trap, allowing them to escape. Howzer also tries – unsuccessfully – to persuade his fellow troops to resist the Empire. Although six of his men join him, throwing down their weapons, Crosshair immediately has them all arrested.

Sometime later, Rex contacts the Batch again, asking them to aid clone commando Gregor, who is being forced to train conscripted soldiers on the planet Daro. Hunter, Tech, and Echo spring Gregor from the base, but Hunter is captured during the operation.

Tipoca City

Meanwhile, the Empire cancels the cloning contracts with the Kaminoans. Prime Minister Lama Su and scientists Nala Se try to escape, but they’re caught by the Imperials. Nala Se is spared – she is useful to them as a scientist. Lama Su isn’t so lucky.

The Imperials take Hunter to Tipoca City on Kamino, where all the clones were developed. The Empire has either evacuated or killed almost everyone. Crosshair activates Hunter’s comlink, tempting the rest of the Batch into a trap he’s set.

Omega shows Wrecker, Echo, and Tech a hidden way into the city through Nala Se’s secret laboratory, where they – as modified clones – were all created. Here, they run back into the friendly face of the droid AZI-3, who joins them on their quest. They find Hunter, who then tries to persuade Crosshair to remove his inhibitor chip.

At this point, the show drops a bombshell. We learn that Crosshair removed his chip a long time ago and is serving the Empire of his own volition. It’s what he genuinely thinks he should be doing. Hunter stuns Crosshair just as the Imperials begin bombarding Tipoca City from space, destroying it with Hunter and the Bad Batch still inside.

They carry the unconscious Crosshair through the city, trying to escape as it begins to sink into the depths of the ocean. Omega and AZI-3 save Crosshair after they become trapped in a room filling with water.

The city settles on the ocean floor. The group heads to the tube that should lead to their ship but find it damaged and irreparable. Instead, AZI-3 suggests guiding them all to the surface in lab capsules.

They go ahead, but AZI runs out of power near the surface. Omega, unwilling to lose another friend, risks drowning to save the droid and is running out of strength when Crosshair rescues both her and AZI.

Hunter tries to persuade Crosshair to come with them when they get back to the ship, but he chooses to take his own path.

The Bad Batch Key Characters

Hunter

As the leader of Clone Force 99, Sergeant Hunter – whose serial number isn’t known by anyone – is a gruff, stoic clone commando. He selects his words carefully, often acting as the diplomat, keeping his men focused on the job at hand.

With enhanced senses and reflexes, he is an exceptionally skilled tracker. Omega becomes very important to him, and he’ll do anything to keep her safe.

Wrecker

Larger than most clone troopers, Wrecker is a clone commando with a great love for blowing things up. He is immensely strong with a bodybuilder’s frame and often functions as the group’s muscle. While Hunter is more of Omega’s father figure, Wrecker is probably her closest brotherly friend within the Batch.

Tech

Tech is the equipment expert within the Task Force. He uses his technical skills to reprogram, rewire, and rebuild all sorts of components and is single-handedly responsible for getting the squad out of a few tricky situations.

He gets on well with all the other clones in the Batch but sometimes clashes with Wrecker, as the two are opposite personality types in many ways. Tech enjoys chatting away but becomes extremely focused when working on something.

Crosshair

Crosshair has genetic modifications that greatly enhanced his vision, making him a crack shot with a sniper rifle. With the serial number CT-9904, he is quiet and careful, with an air of superiority around him. He finds regular troopers distasteful and dislikes working with them.

Tarkin enhances Crosshair’s inhibitor chip, turning him against the Batch. At some point, he removes the chip himself. Although working for the Empire, he’s constantly conflicted between fighting for them and helping his old squad, who he feels have abandoned him.

Echo

Echo is the only surviving clone from the Rishi moon encounter in Clone Wars, with Five’s death in Season 6 coming as a major blow to many fans. As an ARC trooper, he was severely injured and presumed dead in a massive explosion on Lola Sayu as part of a group attempting to rescue Jedi Master Even Piell.

He was taken prisoner and sold to Wat Tambor of the Techno Union, where he was turned into a cyborg to survive. Kept unconscious, the separatists used his understanding of Republic battle tactics to predict and counter clone engagements. Rex and Clone Force 99 rescued him on Skako Minor, and he chose to remain with the Batch.

He’s somewhat quiet and scarred from his experiences, but a cunning warrior and loyal to the end to his comrades and Omega. His skin is paler than most, and he also lost his hair after his time in stasis. After escaping from the Separatists, Echo chose to keep his socket-arm, which replaced his right forearm.

Omega

Omega is a young female clone, a direct copy of Jango Fett’s DNA. Innocent and kind, she warms to the Bad Batch and escapes Kamino with them. The Kaminoans are desperate to recapture her for her genetic material before killing her.

As such, the Bad Batch does all they can to keep her safe from them. In the end, Omega’s bubbly personality wears them all down – even Crosshair – and they develop a loving bond for her. She is, after all, literally their younger sister.

Parallelisms to The Clone Wars

Lucasfilm makes no secret that The Bad Batch is essentially The Clone Wars Season 8, although it introduces many new-ish characters. The Batch themselves were introduced in The Clone Wars Season 7. Characters such as Tarkin and the Kaminoan leadership are long-established.

When we meet the Batch in Season 7 of The Clone Wars, it’s 19 BBY, shortly before Order 66 is issued. The Bad Batch begins during the order’s execution.

The official designation of the Bad Batch is Experimental Unit Clone Force 99. It’s a nod back to the malformed maintenance duty clone named 99 from “Clone Cadets” (Clone Wars S3E1) and “ARC Troopers” (S3E2). 99 died doing his duty, despite his body making him unsuited to fighting, the job most clones were expected to do.

Instead, he did what he could to help subdue the enemy. The Bad Batch are also have genetically mutated DNA, like 99, and use their uniqueness to both encourage each other and defeat the enemy.

There are a few parallels to Domino Squad, Echo’s original team. Domino Squad’s story is also told alongside 99’s in “Clone Cadets”, “ARC Troopers”, and “Rookies” (S1E5). It was made up of:

CT-782 “Hevy” – killed when he sacrificed himself on the Rishi moon.
CT-5555 “Fives” – killed by Commander Fox before he could expose the true nature of the inhibitor chips.
CT-1409 “Echo” – assumed dead at the Citadel during the rescue of Even Piell. Eventually, joined the Bad Batch.
CT-00-2010 “Droidbait” – killed by commando droids on the Rishi moon.
CT-4040 “Cutup” – killed by a Rishi eel outside the base.

Initially, Domino Squad struggles to work together. It fails most of its tests, causing the other clone troopers to look down at them. The situation is much the same for the Bad Batch (illustrated in Episode 1).

Both Domino Squad and Clone Force 99 learn to achieve outstanding success through teamwork. Each individual offers a unique skill to assist the situation. It’s about individuality within a group and how that can effectively come together to yield a result.

Hevy even says to 99, “We’re nothing but a bad batch.”

The stories of the Bad Batch, Domino Squad, and 99 are, in essence, the same. It’s not that 99 isn’t talented: it’s that he’s never given a job that suits his talents. Domino Squad and Clone Force 99 are lucky enough to find their place in that way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What Episode of Clone Wars has the Bad Batch?

Answer: The Bad Batch storyline, as it appears in Clone Wars, had initially been pitched for earlier in the series. It was brought back to fruition in Season 7. It was directly inspired by Star Wars creator George Lucas. He wanted the Bad Batch to have superior skills but not fall into the realm of superheroes.
Clone Wars Season 7, Episodes 1 to 4 are all about the Bad Batch. This is where they’re first introduced to us, and The Bad Batch series picks up not long after Clone Wars left off.

Question: Where Does The Bad Batch Fall in the Timeline?

Answer: The Bad Batch coincides with Order 66 in the year 19 BBY. Episode 1 would be happening at the same time as Anakin’s betrayal of the Jedi Order, with most of the Jedi across the galaxy killed by their brainwashed clone troopers.
It explores how the Empire turns from the highly-skilled but very costly clone troopers to much cheaper conscripted storm troopers, particularly under Tarkin, who has long been against the use of clones.

Question: Will there Be a Season 2 of The Bad Batch?

Answer: Season 2 of The Bad Batch was announced on 5 August 2021 after the first season was an instant hit with fans. It’s currently expected to be released sometime in 2022, although an exact date is yet to be confirmed.
Since then, we haven’t heard too much about it.
I would expect Season 2 to continue documenting the adventures of the Bad Batch and Omega, with Crosshair likely to be evermore conflicted about hunting them down. A few loose ends may be addressed:
• Omega’s background
• How the Empire continues to phase out clone troopers
• What Crosshair does next
• What happens to Howzer and those loyal to Cham Syndulla on Ryloth
• How Rex assists the Rebel Alliance
• How the Bad Batch will help fight the Empire
• What Nala Se’s mysterious new job is
At this point, it’s simply guesswork on my part. But I can’t wait to see what Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm come up with.

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