For the past several years, the animation side of Star Wars has been changing the game of storytelling in that universe. The Clone Wars and Rebels have become fan-favorite series that have introduced dozens of new characters and stories. And Season 2 of Resistance got really good.
Now, Disney+ is in the process of showing the first season of the new series Star Wars: The Bad Batch. It follows a group of enhanced clones as they navigate the new reality that exists in the galaxy after Order 66. Set in the aftermath of the fall of the Jedi Order and the Republic, this series could be about to give fans the answers to some long-standing questions.
10 Fennec Shand Will Make Her Mark
Introduced in the first season of The Mandalorian, Fennec Shand was an assassin and mercenary with a bounty on her head. Originally thought to be dead, she survived thanks to Boba Fett and reappeared in Season 2. Shand will also be appearing in the upcoming series The Book of Boba Fett.
But not much about Shand prior to the events of The Mandalorian has been discussed. Fennec has appeared in trailers for The Bad Batch, which will give fans a look into her past. While it’s unlikely it’ll answer all questions about her, it will definitely fill in some blanks.
9 The Rise Of Stormtroopers
The prequel trilogy introduced fans to the Clone Army, the military wing of the Republic that fought against the Separatists. They were also programmed at birth to follow Order 66, and brutally execute the Jedi in short order.
But during the original trilogy, the core of Stormtroopers who make up the base of the Empire were conscripted soldiers. This new animated series is set right at the point when the changeover between Clone Troopers and Stormtroopers happened, giving fans their first look at that transition.
8 A New Clone Series Is Born
Like the other Star Wars animated shows that have come before it, The Bad Batch has already been introducing new characters. A big one is Omega, a young female Clone who is now ostensibly part of the team.
The truth about Omega is already being hinted at as a major part of the series going forward. But if there is a line of Clones potentially in production on Camino, that could change the game incredibly in Star Wars. It’s something that has never been discussed before.
7 The Fates Of Several Clone Wars Characters
As tends to happen with any Star Wars project involving Dave Filoni, there are a lot of interweaving threads between different shows. Naturally, there are some very direct through lines from The Bad Batch to The Clone Wars, but the inclusions of Kanan Jarrus and Cut Lawquane so early were surprising.
Where this goes from here will be huge for the overall story. One character who has been a bit of a mystery is the bounty hunter Cad Bane. He was absent from the last two seasons of The Clone Wars and did not appear in Rebels. The Bad Batch could expand on his story, or at least give it some sort of end.
6 Grand Moff Tarkin’s True Power
Going back to A New Hope after decades of other Star Wars content is interesting for a number of reasons. One of them is seeing Darth Vader, a powerful Sith Lord, acting in a subservient role to Grand Moff Tarkin. But Tarkin was dead by the end of that movie, and fans knew little about him.
Both The Clone Wars and Rebels added more to Tarkin’s mythos and has already appeared in The Bad Batch, as well. An influential and key leader in the Empire, Tarkin’s journey through the different series has mirrored its growth. Fleshing out his story could give more insight into the Empire itself.
5 Mace Windu’s Conclusive Fate
During the prequel trilogy, one of the standout characters was Jedi Master Mace Windu. He was a member of the Jedi Council and played a key part in the battle against the Separatists. He was killed by the combined might of Chancellor Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker at the end of the Clone Wars.
There has been a long-standing belief among fans that Windu survived his apparent death. That group includes Samuel L. Jackson, the actor who played Windu in the movies. This series might be the time fans finally get a firm statement on his fate.
4 The Birth Of The Inquisitorius
Star Wars: Rebels introduced fans to an early cell of Rebel fighters initially based on the Outer Rim planet of Lothal. While they took on a lot of familiar faces like Darth Vader, Thrawn, Tarkin, and Maul, there were some new enemies coming after their group.
Specifically, a group called the Inquisitorius was sent. This group of mysterious Dark Side agents was tasked with hunting down the remaining Jedi, but their origins have not been fully discussed. Given the timing of The Bad Batch, there is definitely an opportunity to dig deeper into their roots.
3 Ahsoka & Rex’s Story Continues
The Clone Wars successfully gave fans several new characters while expanding on others. Two of the biggest fan favorites on the series were Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex, who successfully escaped Order 66 and returned to action in Rebels.
There are still a lot of gaps in their respective stories. Fans would love to know how they ended up where they were when they respectively reappeared in Rebels for the first time. Keeping in mind Rex has already been name-checked in The Bad Batch, it’s likely that at least he will make an appearance.
2 The Immediate Impact Of Order 66
Without question, Order 66 is the defining moment of the entire Star Wars narrative. It resulted in the virtual annihilation of the Jedi Order and the destruction of both the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
While the larger impact of Order 66 has been apparent for years, its immediate changes in the galaxy have never been explored. This is the era The Bad Batch is set in, and the series is already starting to provide fans with a more fleshed-out vision of that time.
1 Establishing A Galactic Empire
The entirety of the Clone Wars was the culmination of a long-term plot by the Sith to take over the galaxy. And it was successful in many ways, though it did all fall apart thanks to their own arrogance and shortsightedness.
But establishing the first Galactic Empire was more than simply declaring it so. There was a massive bureaucratic machine and economy to put in place, not to mention an entirely new army to build. Seeing how that changeover went down could be huge for long-time fans.
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