Star Wars: The Bad Batch

• 1. The Mutant Squad

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  On the planet Kamino, a young female clone named Omega stands beside four genetically altered troopers. They are not like the standard soldiers who fought in the Clone Wars. These four have mutations that make them different from their brothers. Hunter has enhanced senses and acts as a master tracker. Wrecker possesses reinforced muscles and a skeleton that makes him incredibly strong. Crosshair is a skilled sniper with a cold demeanor. Tech is a genius who specializes in technology and processes information differently than others.

  These genetic changes allow most of the squad to resist Order 66. This secret programming forces other clones to execute Jedi and obey Emperor Palpatine. The Bad Batch manages to survive this command because their bodies do not respond to it in the same way. They become mercenaries on the run during the early days of the Galactic Empire. Their story begins immediately after the end of the Clone Wars.

  Omega joins them as an unmodified replication of Jango Fett. She ages normally unlike the Bad Batch members who age at twice the normal speed. This means she is technically older than most of her companions despite appearing much younger. Her name references Alpha, the first unmodified clone of Jango Fett known as Boba. The group travels together while navigating a galaxy that is rapidly changing around them.

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• 2. From Reel To Reality

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  Disney acquired Lucasfilm in October 2012 and canceled Star Wars: The Clone Wars in March 2013. A new animated series called Star Wars Rebels took priority for the studio. Some unfinished episodes from the original show were released as bonus content including a four-episode arc introducing the Bad Batch. George Lucas created the idea for these characters directly. Fans saw these unfinished story reels at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in April 2015.

  Dave Filoni stepped back from his position on Rebels by September 2016 to focus on writing future series with Lucasfilm Animation. He announced a final season of The Clone Wars for Disney+ in July 2018. The unfinished Bad Batch episodes were completed during this time with some changes. Development on a spin-off series began simultaneously. Disney+ officially announced the title Star Wars: The Bad Batch in July 2020.

  The producers intended to tell a three-season story from the beginning. They were glad to complete their plans as originally designed. Filoni described the series as being very much in the vein of The Clone Wars. It stays true to Lucas's vision for telling epic adventure stories. A second season was announced in August 2021 before the first finale aired. The third and final season was revealed at Star Wars Celebration London in April 2023.

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• 3. Voices Of Kamino

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  Dee Bradley Baker returned from The Clone Wars to voice all the clone troopers including the members of the Bad Batch. He replaced New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison who portrayed the clones in the prequel films. Baker made sure each team member had noticeable differences in their voices. Tech speaks with precision while Crosshair sounds like a coiled snake. He also voiced most other clones in the series such as Captain Rex and Grey.

  Michelle Ang provides the voice for Omega using her own New Zealand accent. She altered her pitch and state of mind to give the character youthfulness. Her accent aligns with Morrison's original portrayal of Jango Fett. Ang recorded much of her dialogue remotely over video calls due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She traveled home to New Zealand soon after recording the first episode with Baker.

  Ang and Baker were able to record the series finale together in-person which they described as an emotional experience. Keisha Castle-Hughes voices Emerie Karr an adult female clone introduced in the second season. She used her natural New Zealand accent for the role. Daniel Logan returned to voice a younger clone named Mox in the third season. Julian Dennison voices two even younger clones named Deke and Stak alongside Logan.

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• 4. The Empire Rises

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  The series tells stories of other clones following the end of the Clone Wars. Some begin to question Order 66 while others are killed by Vice Admiral Rampart. The Empire phases out the clone army in favor of conscripted Stormtroopers. Imperial cloning resources get redirected to Project Necromancer. This secret project aims to clone Palpatine himself.

  Project Necromancer helps explain his return from death in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker released in 2019. Young test subjects like Bayrn, Jax, Eva, and Sami appear with high M-counts. They are part of the Advanced Science Division led by Dr. Hemlock. The Bad Batch encounters these young clones during their journey across the galaxy.

  The narrative explores how the Empire treats its former soldiers. Cut Lawquane deserts and goes into hiding with his family on a farm. Rex works in secret to help other clones resist the Empire. Howzer supports local freedom fighters over the Empire on Ryloth. Cody deserts after starting to question the Empire during a mission with Crosshair. These stories show the transition from war to empire through the eyes of those who fought it.

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• 5. Electronic And Orchestral

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  Kevin Kiner composed the score for the series in January 2021. He previously worked on The Clone Wars and Rebels soundtracks. His children Sean and Deana collaborated with him as co-composers for the third season. David Glen Russell and Peter Lam also provided additional music. Kiner described the score as a continuation of his work using electronic and orchestral elements.

  He took influence from scores for The Guns of Navarone released in 1961 and The Dirty Dozen released in 1967. Both films feature similar bands of heroes to the Bad Batch. Walt Disney Records released the first track titled Enter the Bad Batch as a digital single on the 13th of May 2021. The label then released soundtrack albums for each season in two volumes.

  Music from the final seven episodes of the third season arrived on the 3rd of May 2024. The score evolves alongside the Clone Wars soundtrack just as Kiner intended. It continues to change over time while maintaining its core identity. The music supports the action sequences and emotional beats throughout the three seasons.

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• 6. Critical Reception And Design

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  Rotten Tomatoes reported an 86% approval rating for the first season based on 92 reviews. Critics consensus stated the show is beautifully animated but may be too lore heavy for casual viewers. Metacritic assigned a score of 67 out of 100 indicating generally favorable reviews. The second season achieved a 90% approval rating with an average of 7.2 out of 10. The third season holds an 87% approval rating averaging 8.0 out of 10.

  Kimberly Terasaki of The Mary Sue expressed concerns about whitewashing the clone troopers. She noted that some character designs appeared lighter-skinned or had more European features. Long story short clones of a Māori man had been white-washed according to her analysis. Fans created social media pages and petitions regarding this issue. Supervising director Brad Rau adjusted skin tones in produced episodes to match Temuera Morrison's appearance.

  The show received praise for representing people with disabilities. Emily Smith of Radio Times noted prior Star Wars disabilities were associated with negativity like Darth Vader and Darth Maul. The original four Bad Batch characters were born with disabilities which frees them from negative connotations. Joshua Patton highlighted Tech's quote about processing moments differently as a kid-friendly conversation about neurodivergency.

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• 7. Awards And Recognition

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  The first season received the ReFrame Stamp for years 2021 to 2022. This stamp is awarded by gender equity coalition ReFrame for projects with gender-balanced hiring. It recognizes productions that hire female-identifying people especially women of color in four out of eight key roles. Golden Reel Awards honored Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing for Animation Series or Short in 2022.

  Matthew Wood, David W. Collins, Frank Rinella, and Kimberly Patrick won for their work on the episode Reunion. Saturn Awards nominated Best Animated Series on Television for Star Wars: The Bad Batch in 2022. Producers Guild Awards recognized Outstanding Children's Program for the series in 2024.

  Golden Reel Awards again honored Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing for Broadcast Animation in 2024. The team included David W. Collins, Matthew Wood, Justin Doyle, Kevin Bolen, Kimberly Patrick, Frank Rinella, Margie O'Malley, and Andrea Gard for the episode Faster. Saturn Awards continued to nominate Best Animated Television Series or Special through 2025. These accolades highlight the technical achievements and creative success of the production.

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