— Ch. 1 · The Mutant Squad —
Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
~7 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
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.
From Reel To Reality
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.