Our favorite clones are back for a brand-new season of adventures in Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, Echo, and Omega continue to cross paths with old friends and potential new allies. Will there ever be a place in the new Empire for these indomitable veterans of the Clone Wars?
The Bad Batch returns to Disney+ for new episodes on January 4, 2023. Let’s get reacquainted with the team and where they’ve been before the season starts.
Spoiler warning: The following article contains story details and plot points from Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1.
Who Are the Bad Batch?
Clone Force 99, a.k.a. the Bad Batch, were created on Kamino as an experimental unit of soldiers. Each member was genetically manipulated and enhanced to nurture a particular set of skills. Hunter is the leader of the group, cool under pressure and even cooler with his signature red headband. Tech is the computer whiz who specializes in science, technology, and talking. A lot. Wrecker is the team muscle and ardent admirer of anything that goes boom. Crosshair is an impeccable marksman, cold and unyielding.
Echo wasn’t an original member of the Bad Batch; the former ARC trooper joined the group during the Clone Wars. After the Separatists altered him with cybernetic implants to forcefully gain access to Republic intel, he put his droid modifications to good use in support of the unique team.
Omega is the newest member of the team, although she’s technically the oldest. As an assistant to Nala Se, she even witnessed her brothers’ creation. Omega is unique among her brothers not just because her aging is progressing naturally — she’s also a rare unaltered clone of Jango Fett.
Before the Dark Times
During the Clone Wars, Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair were practically inseparable. Known for their perfect mission success rate and irregular methods, the self-styled Bad Batch didn’t fit in with the other clones. That suited them just fine. When Captain Rex called upon them to help find and rescue an old friend, Echo, Rex was impressed with their efficiency. He couldn’t help being put off by their unique personalities, but he had to admit they knew how to get the job done.
Together with Captain Rex and Anakin Skywalker, the Bad Batch rescued Echo from the Separatists. Echo found a new home on Kamino with the group, but their stay wouldn’t last long as the Clone Wars came to a surprising end.
Due to their mutations and modification, the Bad Batch were not compelled by the effects of the inhibitor chip as strongly as the other clone troopers. They didn’t carry out Order 66 and later refused to take out Saw Gerrera and the refugees he was protecting. The Bad Batch chose instead to rescue Omega from the facility on Kamino and escape. Crosshair, however, decided to remain behind — with the Empire.
Where Are They When Season 2 Begins?
In the early days of the Empire, the closest thing Clone Force 99 had to a home is Cid’s Parlor on Ord Mantell. They were hired by the cantankerous parlor owner for odd jobs around the galaxy. Crosshair pursued his brothers while Omega found herself capturing the attention of bounty hunters like Fennec Shand and Cad Bane.
After a mission goes wrong, Hunter was apprehended by the Empire and taken back to Kamino, where it was finally time for a confrontation with Crosshair. The rest of the Bad Batch returned to their birthplace to rescue their leader, but it wouldn’t be easy. It was only due to Omega’s insider knowledge of Nala Se’s secret laboratory that they were able to infiltrate the locked down facility.
Meanwhile, the sharpshooter offered Hunter and his brothers a place in the Empire, revealing that his inhibitor chip had been disabled and he chose his allegiance as an Imperial soldier. Suddenly, the Empire launched an attack on Tipoca City to destroy it once and for all. The Bad Batch barely escaped, working with Crosshair to get everyone out in one piece. He decided once again to remain with the Empire, and the Bad Batch and their former squad mate parted ways with no enmity between them.
Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and Omega are continuing their adventures in the galaxy far, far away months after witnessing the destruction of their home on Kamino. They work to stay out of the Empire’s watchful eye, running jobs and still looking for their place in this new normal. Find out more when the Bad Batch return in a two-episode premiere on January 4!
For more on Star Wars: The Bad Batch, check out StarWars.com’s in-depth coverage:
- Explore episode guides, featuring story galleries, trivia, and more
- Dive deep into Season 1 in an interview with executive producer/supervising director Brad Rau and executive producer/head writer Jennifer Corbett
- Hear from Omega actor Michelle Ang
