Following their literally explosive introduction in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Clone Force 99, a.k.a. the Bad Batch, will soon step into the spotlight. Star Wars: The Bad Batch arrives May the 4th with a special 70-minute premiere on Disney+, starring our new favorite squad of elite clones as they find their way in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War.
Today saw the arrival of a new trailer for the series, and it’s filled with action, drama, and some big surprises — in other words, everything we’d expect from this rough-and-tumble crew. Gear up and check out five highlights below.
1. “A test is in order.”
The cold and calculating Tarkin opens the trailer, praising the Bad Batch’s skills while expressing concern about their individuality. Meanwhile, the Bad Batch seem to enjoy their droid-destroying workout. Taken together, it’s a great setup for the series and personalities involved: the uniformity and fascism of the soon-to-be Empire, and how that brushes up against the rebellious nature of Clone Force 99.
2. Meet the team.
A child, on what looks to be the cloning world of Kamino, meets the Bad Batch and, by proxy, introduces them to us. We see Hunter, Echo, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair doing what they do best, and it’s glorious mayhem. If you love action in your Star Wars, it looks like you’ll love this series and this crew. The only question is…who’s your favorite?
3. Band on the run.
Tarkin officially names the Bad Batch as enemies of the state. These elite soldiers are now truly on their own…
4. Those cameos!
It looks like the Bad Batch will have some famous company. Both Fennec Shand (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, reprising her role from The Mandalorian) and a young-but-scarred Saw Gerrera (played once again by Andrew Kishino, who originally brought the soldier to life in Star Wars: The Clone Wars) make appearances. Saw raises the central question for the Bad Batch: with the Clone War over, what will they choose to be? While we can’t wait to see how they respond, we’re just happy to see Fennec and Saw again.
5. “Strap in, kid.”
The trailer ends with some more trademark Bad Batch action — explosions and good ol’ fashioned droid beating, you know the drill — but with the promise of a new kind of Star Wars adventure. Take Hunter’s advice: strap in and enjoy the ride.
Dan Brooks is Lucasfilm’s senior content strategist of online, the editor of StarWars.com, and a writer. He loves Star Wars, ELO, and the New York Rangers, Jets, and Yankees. Follow him on Twitter @dan_brooks where he rants about all these things.
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