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Hey there, Rebelscum fans! This week on the site, we’re exploring one of the new animated series on Disney+, The Bad Batch. Make sure to read our “Expand Your Mind” article to read about how the series developed from an unfinished story reel to a full-on animated spinoff show of its own. Stay tuned throughout the week for more articles, insights, videos, and collector’s guides.
Star Wars content is coming in huge waves to Disney+. Within the next few years, we’ll be getting the third season of The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ashoka, Andor, The Acolyte, Lando, and the animated film A Droid Story. If it seems like animation is lacking, then thankfully The Bad Batch continues the proud legacy of Dave Filoni’s universe. Here are some Force Facts about season one.
The first episode actually contradicts events that were established in the comic book Kanan. In the Rebels prequel comic, Kanan’s survival of Order 66 does not feature his encounter with the Bad Batch troopers.
“The Bad Batch” is also named “clone force 99.” The clone trooper known as “99” was a genetically inferior clone who had rapidly aged, and served as the mentor to the young initiate troopers during their training. 99 heroically sacrifices himself in The Clone Wars episode “ARC Troopers.”
Prior to his memorable appearance on The Book of Boba Fett, Cad Bane shows up in The Bad Batch after being a fan-favorite on The Clone Wars. Bane’s look and design was meant to embody Clint Eastwood’s “Man With No Name” from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Bane’s loyal droid Todo-360, voiced by Seth Green, also reappears on The Bad Batch. Although Green is best known for his Star Wars appearances in the Robot Chicken specials, he’s also appeared in The Clone Wars as Ion Papanoida, the son of the George Lucas-inspired Baron Papanoida.
The Bad Batch clones were meant to resemble the characters from Apocalypse Now. Apocalypse Now was developed by George Lucas, and later directed by his friend Francis Ford Coppola. Harrison Ford has a cameo in Apocalypse Now as a character called “Colonel Lucas.”
Apocalypse Now sound designer Walter Murch is a college friend of Lucas and collaborator over the years. Murch has only two credits as a director: the dark fantasy film Return to Oz and The Clone Wars episode “The General.”
The Bad Batch isn’t the only The Clone Wars story arc that was originally conceived as a backdoor pilot. The four-part season five storyline featuring Jedi trainees was screened as a standalone event at Star Wars Celebration in the hope it could launch a spinoff series.
Kevin Kiner, composer of The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch, stated that his score was inspired by the film Guns of Navarone. That film’s sequel, Force 10 From Navarone, was one of Harrison Ford’s early roles.
Stephen Stanton returned to voice Tarkin after portraying him on The Clone Wars. Tarkin first appeared in “The Citadel” story arc, where Echo was first thought to be killed.
The name “Omega” is ironically shared by the now non-canon Omega Squad from Karen Travis’ Star Wars books, which fleshed out the roles of both the clones and Mandalorians.
What do you think, Rebelscum fans? Have you been enjoying The Bad Batch? What do you want to see from season two? Let us know in the forums, and as always, may the Force be with you!
