2. Echo Joins the Bad Batch
Ending the arc this way is thematically perfect. The Bad Batch showed from the start that they are different from the other clones. Rather than feeling like outcasts, they’ve forged their own family together. They play outside the rules and contribute to the war effort in a way others cannot.
Meanwhile, it’s clear from the moment Rex saw Echo was alive that he could never go back to the life he once knew. Circumstances had changed Echo too much, as had everything that happened in the Clone Wars since the Citadel.
Echo needed a fresh start in a group where he could be valued and accepted because of his differences. That makes him a perfect fit for the Bad Batch.
This moment isn’t just about Echo and the Bad Batch, though. It’s also about Rex. So much of the war feels like it’s been outside of his control and he feels responsible for the losses of his many clone brothers. By believing Echo was alive and doing everything in his power to save him, Rex took control and saved a brother who otherwise would’ve been forever lost and suffering.
Rex doesn’t just literally save Echo’s life. He helps Echo realize in the end it’s okay to feel like he doesn’t belong in the way he used to, and that if he feels like serving with the Bad Batch is the best fit for him, then he should join them. It’s important for Echo to hear this and for Rex to see it happen as they take their final steps in the Clone Wars.
Such an ending is the perfect thematic culmination of an arc that focuses on Rex, introduces the Bad Batch, and brings back Echo.