The 70-minute series premiere of Star Wars: The Bad Batch is quickly approaching. Soon, on May 4, we’ll see Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair back in action, trying to flee from a post-Order 66 world. Before diving into Lucasfilm’s brand-new adventure, there’s still plenty of time to watch key episodes from Star Wars canon that introduce, flesh out, or give some kind of background to the new and familiar faces we’ll see in the near future.
There’s no doubt The Bad Batch takes new viewers into consideration, much like the Star Wars animated shows from the past, but just in case you want to prep yourself before the series debuts (or if you’re a longtime fan and want a refresher), here’s what to watch.
Episodes based on Clone Force 99
The clone troopers and their tragic stories are an essential part of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. When it comes to understanding the clones, including Clone Force 99, these three arcs are a good place to start.
The Cadets Arc, The Clone Wars
Episodes: “Clone Cadets” (season 3, episode 1), “Rookies” (season 1, episode 5), and “ARC Troopers” (season 3, episode 2)
From training with Domino Squad to becoming a full-fledged ARC trooper, this three-episode arc captures Echo’s early days on Kamino and fighting for the Republic before falling into the hands of the Separatists. It also features bad batcher 99, a maintenance clone and the inspiration behind Clone Force 99’s name.
The Clone Conspiracy Arc, The Clone Wars
Episodes: “The Unknown” (season 6, episode 1), “Conspiracy” (season 6, episode 2), “Fugitive” (season 6, episode 3), “Orders” (season 6, episode 4)
The Bad Batch series will undoubtedly touch on the aftermath of Order 66, but some viewers might be wondering why the clone troopers turned on their Jedi leaders in the first place. It all starts with an inhibitor chip, an organic implant that forces the clones to do whatever someone wants, like killing the Jedi. This arc explains how a select few discover its existence and how one clone does everything he can to bring awareness to the problem.
The Bad Batch Arc, The Clone Wars
Episodes: “The Bad Batch” (season 7, episode 1), “A Distant Echo” (season 7, episode 2), “On the Wings of Keeradaks” (season 7, episode 3), “Unfinished Business” (season 7, episode 4)
Of course, the best way to prepare for the series premiere is to watch the four-episode arc that introduces Clone Force 99. You get a clearer idea of how these genetically-mutated clones operate and how they perceive the “regular” clone troopers around them. The arc also establishes a link between Clone Force 99 and Captain Rex, a fan-favorite character who briefly shows up in the trailer.
Episodes based on Omega
Here’s the thing about Omega. So far, we don’t know anything about her. She makes her first appearance in the official trailer, but it doesn’t reveal much about why she’s on Kamino and what motivates her to leave with Clone Force 99. We only have theories about her character, like what if Omega is a Force-sensitive child? Running with that idea, we can’t help but think back to Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels episodes in which the Empire steals Force-sensitive children for experiments and recruitment.
Even if Omega turns out not to have any Force abilities, we still think these are must-watch episodes, since they give us a glimpse at the kind of nefarious operations taking place leading up to and during the Empire’s reign.
Holocron Arc, The Clone Wars
Episodes: “Holocron Heist” (season 2, episode 1), “Cargo of Doom” (season 2, episode 2), “Children of the Force” (season 2, episode 3)
Years before the Empire takes over, one of the galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunters, Cad Bane, steals a holocron containing the names of Force-sensitive children. Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano chase after him and eventually discover a sinister operation involving kidnapped children of the Force. Given Omega’s decorative headpiece, we like to think she’s from a different culture or planet, like the children Anakin and Ahsoka rescue.
“Future of the Force,” Star Wars Rebels (season 2, episode 10)
Rebels follows the story of Ezra Bridger, a young Force-sensitive kid who joins the Ghost crew. Together, they fight in the name of good and do what they think is right, including saving Force-sensitive children from Inquisitors. Omega seems to be in the same situation as Ezra. She’s a young kid who joins a group of soldiers, and they carry out good deeds while escaping the clutches of the Empire. Since Rebels (and presumably The Bad Batch) was inspired by the ’80s action-adventure show The A-Team, “Future of the Force” might give you a small taste of what’s to come in the new series.
Episodes based on Fennec Shand
Nothing pleases us more than to see Ming-Na Wen’s character from The Mandalorian transition from live-action to animation.
Fennec Shand is one of those characters who makes you question whether she’s good or bad. We think it ultimately depends on the situation and who has the most credits (or most power), but she also appears to be extremely loyal and abides by a code of honor. Given her presence in The Bad Batch, we wonder if there’s more of a connection to The Mandalorian than the trailer leads us to believe, or if she’s just a mercenary looking to have a big payday.
Before she makes her animated debut, revisit Fennec’s fighting techniques and killer aim in The Mandalorian to see what Clone Force 99 are up against.
“The Gunslinger,” The Mandalorian (season 1, episode 5)
Running low on credits, Din Djarin joins forces with a rookie bounty hunter to hunt down Fennec Shand, an assassin who’s been on the run from the New Republic. When they finally cross paths, she shares a piece of advice, “You wanna be a bounty hunter? Make the best deal for yourself and survive.” Not only does this episode shed insight into her character, but it gives you an idea of what goes through her mind when she seemingly makes a deal with the Empire in The Bad Batch.
“The Tragedy,” The Mandalorian (season 2, episode 14)
Like most bounty hunters and rogue assassins, Fennec is hard to kill. She ends up teaming up with Boba Fett and offers her skillful services to help rescue Din Djarin’s kid, revealing a more compassionate and honorable side of herself. While it’s highly doubtful we’ll see these personality traits in The Bad Batch, this episode rounds out her character and demonstrates how second chances have a positive effect on people, including hardened mercenaries.
Episodes based on Saw Gerrera
At some point in the first season of The Bad Batch, Clone Force 99 meets up with resistance fighter and rebel extremist Saw Gerrera. Whether he needs their help or vice versa, it’ll be interesting to see how Saw and the enhanced clones get along. Will Saw’s morally questionable techniques rub Clone Force 99 the wrong way? It’s more than likely, since Saw has a reputation for putting civilians in the direct line of fire. Then again, Hunter and the gang have their own unique ways of fighting and accomplishing missions, making Captain Rex and other “regular” clones question their methods. It’s possible Clone Force 99 and Saw discover they might have a few things in common with each other.
Before the series premiere, watch Saw’s origin story and see the reason why he treads on the extreme side of things after The Clone Wars and further into the future.
Onderon Arc, The Clone Wars
Episodes: “A War on Two Fronts” (season 5, episode 2), “Front Runners” (season 5, episode 3), “The Soft Wars” (season 5, episode 4), “Tipping Points” (season 5, episode 5)
Saw and his sister, Steela Gerrera, spend most of their youth fighting against the droid army on their Separatist-aligned homeworld, Onderon. At some point during the war, the Jedi Order send Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, and Captain Rex to train the Onderanian fighters and give them a better chance at driving the Separatists away from their home. The fight comes at a personal cost for Saw and pushes him to the extreme, his ruthless attacks over the years labeling him a terrorist.
“Ghosts of Geonosis,” Star Wars Rebels (season 3, episodes 12-13)
Rex and Saw reunite once again, but this time, it’s on Geonosis. Ezra Bridger notices the desperation in Saw’s actions and the radical behavior he exhibits toward one of the Geonosian survivors. This two-part episode captures Ezra’s nature to observe and ask questions (traits we hope to see in Omega) and contains this eye-opening quote from Kanan Jarrus, “Ezra, you’re going to find not all of our allies share the same values or even fight the Empire for the same reason we do.”
If you want a deeper look at how Saw wages war against the Empire, make sure to check out the Star Wars Rebels two-part episode “In the Name of the Rebellion” and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Episodes based on Wilhuff Tarkin
It’s no surprise Tarkin shows up in The Bad Batch to take matters into his own hands since Jedi Master Shaak Ti no longer oversees the training of the clones after Order 66. Among other things, he’s there to reevaluate the clone army’s usefulness and eliminate any clone who doesn’t abide by the new Imperial regime. That’s where Clone Force 99 comes in.
This isn’t the first time Tarkin shows up out of seemingly nowhere to mess around with our main characters. He does the same thing in Star Wars: The Clone Wars when Ahsoka Tano faces a trial for the Jedi Temple bombing, and again in Star Wars Rebels when Lothal’s rebel problem captures the Empire’s attention.
There’s no doubt he’s going to be a thorn on Clone Force 99’s side, so we recommend watching these episodes to see how he operates during The Clone Wars and how he climbs through the ranks, becoming one of Emperor Palpatine’s favorite military leaders.
Citadel Arc, The Clone Wars
Episodes: “The Citadel” (season 3, episode 18), “Counterattack” (season 3, episode 19), “Citadel Rescue” (season 3, episode 20)
The Separatists capture Captain Tarkin and Jedi General Even Piell and hold them as prisoners in the Citadel, a prison located on the planet Lola Sayu. This group of episodes not only shows how ARC trooper Echo falls in the line of duty, but it also gives us a closer look at Tarkin’s character. Even in his early days, Tarkin comes across as unsympathetic and ambitious. He even holds resentment toward the Jedi and adamantly believes their peacekeeping ways could bring about the fall of the Republic.
Ahsoka Leaves Arc, The Clone Wars
Episodes: “Sabotage” (season 5, episode 17), “The Jedi Who Knew Too Much” (season 5, episode 18), “To Catch a Jedi” (season 5, episode 19), “The Wrong Jedi” (season 5, episode 20)
Ahsoka finds herself in a life-altering situation that lands her in court, and Tarkin takes this opportunity to prosecute her under Republic law. Anakin eventually unveils the real culprit, but the Jedi Order suffers a major blow when one of their own speaks up about how the war has changed the Jedi. Fully believing the Jedi aren’t suited or equipped to lead the war’s efforts, there’s no doubt in our minds Tarkin sees this as a win, since the controversy further causes the public to turn their backs on the Jedi.
Each one of these episodes will help prepare you for the premiere and beyond, but if you’re already up to speed, what are you most looking forward to seeing in the show? Let us know in the comments!
Star Wars: The Bad Batch debuts on Disney+ starting May 4.