Do you have to watch The Clone Wars to watch The Bad Batch?

With the Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiere around the corner, the question of what Star Wars content to watch to prepare is certainly at the forefront of people’s minds, especially casual fans.

While a viewer could always dive headfirst into the series and figure out the plot as they watch, knowing a bit of background on the show will definitely smooth the way.

The Bad Batch is a spin-off of the popular animated series The Clone Wars that ran from 2008 to 2020.

Twelve years worth of episodes to watch, however, is not only intimidating but also time-consuming considering its sequel debuts Tuesday, May 4 on Disney+.

What Star Wars episodes to watch before The Bad Batch

If you’re crunched for time and not looking to wade through seven seasons of a show, then we suggest skipping to the Clone Force 99 arc which takes place in season 7. The first four episodes of The Clone Wars‘ final season are dedicated to this specialized task force and it’s where they make their debut in the franchise.

The Bad Batch arc in The Clone Wars not only establishes this group, but it also tells the story of how this quartet became a troop of five with the addition of Echo.

This in-universe origin story will help you understand the dynamics between this group, their skill sets, as well as the plant seeds for where their spin-off series may go in the future.

Seeing Clone Force 99 in action during the Clone Wars sets up a nice contrast to who they’ll be post-war in the shadow of the Empire’s early years. The Bad Batch takes this task force whose purpose and mission revolved around fighting and drops them in the changing reality of their new circumstances.

The series brings into question what’s next for Echo, Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Tech when their abilities aren’t needed in the way they once were during the war effort.

For those looking for more Star Wars content to watch in preparation for The Bad Batch, we’ve compiled a list of episodes to watch before the premiere.

See you on Star Wars Day, when this highly anticipated series hits screens for all to enjoy!