Star Wars: Why is R7 important in The Bad Batch?

There are many droids in the Star Wars universe, and lots of times, those droids are just as important as the people who they work alongside.

Take, for example, the little astromech R2-D2, who has been in the Skywalker saga basically every step of the way. We’ve seen him with Anakin and Padme during the prequel era, Luke and Leia in the original trilogy era, and even Rey and Finn in the sequel era. Add that on top of familiar droids like C-3PO, the lovable BB-8 and so many more, and you can see why droids rule the galaxy.

In The Bad Batch episode 6 “Decommissioned,” though, a familiar droid made an appearance — but it wasn’t R2-D2 or C-3PO… it was R7-A7. We don’t hear about the droid until we get towards the end of the episode when familiar faces Trace and Rafa Martez call the droid in to pilot the ship to them.

Trace and Rafa, we met during the middle of The Clone Wars season 7… and it gives us a hint as to who R7 is and why he’s important.

Who is R7-A7 in Star Wars?

Fans of The Clone Wars will know that R7 is the droid who belonged to Ahsoka Tano during the Clone Wars era. The little friend was with her until the end of the line, surviving up until the execution of Order 66.

While R7 helped to wake up Rex from his inhibitor-chip trance, this would be one of his final acts of bravery. After that, as Ahsoka and Rex sought to escape the ship they were on, R7 was caught in the clone trooper crossfire and was taken out. The last we saw of the battered droid, he was left next to Ahsoka and Rex’s crashed Y-wing, as it looked like they were going to leave the droid at the memorial wreckage with the fallen clones.

Now, as it turns out, R7 is back online and helping the Martez sisters — the ones Ahsoka ran into in The Clone Wars season 7. How they got their hands on R7 is unknown. This could potentially mean they are working for Ahsoka, and she’s the one who rescued the droid. Or there are other people out there who may have been interested in what remained from the wreckage, including Maul — who narrowly escaped it himself — or even Rex.

There are an endless amount of possibilities as to why R7 is now with the Martez sisters. But hopefully this means the droid is in good hands, no matter what they are up to.

For more, keep up with The Bad Batch category on Dork Side of the Force.