The Bad Batch recap: Episode 11 “Devil’s Deal” ending explained

Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Bad Batch episode 11, “Devil’s Deal.”

The Bad Batch‘s first season has just a few episodes left, but the thrills, emotions and ties to other stories in the larger Star Wars galaxy are far from winding down. In episode 11, titled “Devil’s Deal,” Clone Force 99 and Omega are largely absent in favor of showing key players in the budding resistance against the Empire and the return of a beloved Rebels character to the Star Wars small screen.

Catch up with a recap of episode 10, “Common Ground.”

By the end of the episode, a nearly 20-years-younger Hera Syndulla has escaped the Empire’s custody on her home planet of Ryloth after her parents rescued her but then became arrested themselves and labeled insurgents. Yes, THAT Hera Syndulla, the fan-favorite Rebel and future general who becomes instrumental in helping the Rebellion defeat the Empire on Endor and the final battle above Jakku.

But in The Bad Batch, Hera is still a child — the daughter of famed General Cham Syndulla, who leads his planet’s Twi’lek warriors. This episode of The Bad Batch only featured Omega and her adopted dads for a few minutes for them to sell weapons to Gobi Glie (an ally of Hera’s father), “Devil’s Deal” made Hera the star in a captivating and touching episode further connecting the series to Rebellion-era canon.

The Bad Batch episode 11 ending explained

The episode opens on Ryloth — a planet avid Star Wars fans know well. The planet, not surprisingly, is now under Imperial control, and we see Senator Orn Free Taa chumming it up with Vice Admiral Rampart. During a speech to the Twi’lek citizens, Taa and Rampart push Cham to assuage his people’s worries about the Empire taking over. In a not-so-convincing speech, Cham tells his people that the Empire and the clone troopers are on their side, but it’s clear he and his wife Eleni aren’t convinced themselves.

“I should be content the war is over… but change is not easy,” Cham tells clone trooper Howzer.

Rampart notes that Eleni and Cham’s daughter, Hera, is absent for her father’s speech, but Eleni says Hera has “other interests.” Elsewhere on the planet, a youthful Hera and her droid sidekick Chopper are scoping out an Imperial mining facility. She’s definitely not supposed to be there but relaxes a bit to daydream about flying. And then troopers find her.

When the troopers take her back to her parents, we see Cham supervising a line of Twi’leks giving over their weapons to the Empire. Hera tells her father that Gobi sent her to take a look at what’s going on at the mining facility and her mother tells her to let her know everything she saw. Howzer says he’s not going to report Hera being in a restricted zone but reminds Cham that they’re in a tricky situation with the Empire.

Later, Hera decides to go on a supply run with Gobi off-planet, where they meet up with the Bad Batch to purchase a case of firearms and explosives. While Gobi and the Bad Batch chat, Hera goes to talk to Omega, who gives her a tour of the Havoc Marauder. Hera tells Omega her dreams of flying and living on a starship, explaining that flying isn’t just about specs. Omega says Tech won’t let her train with the ship until she can recite all of its technical specifications from memory.

“Specs are just part of it…flying is also about feeling,” Hera says. “When I close my eyes and picture myself up there…the instruments help guide you but you plot your course…you’re free.”

The two clearly make an impression on one another with Omega saying, “She’s kind of strange; I like her.”

When Hera and Gobi attempt to land back on Ryloth, they’re shot down by Crosshair, who we saw previously place a tracker on their ship. Hera and Gobi are uninjured, but troopers swarm the ship and take them into custody, charging them with treason. When Cham and Eleni hear about their daughter’s arrest, they immediately jump to her rescue and simultaneously declare their resistance against the Empire.

In moments that clearly show where Hera got her scrappy, rebellious fighting skills from, Cham and Eleni’s allies quickly take out the speeders of troopers surrounding the prisoner transport and successfully rescue Hera. Unfortunately, their victory was short-lived as Cham discovers Senator Taa was planning to use Hera’s arrest as a way to oust Cham from the picture. When Cham points a blaster at Taa, a captured Rampart signals to Crosshair – who’s hidden in the shadows of a cliff – to kill the senator.

With Senator Taa dead, Crosshair signals for more Imperial troopers to move in and retake the area. It seems that while Senator Taa was plotting to oust Cham, Rampart was plotting to use the senator to draw out Cham’s rebellious nature and push him to act against the Empire, proving his suspicions. Moments before Cham and Eleni are arrested as insurgents, Eleni sends Hera off in a Chopper-driven speeder to escape the same fate.

The credits roll on a cliffhanger of Hera alone while her parents face charges of treason against the Empire. It’s likely we’ll see what happens now in next week’s episode with hints at the Bad Batch being tasked with coming to Ryloth’s rescue.

The Bad Batch episode 11 is available to stream now. Episode 12 drops next Friday, July 16, on Disney+.