Why Crosshair will finally return in The Bad Batch season 2

Warning: This article contains spoilers from The Bad Batch season 2, episode 11.

Crosshair has been absent for most of The Bad Batch’s second season, but he will finally return to the story thanks to the events in season 2, episode 11 “Metamorphosis.” Before this episode, other than Crosshair and Vice Admiral Rampart, no one in the Empire knew or cared about that Omega and Clone Force 99 were still alive.

With Rampart arrested, and his power stripped from him as he was publicly scapegoated in order to pass the Defense Recruitment Bill, any danger Rampart posed by knowing about the Bad Batch’s survival seemed to vanish. This left only Crosshair knowing the truth and he had no reason to reveal it to anyone else in the Empire.

Yet, the developments in “Metamorphosis” mean that Crosshair won’t be the only one in the Empire who knows the truth soon. The new villain Dr. Hemlock learns that a military-class shuttle was present during the Zillo Beast’s rampage and that this ship escaped the grasp of the Empire. Hemlock commands that the shuttle and whoever was inside it be found.

When Hemlock meets with Lama Su, the former Kaminoan prime minister agrees (in exchange for his freedom) to help persuade the Kaminoan scientist Nala Se to aid the Empire. Lama Su reveals that a young clone girl is the key to controlling Nala Se.

Hemlock may not have the full picture yet, but he has all the pieces he needs to learn that the girl he needs to find to control Nala Se is Omega, and that she and other members of the Bad Batch were on the military-class shuttle (the Havoc Marauder) that saw the Zillo Beast.

Why this means Crosshair will finally return

Crosshair has been content to serve the Empire, even when they treat him horribly as shown in “The Solitary Clone” episode earlier in season 2. He has hidden Clone Force 99’s survival from the Empire but also hasn’t felt any need to go after them following their refusal to join him in season 1.

That is all about to change now that Hemlock and others in the Empire will quickly learn that Omega and the Bad Batch are alive and will want to go after them. Crosshair will either catch wind of what the Empire knows or they may even send him to locate and bring in Omega and his brothers.

Crosshair’s worlds will collide and he will no longer be able to loyally serve the Empire while letting his sister and brothers run around the galaxy as they please. He will have to choose whether the Empire or the Bad Batch are more important to him.

In addition to recent story developments, previous comments made by Dee Bradley Baker during an interview with StarWars.com also indicate that Crosshair’s season 2 return is imminent:

"“My favorite episode is a Crosshair episode. It’s coming up about three quarters of the way through. It’s a really interesting story, and his own personal journey is particularly interesting to me. It’s a real standout this season.”"

With the next episode being episode 12 out of 16, it will be exactly three quarters of the way through season 2. Baker’s comments about the episode being about Crosshair’s personal journey align well with the crossroads the character will be at with the Empire going after the Bad Batch.

Baker made the prospect of episode 12 even more intriguing at Emerald City Comic Con where he teased that his “favorite new clone” is in episode 12. If this is also the episode where Crosshair returns, perhaps Crosshair will be teamed up with a new clone character to locate the Bad Batch.

Some fans have been frustrated by Crosshair not being in more Bad Batch season 2 episodes. Fortunately, between Baker’s comments and what was set up in “Metamorphosis,” it seems like the wait will have been worth it, regardless of whether Crosshair returns in episode 12 or in a later season 2 episode.