The Bad Batch: Is [Spoiler] really gone?
This article contains spoilers for The Bad Batch season 2 episode 16.
The finale of The Bad Batch season 2 was an intense rollercoaster of emotions. The team reunited for one last mission to save their brother only to suffer loss and betrayal instead. One of the biggest shocks was undoubtedly the moment Tech realized he had to sacrifice himself so his team could survive.
The team infiltrated Tarkin’s base so they could track Dr. Hemlock back to his secret laboratory and find Crosshair. These plans were suddenly ruined by Saw Gerrera’s unexpected appearance, leading to a mad scramble to escape. Trapped on a rail car that was about to fall off the track, Tech made the decision to separate his car from the other, saving his friends.
As his family watches Tech fall, presumably to his death, Omega is the first to question whether he actually perished. Although it seems his death was certain given the sheet distance of the fall, not to mention the giant train car right above him, it is unlikely that many fans will fully accept he has died, including myself.
Tech is undoubtedly intelligent and determined. The Bad Batch may have lost sight of him, but that doesn’t mean he would have given up on trying to save himself. Due to the fog, we have no way of knowing what resources he may have found during his fall that could get him out of danger.
This certainly wouldn’t be the first time that a fictional character has survived a fall off this distance from a rail car (I’m looking at you, Bucky Barnes). Even within Star Wars, miraculous survivals are never out of the question. Darth Maul was cut in half, only to reemerge, evil as ever, in The Clone Wars. Another member of The Bad Batch, Echo, was thought killed in an explosion. Yet, a few seasons later, he was rescued from a Separatist lab.
In Tech’s case, we have not seen a body, only his broken goggles. Dr. Hemlock is cunning enough to have kept Tech’s survival a secret to fool The Bad Batch. If he told a lie to hide Tech’s capture, we can assume that Tech is receiving medical care and will likely survive, though in what condition, there is no way to know. Hopefully, he doesn’t become the next Winter Soldier.
On the other hand, if Dr. Hemlock told the truth, and all that were found were the goggles, it is possible that Tech was rescued by the inhabitants of the planet, or survived with enough strength to get away from the crash site on his own. In this case, he might find his way back to his family on his own, though his recovery from whatever injuries he sustained in his fall will likely take a lot longer without Dr. Hemlock’s fancy lab equipment.
In either case, there is chance he is still alive. In fact, given the trends in Star Wars, it is pretty likely. Whether it is a good idea to continue reviving characters is a question for another day. Right now, we would all love to see Tech again, to watch one more character beat impossible odds.