All Bad Batch season 1 episodes ranked from worst to best

16. "War Mantle" - episode 14

Alright, let's dive into why "War Mantle" finds itself chilling at the bottom of the list, like the last kid picked for dodgeball, despite being a key player in the grand scheme of things.

Episode 14, "War Mantle", is like that one puzzle piece that's super important - you know, the one that's all sky with a tiny bit of airplane tail? Without it, you can't complete the puzzle, but when you're holding it by itself, it doesn't look all that exciting. This episode does a lot of the heavy lifting for the storyline, setting up the chessboard for the epic plays to come, but on its own, it's kinda like eating plain oatmeal. Necessary, but not exactly thrilling.

Now, don't get me wrong, "War Mantle" isn't just twiddling its thumbs - it's got its moments. It introduces us to the transition from Clone Troopers to Stormtroopers, which is a big deal in the Star Wars universe. But compared to the episodes packed with edge-of-your-seat action, emotional rollercoasters, and those jaw-dropping moments, it feels more like a Tuesday afternoon at work than a Saturday night adventure. It's setting up the dominos without letting us see them fall, making it super important but not the episode you'd call up for a fun rerun.

So, while it's essential to the story's backbone, it's hanging out more on the "important but not invigorating" side of things when it comes to the fun scale.

15. "Infested" - episode 12

Episode 12, **Infested**, lands at the near-bottom of this season one ranking not because it decided to take a space-nap, but because it wandered off the main path like a curious Tooka cat chasing space butterflies.

Our favorite gang of genetically modified misfits decides to go spelunking in the underbelly of Ord Mantell - not to find ancient Jedi secrets or to blow up an Imperial base, but to deal with... space bugs. Yes, you heard that right. While the galaxy's in turmoil, our heroes are basically on pest control duty. It's like calling in the special forces to deal with a raccoon in your attic.

While not all that impressive, "Infested" isn't without its charms. There's a bit of sneaky-sneak and some light-hearted banter that shows our squad isn't just about shooting and looting. We get a glimpse into the heart of Cid's operations and even a lesson in the importance of choosing your friends wisely, courtesy of some questionable decisions by Roland Durand. But in the grand tapestry of clone escapades and galactic struggles, this episode feels like we hit pause on the epic saga to watch the Bad Batch episode of "This Old Galactic Base."

It sits comfortably at second-to-last, not because it's bad television, but because next to the high-stakes, lightsaber-swinging, empire-crumbling drama we love, it's more of a light snack than a full-course meal.