After Vice Admiral Rampart was framed and arrested in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2, Doctor Royce Hemlock stepped in soon after to become the series' primary antagonist. Voiced by Jimmi Simpson, Hemlock speaks in a quiet but chilling voice, making every word feel threatening and menacing.
As the Chief Scientist of the Empire's Advanced Science Division, who oversees the various projects on Mount Tantiss, including a mysterious cloning project that is a priority for Emperor Palpatine, Hemlock wields enormous power and influence. He has an army of Imperial commandos to do his bidding, along with various doctors and scientists. As someone who has stated that clones are Imperial property and is actively detaining them against their will as test subjects for his twisted experiments, he is a threat to all clones.
Hemlock has already hurt the Bad Batch personally by kidnapping Omega and keeping her and Crosshair captive at Mount Tantiss. He also taunted Hunter about Tech's death and threatened Kaminoan scientist Nala Se that Omega would suffer the consequences if the cloning project for the Emperor was not successfully completed.
Hemlock's fate in The Bad Batch season 3
In The Bad Batch season 3, Hemlock will continue to be the main villain and will surely torment Omega and Crosshair while they remain in captivity on Mount Tantiss. Hemlock may have the upper hand for now, but that doesn't mean things will end well for him.
While the Bad Batch and the other clones can't defeat the Empire (the Empire won't be defeated for years), they can stop Hemlock and his experiments on Mount Tantiss. This will give the Batch and the other clones a meaningful and important victory as they destroy or at least setback Palpatine's cloning plans to set up later events of the sequel trilogy.
The Batch and other clones can defeat Hemlock, but they shouldn't be the ones to kill him. It would be more satisfying and more aligned with the themes of Star Wars for him to be killed by his own hubris and arrogance.
One of the best ways this could happen is for the Zillo Beast to kill Hemlock. It would feel like poetic justice for Hemlock to die at the hands of one of his own experiments, as the creature he imprisoned, whose skin he tried to create impenetrable armor from, is the one to end his life. This could feel just as fitting as seeing Orson Krennic die at the hands of the Death Star in Rogue One, incinerated by the planet-destroying project he worked on for years.
Another possibility is for Palpatine himself to kill Hemlock. Palpatine has entrusted a great deal of faith and resources in Hemlock, even stating in The Bad Batch season 3 trailer that "There is nothing of greater importance to secure the future of this Empire. Whatever is needed to accomplish this goal, you will have it."
Like other high-ranking Imperials, Hemlock feels invaluable to Palpatine, but the truth is that Palpatine cares about no one but himself. Everyone is replaceable. The same will hold true if Hemlock fails to deliver and the experiments on Mount Tantiss are destroyed. Such failure could mean compromising Palpatine's attempts to save himself from death. If Hemlock fails and is of no further use to Palpatine, he may kill Hemlock himself, leading to a scene in which Palpatine barbecues Hemlock with Force lightning.
Unlike Krennic, Wilhuff Tarkin, and Hurst Romodi, who attended the Imperial summit on Eriadu alongside Hemlock in Season 2, the doctor's survival is not guaranteed by appearing in future stories later in the timeline. Things likely won't end well for Hemlock, but until then, the Bad Batch, all of the clones, and Nala Se will have to contend with his cruel villainy.
The Bad Batch's final season kicks off with a three-episode premiere on February 21, only on Disney+.