Over the last decade, theStar Warsfranchise has expanded on-screen more than ever before. Five new feature films have been produced by Disney since they purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, in addition to many more live-action shows, animated series, video games, comic books, novels, and more. Throughout this avalanche of newStar Warsstories, there have been a lot of real gems intermixed with some flat-out duds. While many of the live-action shows, likeThe Acolyte,The Mandalorian, andAhsoka, havedrummed up quite a bit of discussion, the same hasn’t been quite as true for the animated shows.
One of the most recentStar Warsanimated series,The Bad Batch, wrapped up its three-season run earlier this year and has managed to slip by with very little attention from general audiences. While some die-hardStar Warsfans loved the series, it was far from the most popularStar Warsshow that has been produced. It wasn’t even one of the most popularStar Warsanimated series, as the attention it received was far less than that of predecessors likeRebelsandThe Clone Wars. Despite this,The Bad Batchmanaged to not just be one of the franchise’sbest animated shows, but one of the best things it has produced altogether in the last decade. Here’s how:
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
The central characters of this show are a group of clones dubbed Clone Force 99, or “The Bad Batch.” Unlike the rest of the Clone army produced by the Republic, these clones were engineered to have unique traits and physical attributes that separated them from the group and offered a variety of advantages in battle. This ranges from hyper-intelligence to brute strength, incredible marksmanship, and more. The Bad Batch was first introduced in thefinal season ofThe Clone Wars, which was written in the early 2010s but didn’t premiere until 2020 on Disney+.
Given thatThe Clone Warsalready spent a lot of time following various clones like Rex throughout their adventures in the galaxy during the prequel era, you’d be forgiven for thinking thatThe Bad Batchwould be more of the same. However, one of the most interesting aspects ofThe Bad Batchis the time period in which the show is set.The pilot episode takes place at the very end of the Clone Warswhen Order 66 is issued, the Jedi Order is massacred, and the Empire takes control of the galaxy. The following three seasons occur in the first couple of years immediately after the takeover of the Empire, depicting how Imperial control spread across the galaxy and what role the countless clone soldiers played in the early rule of Emperor Palpatine.
The Acolyte Shares More Similarities With the Skywalker Saga Than Most People Think
The Acolyte is under fire for deviating from other Star Wars stories, but the show continues the traditional rhyming of the Skywalker Saga.
On top of telling a story set in the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars,The Bad Batchalso operates as a fairly direct sequel series toThe Clone Wars. A handful ofClone Warscharacters appear across the show’s three seasons, with some playing substantial roles, like Rex, while others pop in for occasional guest appearances, such as Asajj Ventress.The Clone Warswas largely successful because of its ability to balance grand stories about the Jedi and Sith with more ground-level storiesabout the Clone soldiers fighting the war.The Bad Batchis a series entirely focused on telling these kinds of ground-level stories, but it is set amid the backdrop of a fascist takeover rather than a galactic war.
Another thingthat makesThe Bad Batchone ofthe bestStar Warsstories in recent years is its ability to balance genuine dramatic weight with the lighthearted sci-fi pulp that makesStar Warsso great. The show provides more than a few thoroughly fun and entertaining adventures, where the Bad Batch travels from one side of the galaxy to the other and encounters bounty hunters, giant monsters, former Jedi, and ambitious Imperial commanders along the way. All the while, the camaraderie of Clone Force 99 makes each episode as compelling as the last. These are well-developed, complex characters (mostly) who provide a new and unique view of theStar Warsgalaxy.
The show also isn’t afraid to tackle heavier and more complex ideas. One of the standout topics explored early in the series is the treatment of the innumerable Clone soldiers who were forcefully retired from service after the Imperial takeover.The Bad Batchdoes an incredible job of tackling the politics behind the Imperial treatment of the Clonesafter the end ofthe Clone Wars, specifically approaching it through the perspective of how governments can often overlook the work of veterans and undervalue their service.
A SpiderVerse Style Animated Movie Could Save the Star Wars Franchise
The Star Wars franchise has had a lot of success with animated shows like Rebels, The Clone Wars, and The Bad Batch. An animated film should be next.
This is just one avenue through whichThe Bad Batchdemonstrates its willingness to deal with heavier storytelling that has a deeper meaning in our real world. The show also does this through several other recurring ideas and themes across its three seasons, ranging from the acceptance of refugees to the broader effects of war on the civilians caught up in it.The Bad Batchcan tell storieslike these while striking a balance with more lighthearted and fun episodes throughout each season. While some of these lighter episodes could be viewed as filler, they do an excellent job of developing the show’s characters more thoroughly so that the episodes with heavier themes, in turn, have more dramatic weight to them.
Expanding the Broader Star Wars Galaxy
Finally,The Bad Batchthrives because it exists completelyoutside the shadow of the Skywalker Saga. While shows likeThe Clone WarsandRebelsfound a lot of success in focusing on Jedi characters, even specifically those we’ve already seen in the films before,The Bad Batchtakes the complete opposite approach.This show tells its own story on its own terms, without any unnecessary or overt reliance or reference to the events of the films. It carves out its own small corner of theStar Warsgalaxy and largely stays isolated in that space.
While some connections to the largerStar Warsfilms can be found inThe Bad Batch, such as in the Emperor’s cloning ambitions that ultimately come to fruition inEpisode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, this series doesn’t overwhelm its audience with material like this. Instead, it utilizes these inclusions as effective frames to slot its new story into the existing foundation of the broaderStar Warscanon.
By telling its story from the perspective of Clone Force 99,The Bad Batchis able to provide a brand-new viewpoint on the Empire, the fall of the Jedi, and the broaderStar Warsgalaxy.This show brings a fresh approach toStar Wars, the kind of which has become increasingly rare in the ever-growing franchise. It’s the kind of show that is a must-watch for anyStar Warsfan, especially those who have found enjoyment inStar Warsanimation before. It’s also a solid entry point for fans who have never delved into the animated side of this franchise before, as its stories remain simple and accessible, with just a three-season run that isn’t too large a commitment.Star Wars: The Bad Batchis streaming onDisney+.
