The Bad Batch Series | The Top 15 Episodes
The top 15 episodes of The Bad Batch series.
The Bad Batch has completed its third and final season. Through the 47 episodes, Star Wars fans explore the journey of the Bad Batch team from The Clone Wars and their new member Omega, a female Clone, as they figure out their new roles in a changing galaxy post-Order 66.
But at its best, The Bad Batch showcased the changing dynamics within their small team/family as they gained members and lost members. So, with that in mind, here are the top 15 episodes of The Bad Batch series.
** SPOILERS FOR THE BAD BATCH**
15. Pabu
Summary:
When the team gets on Cid’s bad side, Phee Genoa takes the Batch to a remote planet, Pabu, and presents them with a potential future.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
Do not mistake this for a filler episode. Looking at “Pabu” in hindsight, this episode becomes even more significant, even though it is unnecessary to defend this episode on this list. Pabu is one of the few episodes where the villain-of-the-week is not the Empire, a Syndicate/member of the underworld, or a monster. The enemy is just nature, and the solution is community. A community that the Batch has never really had outside of each other. The team finds purpose there, using their gifts and skills as soldiers to help the other residents with various tasks.
The series asks what life after war looks like for these Clone soldiers. “Pabu” is the answer for the Bad Batch.
Canon Contributions:
A sweet new location that could rival most Star Wars locations in canon, including Nabu and Niamos, and is more of a lively island than Ahch-To.
14. The Crossing
Summary:
Cracks begin to show within the Bad Batch on their first mission after Echo’s departure as they find themselves trapped in a mine on a desert planet.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
After Echo leaves the Batch to join Rex and The Maurader is stolen, Omega’s anxiety about change comes to a head in this episode. Her frustrations honed in on Tech, who is also dealing with change in his own way. Tech tells Omega that changes are a part of life and that, while they may disagree with previous members’ choices, they must respect them.
This episode becomes a pivotal moment for Omega, given Tech’s death in the season finale and the destruction of The Maurader in “Point of No Return.”
Canon Contributions:
Ipsium is introduced as a highly volatile mineral and joins rhydonium. “The Crossing” can also confirm that Tech is neurodivergent when he tells Omega, “I may process moments and thoughts differently, but it does not mean that I feel any less than you.”
13. Replacements
Summary:
While the Bad Batch gets stuck on a desolate moon, Crosshair clashes with the first round of conscripted soldiers.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
For clarification, “Replacements” is not on this list for the Bad Batch storyline. As you can see from this list, getting trapped in some locations is a popular conflict setup for the episodes. However, there are some things of note: this is the first indication that Wrecker’s inhibitor chip will activate, making Tech’s development.
Overall, this episode ranks for Crosshair’s storyline and is one of the few times in a Star Wars series where we see Imperial soldiers humanized. ES-01 says that the Empire is giving them a job, food, and a roof over their heads, which is more than the Republic ever did. That it comes at the expense of the Clones is subtly present, as is the comparison of loyalty for soldiers who willingly enlist versus those created to fight.
Admiral Rampart introduces Crosshair to his new team, a group of conscripted soldiers tasked with neutralizing Saw Gerrera’s Insurgent group (making up for the Bad Batch’s failure in the series premiere).
“Replacements” also establishes Crosshair as an unyielding force, killing ES-01 when he won’t execute the remaining insurgents. This shocking moment is necessary to show Crosshair as a threat to his former team and, eventually, the basis for character growth.
Revisiting “Replacements,” much of the groundwork is laid for what happens to Kamino and the fallout in season two.
Canon Contributions:
Admiral Rampart makes his first appearance with Project War-Mantle, aka the beginning of the end for the Clones.
12. A Different Approach
Summary:
Omega and Crosshair figure out their work dynamic and listen to each other as they find themselves stranded on an Imperial-infested planet.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
The first, but not the last, episode of season three. The beginning of a beautiful brother/sister dynamic, “A Different Approach,” is the first significant step in Crosshair’s season three arc. Crosshair followed Omega’s lead during the escape from Tantiss because he had no choice. However, this is the first time that Crosshair, given the choice and opportunity, chooses not to abandon Omega.
Even in the early years of the Galactic Empire, Imperial corruption begins to take root in remote planets like Lau-Imperial Captain Mann gambling, which is illegal, while simultaneously using his authority for extortion.
Canon Contributions:
Kudos to Lucasfilm animation for introducing the unique Imperial Officer 3D model, Captain Mann, only to kill him off in the same episode. A rathtar, let loose by Omega, grabs Mann for a brutal death in a rare canon appearance by the dangerous creatures.
11. The Solitary Clone
Summary:
As the Empire continues to marginalize the Clones post-Project War-Mantle, Crosshair moves on to other missions under the direction of Commander Cody in a former Separatist world.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
Crosshair’s unyielding nature makes him even more isolated from the remaining Clones in the Empire, and season two’s structure plays into that. Crosshair is on screen almost a third of the time of his Bad Batch brethren. “The Solitary Clone” is one of two Crosshair-centric episodes (spoilers- both make this list) and uses the sharpshooter to showcase other Clone’s changing views on the Empire.
A former Separatist Governor, Tawni Ames, has taken an “Imperial appointed” Governor Grotten hostage, hoping to negotiate for Desix’s independence. Commander Cody is hopeful of a peaceful resolution despite all hints from the Empire that say otherwise. Crosshair executes Ames under Grotten’s orders, and Cody, recognizing the changing tides, goes AWOL.
Crosshair’s mission is successful, but Admiral Rampart still questions his loyalty as a Clone. The first episode also shows the Empire’s mundane coldness, which breaks people down-a tone more evident in season three.
Canon Contributions:
This episode first mentions the Defense Recruitment Bill Act, a major storyline in season two.
10. The Return
Summary:
Crosshair’s return to the Bad Batch is met with skepticism from Hunter as the team visits a place from Crosshair’s past to get more intel on Tantiss.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
Aside from being a companion episode to one of the best episodes, “The Return” is crucial for Crosshair’s growth and road to redemption. When he returns to the group, he actively avoids talking to Hunter because he wants to avoid talking about Tantiss. But his past awaits him on Barton IV, along with the familiar ice vulture.
Yes, “The Return” also falls into having a monster that the team has to battle. Still, the creature is a metaphor for the brother’s relationship, a tension bubbling under the surface that erupts in the middle of their argument. But Crosshair has a breakthrough, confessing to Hunter that he was wrong about the Empire and worries that he will never overcome the horrible things he has done. Hunter tells him they all have done things they regret (which could also include the Clones overall and Order 66), but all they can do is try and be better-wise words for any Star Wars antagonist trying to redeem themselves.
Canon Contribution:
Echo makes his first appearance in season three here, meeting with the Batch to obtain any intel Omega and Crosshair can provide on Tantiss.
9. Plan 99
Summary:
When the team attempts to infiltrate an Imperial Summit on Eriadu, a Bad Batch member makes the ultimate sacrifice.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
“Plan 99” is undoubtedly the most heartbreaking episode of the series as Tech sacrifices himself to save the rest of the team. The development of Tech throughout the season made his death even more depressing, including in more lighthearted episodes like “Faster” and his fledgling romance with Phee Genoa. Watching it all unfold is one of the most tense and stressful experiences of any recent Star Wars series (a worthy comparison would be the Aldhani heist in Andor).
Stakes are essential in franchises, and Star Wars has struggled with keeping characters dead. But The Bad Batch does not reverse Tech’s sacrifice, and this is the last time we see him in the series.
Canon Contributions:
Throughout the series, the team devises various plans to execute missions, and it is no surprise that Plan 99 has a lot of personal meaning. It refers to Clone 99’s sacrifice when the Separatist army attacked Kamino in The Clone Wars. Aside from their namesake, the plan is a sweet callback to a minor character who had a major impact on all the Clones.
8. Identity Crisis
Summary:
Emerie gets promoted to lead scientist, then gets more than she bargained for learning about Project Necromancer.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
One of the few episodes that does not include any current or former Bad Batch members could have been a major miss. Instead, “Identity Crisis” is a perfect 30-minute character-driven story that shows the broader implications of Project Necromancer. High M-count children are being kidnapped and imprisoned for testing. Emerie is shocked and unsettled by this revelation, and the dehumanization of the children feels all too familiar.
“Identity Crisis” is about Emerie and Clone identity and what an individual Clone can do to make a difference.
Canon Contribution:
In addition to Omega, Project Necromancer involves Force-sensitive children, which raises other questions, as the Empire does not stop taking Force-sensitive children after the Batch destroys Hemlock’s lab.
7. The Cavalry Has Arrived
Summary:
The Bad Batch infiltrates Mount Tantiss to rescue Omega and the other Clones in the series finale.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
The series finale had a lot to cover and a lot of speculation. Overall, it lived up to expectations in unexpected ways. The biggest surprise was that CX-2 was just a random Clone that went through Hemlock’s conditioning. He was not Tech, Cody, or any other Clone we had seen before. CX-2 was simply a mirror to Crosshair and what he could have become if he stayed loyal to the Empire.
But everything else that the series built up came together, not just with Crosshair. Omega utilizes everything she learned from her brothers to help the Force-sensitive children escape. The whole episode felt like a passing of the torch, which made the epilogue even more meaningful as older Omega left to join the Rebellion.
Canon Contribution:
As suspected, Tarkin diverts funds from the destroyed Project Necromancer to Project Stardust (Death Star). Omega in the Rebellion leaves some room for additional stories, as does the rest of the Bad Batch living on Pabu.
6. Aftermath
Summary:
When Order 66 is enacted against the Jedi, Clone Force 99 (aka The Bad Batch) finds themselves at odds with the new Galactic Empire and one of their own.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
First and last impressions are important, so we move from the series finale to the series premiere. First impressions specifically set the tone of the series, and The Bad Batch did what it needed to with “Aftermath” and even caused fury on the Internet-Padawan Caleb Dume and his Master, Depa Billaba, make an appearance that conflicts with other canon materials (namely the comic Kanan: The Last Padawan).
Additionally, “Aftermath” introduces the Batch if you did not watch The Clone Wars final season and the new character, Omega, another unaltered Clone of Jango Fett. The premiere raises the stakes immediately by answering whether the team executed Order 66. Most of the inhibitor chips did not activate, but Crosshair’s chip did, which makes him the main antagonist from the beginning.
Canon Contributions:
Caleb Dume is with the Bad Batch during Order 66 and escapes because most of their team’s inhibitor chips did not activate (the Force was with him, indeed). And the introduction of Omega presents opportunities for a future sibling reunion with Boba Fett.
5. The Clone Conspiracy
Summary:
When a mysterious assassin kills a Clone who threatens to expose the Empire’s involvement in the destruction of Kamino, Senator Chuchi gets involved to uncover the truth.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
“The Clone Conspiracy” works best as part one with “Truth and Consequences,” but it also stands alone as a paranoia thriller. The Clones who know the truth about Kamino are in real danger, and Chuchi willingly puts a target on her back to do the right thing and search for answers about Rampart’s involvement.
We also see the Clones’ concerns about being pushed out of service and their lack of identity outside of being soldiers. While the Bad Batch shows enough of that, it is equally meaningful to show that the “regs” face the same issues.
Canon Contributions:
“The Clone Conspiracy” is the first appearance of the Clone assassins, who add another layer of mystery and impending danger for the Clones. Senator Bail Organa and Mas Ameda also appear to influence Senator Chuchi and Admiral Rampart’s actions.
4. Truth and Consequences
Summary:
In the second half of “The Clone Conspiracy,” Rex brings the Bad Batch in for a stealth mission to steal proof Rampart ordered the orbital bombardment of Kamino, leading to unintended consequences.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
After the unsuccessful attempt on Senator Chuchi’s life, the race is on to find evidence to prevent the Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill from passing in the Senate.
Through her interactions with Senator Chuchi, Omega learns more about Galactic politics and that the Clones have no representation in the Senate. Even though the Batch gets video recordings of the bombardment and shows them to the Senate, Emperor Palpatine spins this to reinforce distrust in the Clones, sacrificing Admiral Rampart. The Defense Recruitment Bill passes, leaving everyone in shock and disbelief.
“Truth and Consequences” is a turning point in the season (it is also the halfway point of the entire series). Echo decides to join Rex’s fight for the Clones and leave the Bad Batch, the first in a few significant changes heading into season three.
Canon Contributions:
The Kamino/Rampart chapter ends (for now), paving the way for a more sinister villain in Doctor Royce Hemlock later in the season. Kamino Senator Halle Burtoni from The Clone Wars is a key informant for Senator Chuchi and, after the series, might be one of the few Kaminoans left in the galaxy.
3. Kamino Lost
Summary:
After Rampart orders the bombardment of Kamino cities, the Batch and Crosshair are stuck in the crumbling Tipoca City and must work together to escape.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
Omega starts to take a leadership role, which irritates Crosshair, who feels like Omega has replaced him in the group. There are many thrilling action scenes involving a giant sea creature and a race to the ocean surface amidst debris, but the best part of “Kamino Lost” is the family drama.
Crosshair confronts everyone, and everyone confronts Crosshair, and we end with an agree-to-disagree stance. After Crosshair saves Omega from drowning, Omega tells him he will always be her brother, a sweet foreshadowing of their dynamic in season three.
Canon Contributions:
Kaminoan cities and culture are wiped out, as only the scientists are taken off the planet, ending another significant element from The Clone Wars.
2. Confined
Summary:
Omega goes through the motions of a dull Imperial life on Tantiss and finds small but effective ways to make a difference in others’ lives.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
“Confined” picks up the somber mood set in place from “Plan 99” and accelerates it. As Omega spends her days confined in the cold, sterile halls of the Tantiss facility, the viewers also feel trapped in the repetitive nightmare. But Omega also creates avenues of hope, taking time to visit Crosshair, who has all but given up, and befriending a Lurca hound that she names Batcher.
The use of sound and score emphasizes that nefarious experiments are happening on Tantiss. We see Hemlock and Nala Se retreat into a highly secured vault, and the dripping sound of blood in the med scanner permeates throughout the episode.
It is a masterful example of show, not tell, second only to another episode that uses similar visual cues and sound.
Canon Contributions:
Hello Batcher! The Lurca hound is a delightful addition to the series and the Bad Batch. Through Nala Se, we also get the first indication that Omega’s blood is special and could put her in danger if tested.
1. The Outpost
Summary:
Crosshair’s loyalty to the Empire ends when he is sent on a mission to a remote outpost to guard valuable cargo in the aftermath of the Defense Recruitment Bill.
Why It’s the Best of the Batch:
If there can only be one number one, then it’s this one. Imagine giving up everything, including family, to stay loyal to the Empire only to almost die retrieving armor for your replacements? That’s the headspace viewers are asked to occupy in this Crosshair POV episode.
Crosshair reaches a crossroads with an Empire whose depths of cruelty to the Clones are laid bare in the series’ coldest (literally and figuratively) episode. While Crosshair has dealt with Imperial officers who have little regard for Clones (hello, Rampart!), Lieutenant Nolan’s indifference to a Clone who dies in front of him pushes him too far.
Commander Mayday is one of the few remaining Clones on Barton IV, working with degrading armor and equipment. However, he does his job like Crosshair, and the two soldiers become friendly. When Nolan sends them out in the unforgiving Barton IV cold to retrieve stolen cargo containers from local insurgents, the two dispose of the raiders but discover that the cargo is Stormtrooper armor.
Things get worse for the two as an avalanche buries them. Crosshair pulls them out, but Mayday is badly injured. And still, Crosshair carries him back to the outpost, hoping to get some aid to the dying Commander (and despite an ice vulture constantly circling above them), only to be met with an indignant Nolan. The sound and shadow of the vulture over Mayday and Crosshair is clear-they are a dying breed of soldier and the Empire has no more use for them.
The scene’s tension does not make the outcome surprising but is still shocking and puts Crosshair in new territory: being on the Empire’s bad side and beginning his journey to redemption.
Canon Contributions:
The black ice vulture is introduced as the most straightforward metaphor for death, claiming Mayday. However, a nice twist is that it takes Lieutenant Nolan with it, the most despicable Imperial officer yet.
Originally published at http://creditsandcanon.com on May 20, 2024.
