Is Echo The Most Complex Clone In The 'Star Wars' Universe?
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Echo first appeared on our screens in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and although he is a genetic copy of Jango Fett just like the rest of his brothers, he has one of the most complex character arcs of any clone trooper in the franchise. From promotional material, it looks as if he will be back in Season 2 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch and we can’t wait! Just in case you need a recap, here is Echo’s bumpy ride from Domino Squad to Clone Force 99.
Echo was born on Kamino in Tipoca City, the same as every other clone trooper. He was named Echo as he had a habit of repeating orders from a superior. Unusually, the members of his squad (Fives, Droidbait, Cutup, and Hevy) had trouble working together due to their unique personalities and failed their final test. However, after much cajoling, they were given another chance to work through their differences. The brothers bonded and broke the course record the second time around. Echo’s victory was short-lived as Domino Squad was decimated by the destruction of Rishi Station. Fives was the only other member to survive.
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The pair joined the 501st and were eventually promoted to the elite rank of ARC Trooper. But during Star Wars: Clone Wars Season Three (Counter Attack) Echo is seemly killed by heavy weapons fire. As far as viewers were concerned he was dead for four seasons. Rex was unwilling to let Echo go and traced his signal to Skako Minor.
Accompanied by Anakin Skywalker, they discovered that he had been taken prisoner by Separatists and then sold to the Techno Union. In the four seasons that Echo is MIA, his oldest friend Fives is killed. The Domino Squad pal was the first to discover the inhibitor chip conspiracy. Sheev was not keen for the secret to get out so the information led to Fives’ death.
Rex’s discovery of Echo in Purkoll is one of the most harrowing scenes in the entirety of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. His captor, Wat Tambor gave Echo his cybernetic implants to keep him alive, to replace the limbs that he had lost in the explosion, and to allow them to use his tactical knowledge against The Republic. Echo falls out of his pod into Rex, barely conscious, emaciated, and eerily dangles from the cables attached to his implants.
Rex’s bulky frame is a stark contrast in comparison, and we’re made aware that Echo has been in this state for a long time. Echo’s capture did have one benefit, the modifications prevented the inhibitor chip from working and allowed him to choose a side for himself when Order 66 was implemented. He joined Clone Force 99 and became a part of ‘The Bad Batch’. But in that time he saw many of his friends side with the fledging Empire such as Commander Cody and Crosshair.
Echo has been through the wringer, even in comparison to other clones such as Rex or Gregor. His experiences in Star Wars: The Clone Wars have been underplayed in Star Wars: The Bad Batch thus far. David Filoni has massively underused this clone trooper in more ways than one. We’ve not seen the extent of his cybernetic abilities so it would be great for David Filoni to explore (or define) this more. Potentially, with sped-up thought processes (and possibility reaction times?) he could be the most dangerous member of the squad. In the first season, most of his screen time involved hacking and opening doors. Let’s hope he has better material in season 2. Echo deserves to have an emotional arc to reflect everything that he has been through in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
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