Breakdown Of New 'The Bad Batch' Trailer
The release of the new The Bad Batch trailer a few days ago came as a huge surprise to the Star Wars community, and a very much welcome one. With many new shots of the show included in the 2-minute trailer, fans have been excited by the introduction of many character appearances - both old favorites and new faces. With the new series set to air on May the Fourth (a Tuesday) with a 70-min premiere, followed by another episode on May 7 (Friday), we hop on the hype train and set out on an in-depth breakdown of the action-packed trailer with some personal speculations (note: sections not in the order as shown in the trailer).
1. Age of the Empire
The trailer begins with scenes of the Bad Batch on Kamino, attending a test in the citadel training ground as introduced in The Clone Wars season 3 premiere "Clone Cadets" back in 2010. We see the Bad Batch fighting various training droids in the arena, including the "first generations" of the later-imperial security droids as seen in the Rebels TV series in Grand Admiral Thrawn's office. From what we know from the trailer(s), it is likely that this part of the story takes place before Order 66, with Tarkin overseeing the squad's performance next to Lama Su. Coupled with Tarkin's narration, the test is probably an assessment of the Bad Batch's loyalty and obedience, thereby evaluating their suitability for the age of the empire. We also see later in the trailer that the team (clearly) fails to exhibit strict obedience to orders, for which Tarkin issues the order to find and wipe out the squad.
Also shown in the trailer are many shots illustrating the "imperialization" of the former Republic. These include appearances of V-wings on Kamino with TIE Fighter fly-by noises, decolorization of Republic equipment (clone troopers having uniformly dull white armor, the new all-grey color scheme of Republic vehicles and machinery such as AT-TE's and Tarkin's shuttle), and a scene of shock troopers escorting Tarkin from his shuttle into a hangar with clones lining up in a formation frequently seen on the Death Star in the original trilogy. The show would also most likely feature arcs of the new empire's efforts in wiping out Separatist Remnants and occupying former free worlds, as depicted in shots featuring the Bad Batch shuttle flying toward Raxus Secundus and AT-TE's on Onderon.
2. Where is Crosshair?
An intriguing observation from the trailer is the absence of Crosshair from many scenes showing the Bad Batch. The squad's marksman appears in only a handful of scenes throughout the trailer, with most of them showing him in full armor and on Kamino. In a later scene where the Bad Batch members are escaping through a hallway with Omega (to be discussed below) on Kamino, Crosshair is once again absent, with the same observation applicable for the shots of the crew in the Bad Batch shuttle following their escape.
This possibly points toward Crosshair leaving the group and staying with the new empire, while the rest of the squad decides to turn away and leave it. Cross-referencing the first trailer back in December 2020, there may even be a chance of Crosshair becoming the leader of the black-clad elite squad troopers tasked to hunt down the Bad Batch.
3. New Life?
As the Bad Batch runs away from the Empire and begins a new chapter of their lives, we see the appearances of many previously-seen characters in the Star Wars universe. The return of Captain Rex is obviously delightful news, as shown in the scene where he and the Bad Batch (absent Crosshair again) and Omega are seen in a Venator scrapyard.
Onderon freedom fighter Saw Gerrera also makes an appearance in the trailer, which connects many of the dots regarding the Onderon arc. The scenes on Onderon show Tech and Hunter aboard an AT-TE which fires at another walker, as well as Saw inviting the Bad Batch to join his forces. This probably hints at the Bad Batch going to Onderon to do some good against the planet's Imperial occupation, and fleshing out the early days of Saw Gerrera forming an early resistance against the empire.
We also see multiple shots of Fennec Shand, the deadly bounty hunter introduced in The Mandalorian live-action TV series portrayed by Ming-Na Wen. While the speeder chase scene between Hunter and Fennec does not explain much, it is likely that she would play an antagonist role in the series (possibly hired by the Empire to track down the Bad Batch), providing some backstory information to the audience at the same time to better complement her appearance in The Mandalorian.
4. Who is Omega?
The biggest and most interesting mystery revealed by the trailer is the introduction of a character named Omega, a young clone appearing on Kamino. This has led to widespread speculation of who they are and what role Omega would play in the series.
Many have considered that "Omega" being the last letter of the Greek alphabet hints at the character being a final clone project by the Kaminoans, which may be based on some altered genetic template of the Jango Fett strand. Peculiarly having a thick New Zealand accent, blonde hair, and a Kaminoan head dress (the same as that worn by Nala Se), Omega may be some special personal or highly classified project.
Fans have gone as far as speculating a link with Emperor Palpatine, as we know from the novelization of The Rise of Skywalker that he experimented with cloning himself for a long time, in hopes of creating a perfect clone of himself who is also Force-sensitive. The scene of Omega shooting some form of energy bow is also intriguing, as it bears great resemblance with the Nightsisters' weapons, possibly pointing to a link with Dathomir or the storyline in the Jedi: Fallen Order video game.
Source(s): Inverse