Star Wars: The Bad Batch has the unique distinction of being the first animated series in the franchise that was created for Disney Plus (Disney+). But while its predecessors, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, had multi-season runs, The Bad Batch is coming to an end after only three seasons.
The show follows Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Echo, a team formerly known as Clone Force 99. Their genetic mutations made them valuable warriors during the Clone Wars and a liability once the Republic became the Galactic Empire. The Bad Batch also made themselves targets of the Empire when they defied their orders and rescued their genetic sister, Omega.
Now that the final season is just a few weeks away from the beginning, we’re sharing everything we know about Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3 so you can be ready when the new episodes arrive.
What’s happening in The Bad Batch season 3?
At the end of season 2, the team lost one of their own when Tech sacrificed himself to allow them to escape. While dealing with that loss, the team was betrayed by their former underworld contact, Cid (Rhea Perlman). Hunter, Wrecker, and Echo managed to escape, but Omega was captured and brought to the Empire’s secret cloning lab at Mount Tantiss. Omega was also introduced to Emerie Karr, the chief scientist at the facility, who claims that she is Omega’s sister and also a clone of the late Jango Fett.
Most of the story details for season 3 are under wraps, but the team is clearly going to attempt to find and rescue Omega. Once they’re reunited with Omega, the Bad Batch is going to try to free themselves from the Empire once and for all. However, that doesn’t normally turn out well for clones.
Who’s starring in The Bad Batch season 3?
The Bad Batch is unusual for an animated series because it only has two regular cast members. Dee Bradley Baker voices every member of the Bad Batch: Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and their former teammate, Crosshair. Baker also voices every other clone trooper in the series. Michelle Ang co-stars as Omega, a young girl who was previously the only confirmed female clone of Jango Fett. That makes Omega the younger sister of every male clone.
Recurring cast members who are confirmed for season 3 include Wanda Sykes as Phee Genoa, Jennifer Hale as Riyo Chuchi, Jimmi Simpson as Doctor Royce Hemlock, and Keisha Castle-Hughes as Emerie Karr.
Is there a trailer for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3?
Yes, and it briefly picks up where things left off in season 2 with the death of Tech and the capture of Omega. The Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) makes a return appearance as he stresses the importance of his personal cloning project. But the thing that really captured fans’ attention in this trailer is the return of the former Sith assassin known as Asajj Ventress, with Nika Futterman reprising her role from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Ventress’ return was a surprise because she was somewhat definitively killed off in the novel Star Wars: Dark Disciple, but not before redeeming herself. The events of The Bad Batch take place a few years after the book, and it’s not clear how the show can reconcile the events of Dark Disciple without retconning Ventress’ fate. It’s not impossible, and it’s not like Lucasfilm hasn’t ignored the Star Wars novels before. But since Dark Disciple was based on an unproduced Clone Wars storyline, it was taken to be a canonical event.
Will there be a spinoff from The Bad Batch?
It’s possible, especially since The Bad Batch was spun out of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. But Lucasfilm and Disney+ have not yet revealed what the next Star Wars animated series will be or where it will be placed in the timeline. Any reports of a direct Bad Batch spinoff series are premature at this time. The one thing that you can count on is that there will eventually be more Star Wars Disney Plus shows in the future.
When will season 3 premiere on Disney Plus?
Star Wars: The Bad Batch will have a three-episode premiere on Wednesday, February 21. New episodes will be released weekly, with two episodes dropping on April 3 before the series concludes on May 1.
