Star Wars has released a new poster for the upcoming animated spin-off series The Bad Batch. The poster is also accompanied by a new Bad Batch-themed emoji based on the helmet worn by Clone Force 99 leader, Hunter. Based on the poster alone, it looks like the rogueish Clone Force 99 is going to be causing some problems for their new Imperial overlords.
The Bad Batch is a spin-off of another animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The series is focused on Clone Force 99, an elite clone trooper unit nicknamed "The Bad Batch" that fought for the republic during the Clone Wars. They were first introduced in the final season of The Clone Wars as a special forces squad made up of members with "desirable" mutations that made them deadly on the battlefield. They're basically the Star Wars equivalent of The Dirty Dozen. The new series is set right after The Clone Wars as the Republic is reorganized into the first Galactic Empire.
Disney recently released a second Star Wars: The Bad Batch trailer, which showed off new characters such as the mysterious child who appears to be working with The Bad Batch (possibly the first female clone?). The trailer also appears to show the elite unit betraying the Empire and being hunted by the dreaded Grand Moff Tarkin. In The Clone Wars, they were portrayed as being rebellious and unorthodox in their methods, often defying orders and doing things the way they wanted. This independence is likely to cause some issues with the notoriously oppressive Empire, which probably isn't thrilled with The Bad Batch's inability to fall in line. They certainly have the skills to go up against the Empire, but for how long?
The new Star Wars: The Bad Batch poster seems to further imply, as the trailers did, that Clone Force 99 is going to be causing a lot of problems for the Empire. The poster shows the whole team, including the mysterious new child character, standing in front of a backdrop that's littered with explosions. The evil Emperor Palpatine looms over them as they look more than ready for a fight. Along with the new poster, Star Wars has revealed an emoji that's based on the helmet worn by Hunter, the leader of the Bad Batch. Hunter possesses heightened senses and the ability to feel electromagnetic signals, making him a good advisory against the separatist droid army.
It will be interesting to see if the skills possessed by members of The Bad Batch fair as well against the Empire as they did against the droid army. Going up against a bunch of "clankers" is one thing, but taking on the might of the Galactic Empire is another.
That being said, Clones are notoriously better soldiers than stormtroopers. However, they are probably also going to have to fight against their fellow clones who remain loyal to the Empire, much like Rex and Ahsoka were forced to at end of The Clone Wars.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch premieres exclusively on Dinsey Plus on May 4th, 2021.
Source: StarWars.com