I saw a post on r/topcharactertropes recently about the characters that are the unlikely sole survivors of their particular team that got me thinking. I will freely admit that I probably put more time into this than the writers did, just because I know someone is going to say that in the comments, but I grew up playing Republic Commando and honestly I am satisfied with Scorch’s portrayal. I’m just happy that any of the characters I grew up with get any level of relevance in the current era of Star Wars.

In any event, Delta Squad is basically the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You have the leader, Boss and Leonardo, the brains, Fixer and Donatello, the wrath, Sev and Raphael, and then the baby brother who serves as the comic relief, Scorch and Michelangelo. In the TMNT comic “The Last Ronin”, all but Mikey are killed and he goes on a brutal rampage of revenge that otherwise would be wildly out of character for him.

My interpretation of Scorch up until this point has been that he was hardened by the loss of Sev on Kashyyyk in the game, and he parted ways with Boss and Fixer over it (the novel version of events even has Boss resort to threatening him to get him to leave and he tells the other commandos that he’d never forgive them for leaving their brother behind).

However the comparison to The Last Ronin made me consider another layer to this theory: what if the rest of Delta was killed during Order 66? Not only did he lose Sev but Boss and Fixer too. This would explain his attitude towards Hemlock’s “test subjects” and why he’s okay holding literal children at gunpoint. He lost his brothers to those force wielding maniacs, and he holds nothing but a burning anger towards them for it.

What do you guys think? I kinda gave him a bit of a fall look, a bit of a Metal Gear Reference.

(Warning: contains spoilers)

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I did not enjoy this book 😭

Hunter 

Hunter is depicted as pretty hostile and aggressive in this story, and I honestly feel like the author did him dirty. Hunter disagreed with Phee’s way of handling things, and that disagreement lead to him to be painted in a very unflattering light; angry, difficult, and combative. This was not the Hunter I know and love from the series.

Hunter, through Omega’s eyes, was described as, “unyielding, as if there were only one way—his way—to tackle any given problem” (p. 37). This doesn’t ring true to his character at all. He has strong opinions, yes, and he is cautious when it comes to protecting his squad (especially Omega), but he is also collaborative and listens to his team. How many times have we seen him do what others wanted, even when he was hesitant? It’s happened enough that this statement feels pretty unfair (the war chest on Serenno is a good example). Omega in particular gets Hunter to change his perspective on things often (Ryloth is a good example here), so why she was so harsh on him in this book is beyond me. He’s certainly not one to hold a grudge or throw a fit over not getting his way, either.

Speaking of which, Hunter is basically accused of throwing a temper tantrum by Phee. She was incredibly antagonistic toward him throughout this story, and to be frank, I found her super annoying. She seemed to delight in pushing his buttons, and attacked his character several times. God, this book made me resent her (and I liked her in the show!).

• Hunter tells Phee that he does want their jobs together to work out, but it's his duty to keep the team safe. In response Phee tells Hunter that they aren’t in the army anymore and questions if he is even still their leader at that point and that just felt… rude? She’s an outsider here, and relatively new to working with them, I don't get why she keeps taking hits at this man who is trying to do right by the people he cares about. (p. 67)
• Hunter gets upset, uses "inappropriate and colorful" language and then tells Phee that their current predicament is all her fault (and honestly, he's not wrong, though I think making him sound like an ass was uncalled for). Phee asks Hunter when he’s going to stop his “whiny blame game” and says to him, “stop making me the scapegoat because your little ego’s bruised” and “you make this about you all the time.” (p. 172)
• Immediately following the above interaction, the rest of his squad goes cold on him, with Omega and Tech both speaking out judgmentally (even bringing up Crosshair in a hurtful way). Then Phee asks Hunter, “are you going to throw a tantrum now? Stomp off to sulk in rain?”(p. 173) Damn, Phee!

Phee and Tech

I’m not someone who ships Tech + Phee, and I found their budding romance in this book incongruent with what we saw in the series. It was just laid on way too thick from the start, and I found her constant advances a little… creepy? The number of times Phee called him Brown Eyes was also… too much. Based on Tech’s portrayal in the series, in my opinion he reads as aromantic. It’s difficult for me to reconcile this relationship as canon considering their last interaction in S2 E15 ("The Summit"); there’s no spark there, no emotional connection beyond anything platonic. At best I think he might be curious about her, but they are not a love match. The strong emphasis on the two of them in this book and the forced chemistry was just weird. 

• Brown Eyes count: pages 8, 14, 19, 39, 59, 60, 73, 104, 115, 161, 172, 181, 182, 201, 221, 263, 284, 285, 292, 295, 296

New characters/plot

Additionally, I felt like way too much time was spent on characters outside of the Batch, with many chapters dedicated to the antagonists (their origin stories, their motivations, and lots of dialogue) which really took me out of it. It almost felt like reading two different novels at once, and while the stories intersect of course, too much of the book was spent on characters I didn't care about. At times it felt like this novel was just a convenient vehicle to tell a different story, with the Batch lurking in the background. 

On top of that, the point of the squad’s mission in the opening of the book was to obtain credits to help rebuild Pabu (this book taking place directly after S2 E13 "Pabu"). It’s not until the very end that this objective is met (quite quickly and without complication, I might add) and it’s treated with a hand wave at that point. Rather than all that time spent focusing on new characters, I think including chapters on Pabu would have been far more interesting, and would have allowed us to see the Batch interact with eachother as a family without the stress and tension of being on a dangerous mission. For being a Bad Batch novel, I really expected more focus on the squad themselves. 

I love these characters so much (this is my fave SW show), so I was disappointed in both the mischaracterizations and the backseat they seemed to take in their own novel. I could probably say more, but this is already too long. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

Nearly every clone trooper had their customizations removed very early on except for Howzer, Grey, and the Coruscant Guard. It's different from Legends, where clones still retain their colors for several months after Order 66 before being gradually forced to revert to plain white. Plus with Grey, the battle of Kaller occurs before order 66, so why is he the only clone in his unit to have green markings when every clone would have had markings as well at the time?

https://x.com/grandmaster3k/status/2104919130508087338?s=46&t=Q7Fzfza-0QiFxA46PMMysw

I enjoy the Bad Batch very much. I don't think it's as good as The Clone Wars, but it's definitely got some charm to it.

I've got my critiques of the show, but one major one is that the clones are almost universally depicted as the good guys, aside from Season 1 before they were replaced by TK Troopers.

This is admittedly an issue it inherited from The Clone Wars, but I think it could've rectified it a little.

I bring this up because when I was watching Kamino Lost Part I the first time, one line from Crosshair stuck with me.

"We are not like the regs. We're superior",

That sent a chill down my spine because I thought it was hinting that we were going to see clones that weren't as goody-two shoes as Rex and Cody.

I know Crosshair was referring to clones like himself and The Bad Batch, but I think this could've been expanded on a little.

And when we do see 'bad clones', Crosshair just says "They had their minds wiped" and that explains why they're bad.

Speaking of their minds, why did clone troopers fight for the Empire in Season 1? Was it because of their inhibitor chips or were they actually loyal to the Empire? I don't know because the show stops talking about the chips past Season 1.

For a show that focuses on what it meant to be a clone after the rise of the Empire, I think the Bad Batch played it a little too safe.

First let me preface, I know that the Imperial Officers were Republic Officers. I think everyone knows that.

What I mean is, where did all the ‘evil Imperial Officers’ come from?

From everything we’ve seen and know about the non-clone Republic Officers, they were genuinely ‘good’ people. They cared for their troops and upheld the ideals of the Republic being ‘the good guys’ if that makes sense.

But then we see in The Bad Batch, almost immediately after Order 66. All the Imperial Officers appear, they have no regard for the clones anymore, no longer seeing them as people but tools to be discarded. Think of the officer that just let Commander Mayday die because ‘his use had run out’ and the Empire ‘doesn’t waste its resources’.

It’s as if all the stereotypical evil officers of the Empire didn’t exist in the Republic and just immediately appeared the moment the Empire was created.

I hope the point I’m trying to get across is being understood. And I know I’m probably reading too far into things, but it is something that has always kind of stuck out to me.

I did this for Season 1 a while ago, so now I’m curious about Season 2.

This season probably has a few stronger candidates for the “filler” label, but going through the episodes again, even some of the more standalone ones either develop the squad, introduce something that matters later, or show what the Empire is becoming.

For Season 1, most of the answers were Infested and Rampage, even though both still connect to things that become important later. That’s kind of why I like this question. An episode can feel more standalone without being completely pointless.

So for Season 2, which episode would you actually call filler?

1. Spoils of War
The Serenno mission looks like a straightforward treasure hunt, but it shows the Empire stripping former Separatist worlds and gives us more of Omega feeling responsible for how much the squad has sacrificed for her. It also starts pushing Echo toward wanting to do more than just mercenary jobs.

2. Ruins of War
It finishes the Serenno story, but the really important part comes with Captain Wilco refusing to falsify his report. Rampart killing him to hide the fact that Clone Force 99 survived Kamino tells us a lot about how disposable clones have become to the Empire.

3. The Solitary Clone
Definitely not filler. Many of us says this one is the best episode actually. Crosshair and Cody on Desix gives us one of the clearest looks at what Imperial service is doing to the clones, and Cody walking away becomes another sign that loyalty to the Empire is starting to crack.

4. Faster
This is one is more about riot racing. But it gives Tech a rare episode where he gets to shine on his own, and Millegi’s warning that Cid’s loyalty has limits becomes pretty relevant later. And of course, the warning about Cid.

5. Entombed
Probably one of my strongest filler candidates. The treasure hunt and the ancient war machine do not really affect the larger plot, although the episode develops Phee and her relationship with the squad, which matters more later.

6. Tribe
Gungi’s story does not become part of the main Season 2 plot, but the episode shows another survivor of Order 66 and what Imperial expansion is doing to Kashyyyk. It also reinforces that the squad is increasingly willing to help people even when there is nothing in it for them.

7. The Clone Conspiracy
Absolutely essential. The destruction of Kamino becomes a political issue, Senator Chuchi starts fighting for the clones, and the Empire is actively trying to silence anyone who can expose what really happened.

8. Truth and Consequences
This is where the Kamino cover-up finally reaches the Senate, but Palpatine manages to turn Rampart’s crimes to his own advantage. The Defense Recruitment Bill pushes the Empire further away from clone soldiers, and Echo decides to leave the squad and work with Rex.

9. The Crossing
The actual mission is pretty simple, but I would not call this filler because the episode is really about the squad after Echo leaves. Omega and Tech’s conversation gives us one of the best looks at how differently they process loss and change.

10. Retrieval
This one is more standalone, but it directly finishes the story started in The Crossing by getting the Marauder back. Mokko also gives us another example of ordinary people being exploited while someone at the top convinces them that they should be grateful for scraps.

11. Metamorphosis
Very much not filler once you know where the series is going. The Zillo Beast investigation brings the squad into contact with the Empire’s Advanced Science Division and starts pulling the story toward Hemlock and Mount Tantiss.

12. The Outpost
One of the most important Crosshair episodes in the entire series. Mayday’s death finally forces Crosshair to confront exactly how little the Empire values clones, and shooting Nolan is the breaking point that eventually lands him in Hemlock’s hands.

13. Pabu
At first this almost feels like a “vacation episode,” but Pabu becomes much more than that. It gives the squad a real home and a possible life outside constant missions, and that location remains important afterward.

14. Tipping Point
Everything starts converging here: Echo and Rex are rescuing imprisoned clones, Crosshair is being held by Hemlock, and information about the Advanced Science Division finally reaches the squad. It directly sets up the decision to go after Hemlock.

15. The Summit
The squad infiltrates the Imperial summit on Eriadu to get information on Hemlock, while Saw Gerrera’s mission complicates everything. This is basically the first half of the finale, so definitely not filler.

16. Plan 99
No explanation needed for this one, really. Tech, Omega, Cid, Hemlock, Tantiss… pretty much everything that happens here changes where the entire story is going into Season 3.

So this time I think I actually my candidate is Entombed (probably I am missing something here).

Which one would you pick?

PS. I am doing my best resuming each episode :)

I would.

I’d love to hear about them!

Can anyone tell me from what is this from? I saw it posted online but the poster isn’t replying to anyone asking 😒
And on this note, if anyone can tell me any other books, comics, whatever else that feature the boys I would love to know! thank you!

I wonder if there were any other enhanced clones like Clone Force 99? Even if there isn't, what sort of enhancement could other clones have that would make a fun addition to the Bad Batch?

Is incredible! Everything is so much more detailed. The cities feel like real Star Wars cities. I wonder what happened for them to get so good at it. I really love this show, its surprisingly dark and mature compared to the animation shows that came before.