#the bad batch theory

[chaotic-kitty]

I was thinking about Phee's first line just now- "Better late than dead, I always say."

And, man, I really hope that was foreshadowing. Like, maybe Techs just running a little late. He was separated from his squad, after all. And and, they've traveled a lot in that time.....maybe he's just running a bit behind. Especially without his goggles........

[celestial-specter]

Me 🤝🏻 being obsessed with Star Wars animals

[skywalkerrtno]

Why, or why not?

[mamuzzy]

BEHOLD! A crossover no one asked for! I hype myself for s3 by drawing shitpost. Hungarian dubbed Tech has the same VA as Sheldon Cooper.

[cptrackham]

Rewatching Infiltration, and while I've thought Clone X-2 is Tech for a long time, I do like the idea that the helmet is cracked, and we - more importantly, Rex - see Dogma's distinctive tattoo.

Because that would mean they've been experimenting on "spare" clones since long before the Republic fell.

[omegafett99]

OK ok ok ok so I thought of this thing just listen, so first, crosshair left his CT number if CT-9904 *4* remember that, then echo (sort of) left HIS CT number is CT-1409 *4* AGAIN! And now, listen TWO people left TWO "RULE OF TWO REMEMBER THIS" and then echo comes back for a little so now theirs only one gone but who dies next? TECH! TECHS CT NUMBER IS CT-9903!!!! *3*!!!! 4,4,3! and now theres two gone again, then Omega is lost, (idk what omegas CT number is but a lot of people thought it was C-2, as in clone two, boba/alpha is clone one/C-1) and she's gone next 4,4,3,2!!!! And then omega and crosshair get beck so theres 1 gone, so they keep echo out so he's "gone" so 2 again technically _BUT_ WHATS WRECKERS CT NUMBER?!?!?!?. 9902!!!!!!!!!!!! Wreckers gonna die next! The pattern was 4,4,3,2 and their probably gonna bring echo back to help save omega so there's 1 gone, and the next number in line is Wrecker!!!! 😭😭😭😭 And with the rule of two rule, Wreckers probably going to die trying to rescue Omega and they fail! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Anyway, this is just a theory I got when taking a shower so it's probably just my brain wanting me to be sad but you never know 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️

[theories-fans-andwombats]

Sooo ... Ventress didn't come right out and say whether or not she was lying about Omega's M-count. So what is everyone's opinion?

Here's some of our options as I see them:

Ventress was telling the truth. Omega's not Force sensitive and does not have a high M-count. Considering Omega failed 2 of the 3 tests and hasn't shown any obvious or considerable skills with the Force, this is pretty believable.

Ventress is lying to keep Omega safe from the Empire and give her the chance to spend a life with her family. Hunter and Crosshair both accuse of her lying, and she very purposefully says "IF Omega did have that potential ... " at the end of the episode.

So this is my main theory, and it's really just a slightly tweaked theory 1 — Omega does have a higher M-Count, but not high enough to be considered Force-sensitive. The average person has around 2,500 midichlorians per cell, if not less. The average Jedi had anywhere between 7000 and 15000 (and in some cases even higher). Those with a count of 5000 have been noted to have mild Force-sensitivity. Omega may possibly have an M-Count ranging somewhere between 3000 and 5000, giving her little to no Force-sensitivity, but putting her higher than the average human and the other clones.

I think the true key behind why the Empire wants Omega is not the quantity of her M-Count, but rather the fact that she is the first example of a successful M-Count transfer. Despite the purge of the Jedi, there are still a fair amount of rogue Jedi and Force-sensitive beings around. If the Emperor and Empire just needed people with a high M-Count, they could go after dozens of other different people. And yes, the Empire is targeting Force-sensitives, but that is primarily to kill them, imprison them, or turn them into Inquisitors.

Hemlock's plan to capture Omega alive feels different. And why? Because she is the result of a successful M-count transfer and thus is Hemlock's proof that he can give the Emperor what he wants. Omega can prove to Palpatine that it is possible to transfer midichlorians to another body, and thus possibly create a new Force-sensitive vessel for Palpatine, allowing him to continuously do so and live forever, which I'm gonna take a wild guess is what Project Necromancer is.

[chocochipjewel]

Okay yall Bad Batch finale aires in just under 12 hours and I have some finale theories to talk about! Hopefully I'll be able to post at least some rough art after the finale where I talk about the show some more but for now final theories!

I think CX-2 is Cody, it's too late for it to be Tech and it would be delightfully tragic if Rex or someone (who I think is definitely showing up for the finale) kills CX-2 and unmasks him after the fact or something

I think Hemlock did retrieve Tech's body and I think he's one of the experimental CX units who have not been released yet. But I don't think it worked. I want his sacrifice to mean something, so I want him to stay dead (even if my heart wants otherwise 😭) maybe his body is found, maybe he's never seen again, but I don't think he's coming back

I'm pretty sure Rex and his group of renegade clones will make an appearance, and I hope Phee gets a final moment to be badass as well. Apart from that, I'm hoping for no more extra characters cluttering the episode cause we already have so many loose ends up tie up here

I wouldn't put it past Disney to end the clone rebellion storyline on a cliffhanger tbh but I so badlyyy wish it won't be that way. Let their story end here. It will be sad but you know what that's better than the finale just being a tease for a future show. Let all the Tantiss prisoners break out and branch out to live new lives and die naturally as they deserve.

Now... for the actual Bad Batch itself

I'm certain someone is going to die. No one they're all making it out, not after all the teases and death flags. This isn't going to be like Mando S3 where the characters retire on some field for the rest of their lives (that's just for my fix it headcanons ❤️)

As for who, I've gone back and forth on this but I'm not sure. Every remaining member of the 4 troopers we have here have enough death flags on them and I've read compelling theories for all possibilities, including ones where they get Rogue One'd and everyone dies 😭

So I guess I don't really have a theory for this. I'm certain someone is going to die and I'm honestly scared for who it will be but I don't have a specific person yet. I'm leaning towards Hunter or Crosshair cause their conflict and relationships with Omega make the heart of the show itself, but I wouldn't be surprised if Wrecker or Echo died instead, or any other combination of the team members

Only thing I'm mildly certain about is Omega surviving. Disney Star Wars doesn't like to kill kids much. She's not 100% clear but least likely from my perspective. Plus it would end the show on too sad a note if the character driving the entire plot so far dies 😭 I can see a possibility in which she dies to delay Project Necromancer indefinitely, and it would honestly be sad as hell, but that's just it, it would be way too sad. I don't think the show likes being that dark, especially for its finale. And frankly, Omega's arc deserves to end with her finally getting to stop running and just live her life on her own terms.

Hemlock is definitely getting eaten by the Zillo beast while it destroys Tantiss and Rampart is almost surely making it out and turning a new leaf in my eyes. He's not any less of an asshole but he might just go live somewhere away from the Empire and away from the Bad Batch too.

Emerie is an interesting case cause I can't tell if she'll get the redemption = death thing or she'll make it out too. I honestly have 0 predictions for her. I can see her dying to save the force sensitive kids, but I can also see her making it out.

The force sensitive kids, clone cadets, Batcher, and Phee are probably gonna make it out and you know what good for them. They'll probably be the emotional support for the remaining members of the Batch (if there are any) to move on after this.

I am hoping and praying for no Boba Fett or Ventress or Vader or Palpatine cameo cause this is the last episode of the Bad Batch show and it should ideally focus on. The Bad Batch. The show already has too many loose threads. No more cameos please.

As for whoever survives in the Batch, my ideal wish would just be for them to retire to Pabu under a new identity or something and live out their lives. After Tantiss is destroyed, there would be no clones left in captivity. They can finally rest then. It would be bittersweet to see the end of their adventures as they knew it, but it's at least a peaceful end.

Anyways, that's all for my theories I think! Whether I end up being right or not, I hope the finale is actually good 😭 and I hope whoever dies doesn't make me TOO sad, just that sweet spot of devastated but in a good way 😭😭😭

I'll be reblogging this after I watch the finale with updates on whether my predictions were true or not, probably with a thank you post to the show, so I suppose this is it.

See you all on the other side, TBB nation!

[mother-of-lothcats]

i know we’re all thinking the operative is tech but crosshair specifically stated that they weren’t able to condition defective clones bc they tried it on him and it didn’t work. i have a hard time believing they could’ve done that to tech since he’s obviously defective as well. but also, who tf else could it be??? i need to know who it is NOW

[chaotic-kitty]

Second part to my Tech distortion project:

First part 🫡

[celestial-specter]

Clone Armor and Poster Symbolism in The Bad Batch Season Three

(Brace yourself, loooooong discussion under the cut).

So I’ve long been fixated on the symbolism of the clone’s appearance in Star Wars - it first began in The Clone Wars, with each clone discovering their own individuality and decorating both their bodies and their armor accordingly - think of the Republic crest which decorates both Jesse’s face and his helmet, and becomes a hard-hitting symbol of the end of the Republic which accompanies his death.

In The Bad Batch, clone armor has always been used to symbolize the character’s moral position- initially the main colors of the batch’s armor are black and red, showing both their power, and the element of mystery and otherness that they hold in comparison to standard clone groups. Crosshair’s turn to the empire is shown by him shedding his own armor, and donning a new, entirely black set, with no individuality at all.

In season two, the batch began removing certain sections of their armor and added pieces of a more civilian nature, such as Hunter’s scarf. The pieces of armor that remained were painted a lighter colour, showing that they were gradually leaving their lives as soldiers, or at least those of members of an elite squad, behind them.

In contrast, if you look at a character like Rex, he is still wearing the same armor from his service in the GAR, with only a few minor yet still currently unexplained modifications. He is the one holding onto the past and his service in the army, and it is his identity which drives him to save as many of his brothers as he can.

All of these ideas are particularly apparent in the new season three character posters which have just been released.

Now, while I have previously discussed the idea that the clone assassin is Tech, these posters have me equally convinced that it could actually be Cody.

I believe that Cody has the longest history of any clone in the franchise, being the only clone of any significance in the live-action films, and being prominent in both canon and legends material. As a standard clone, he would most likely have started his commission in the GAR with the general, all white trooper armor, and then decorated it himself as he gained individuality after leaving Kamino. In Brotherhood, the novel which takes place in 22BBY, Cody is described as wearing yellow armor, but, as we see in The Clone Wars, which takes place slightly later, his armor, along with that of the 212th, is more of an orange/gold. This small change could symbolize Cody’s own choice of armor paint being subtly darkened by his experience of war - he is still a loyal soldier of the GAR, but his experiences have changed him.

The orange armor quickly became synonymous with Cody, which is why it was such a shock to audiences to see him with grey armor in The Bad Batch season two. It is a sign that his individuality has been stripped away from him by the empire, but Cody himself still retains the capacity for individual thought and decision making, as shown by his actions in the episode. I also believe that clone armor colors not only symbolize the clones themselves, but also their Jedi generals - the 212th orange symbolized the positivity and energy which came alongside serving under General Kenobi, just as the 501st blue symbolized the freedom and fresh viewpoints of General Skywalker. Therefore, Cody’s grey armor also symbolizes his grief for what he did to Obi-Wan - the man who first provided him the space to discover his own individuality is now ‘dead’ at Cody’s own hand.

I have also long believed that there is a high chance that Cody did not end up escaping at the end of this episode, and was instead captured by the empire for use in experiments.

The release of these character posters seems very deliberate - Star Wars has always been about the battle between light and dark, but due to it’s association with the force, I don’t think we have ever seen clones portrayed in posters in such a manner. The cinematography staff of The Bad Batch have been very vocal recently on the importance of lighting in the show, and I believe that the posters are no exception.

If we look at these poster in order, it is interesting that Wolffe’s seems to be darker than the one featuring Hemlock and Emerie, especially considering how stable he appeared in the past episode.

I believe that this symbolizes that there will be consequences for Wolffe for his decision to let Rex and the others escape, and that he will be subjected to the same treatment which was used in an attempt to change Crosshair, which will leave him the unstable individual we first meet in Rebels.

This idea of placing the clones on a scale from light to dark has me concerned that this season will show the end of Cody’s arc, shifting from the bright white armor he first began with, ending with him wearing the dark armor of a clone assassin.

This idea is only furthered by Rex’s group referring to the clone assassins as ‘shadows’. The reason behind the name is obvious- the clones are shadows of their former selves, having been stripped of all identifying information and individuality.

Considering that Cody’s bright orange armor has long been thought to represent the sun, it would be devastating to see him reduced to an operative with no name and no personality, his only identifying feature being dark armor he would never choose to wear himself. Though I hate to think of it, it does make sense to portray Cody in this way to truly highlight the rise of the empire in the same way Jesse symbolized the end of the Republic - if this theory does turn out to be true, Cody’s arc may have always been intended to show his progression from sunburst to shadow.

[stellarbit]

When Crosshair and Clone X are fighting, Clone X says

“You had your chance to be one of us. You chose the wrong side.”

If you think about it, that doesn’t make a ton of sense coming from just any clone. Crosshair chose the Empire from the start. That sounds like Tech specifically coming at Crosshair about leaving The Bad Batch.

Especially considering if that truly was just any brainwashed assassin, wouldn’t they be honed in on Omega? Not getting sidetracked by, and following after, Crosshair.

If it was Cody, wouldn’t he be following orders blindly like he did with Order 66? Cody may have started questioning orders, but he is completely susceptible to programming.

And when Clone X thinks Crosshair is passed out/dead he kind of sits back into it, like… looking at what he did? If that makes sense. Contemplating it almost.

I saw a theory that Crosshair might know Tech was recovered at Tantiss and isn’t saying anything. Maybe this is Tech raging at Crosshair for everything.

Clone X is Tech thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[alcida-auka]

Lula theories for The Bad Batch

[antares-ct-9905]

This reminds me, now that I've watched again TBB S1, when Hera told Omega that they might meet again in the future. Without knowing yet what would happen in S3. Could we see Omega in the Ahsoka show? Hera will appear there 🤔

(tho I'm not too convinced xd)

Adult Omega!!

(Click image for better quality)

(I honestly just wanted an excuse to animate hair, and oh boy is it hard 😅)

[cptrackham]

I've realised why it would be so much worse - for me, at least - if clone X was Cody, and not Tech.

If it's Tech, it's only a good thing. Yes, the angst, the pain, but it's better than being DEAD. So far, for Tech, the only way is up.

For Cody? We've got HOPE for Cody. But it's worse than that, because if he is Clone X, that's the worst possible outcome for him, because I don't see him being rescued from that. Maybe a few minutes of self-awareness before a moment of self-sacrifice, but that's it.

And it means he'll never have been free. He'll have been doomed from that start and never have known it. He'll never have learnt about the chips, that he DIDN'T make his own choices. That he was used as a weapon to kill the jedi, not that he chose to. Probably won't ever know (properly, not under whatever conditioning he's currently affected by) that Rex, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan all survived, and continued to fight the Empire, and win.

Tech at least got to live, before he chose to die protecting what he loved.

Cody never even got a chance.

[theories-fans-andwombats]

You know, originally I disagreed with the idea of a show entirely revolving around the clone rebellion, instead of being part of the final Bad Batch season.

But with only 3 episodes left of The Bad Batch, I'm coming to agree that they can't begin and wrap up a rebellion in these final few episodes, especially with so many plot points in motion; Omega's importance to Hemlock's project, the captured clones on Tantiss, the Zillo Beast, etc.

I can totally see a clone rebellion show being made, possibly following Echo and Rex like fans theorized. We'd see more of Gregor, see how Wolffe really ends up joining Rex. Maybe we'd see the Bad Batch as recurring characters.

Or if not an entire show, maybe a miniseries (I'd say film, but I don't know if they'd make another animated Star Wars film).