Star Wars has the most compelling characters in fictional history. From the no-nonsense rogue in Han Solo to the Mandalorian Bounty Hunter with new purpose in Din Djarin; the emotional elements are always the core of these stories. Similarly, The Bad Batch has been doing a great job developing these characters that were initially introduced as one-note novelties, in many ways. But more importantly, it’s Omega in The Batch Batch that is forcing these characters to grow and develop into becoming just as iconic within the Star Wars franchise. Read on to find out that Omega is the catalyst for Clone Force 99’s emotional development.
Disclaimer: The following will contain spoilers for all episodes of The Bad Batch season 1 and 2, up until episode 9 titled ‘The Crossing’.
Clone Force 99 Began As One Note Characters
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When introduced, every member of Clone Force 99 (all Dee Bradley Baker) had a gimmick to them. Wrecker was the muscle, Tech the brain, Hunter the leader, Crosshair the marksman and Echo was the one with experience outside of the group, given his time with the regular Clone Troopers. In addition to his expertise with technical systems, of course. With Omega thrown into the mix, these characters had to evolve into something more. While Crosshair’s journey took him down a different path, the other members needed to grow beyond what they thought were their natural abilities.
The most notable change came from Hunter. In episode 1 of season 1, Hunter let a young Jedi escape, which is what initially created tension between him and Crosshair. When he came across a young Omega (Michelle Ang), his paternal instincts kicked in further. Hunter’s arc through season 1 was very much about protecting Omega and giving her a life away from the Empire and its politics and war.
So much so that, he seemingly also wanted that for The Bad Batch too, content with doing jobs for Cid (Rhea Perlman) and making money to provide for her. Omega’s idealism in wanting to help people is also becoming a priority for Hunter in season 2, seeing how he is more and more willing to join the fight against the Empire. Due to Omega’s newly developed sense of morality and values. Something, by the way, that she is learning from the Batch herself.
With Omega In The Bad Batch, The Dynamic Shifted
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Along with Hunter, Omega got along famously with Wrecker, given their emotional maturity being in similar stages. In Omega, Wrecker found a sibling to be a kid with, something that he didn’t have among his brothers. And whatever brief interactions Omega had with Crosshair, she really showed him the compassion that he may never have gotten anywhere else. Omega even forgave Crosshair for his betrayal, deeming it as not his fault, at the time. In many ways, Omega’s comments may have been the first hint to Crosshair that he stands apart from his brothers when it comes to their dynamic after Order 66.
Echo and Omega share the most in common, at least in the beginning. Both of them have had a life outside of The Bad Batch and brought those experiences to the team. Echo, having been a regular Clone Trooper has a strong sense of duty and morality, something he has instilled within Omega as well. They both share a commitment to helping people and doing the right thing, despite Hunter’s usual apprehension.
Omega Found The Heart Within The Brain
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With Omega in The Bad Batch, the last person affected is Tech. The one member of Clone Force 99 who rarely processes emotions but rather approaches everything from a cold logical perspective. But in the latest episode 9 of season 2, we finally see how even Tech isn’t immune to Omega’s influence on the team.
With Echo off with Rex fighting the Empire after the events of episode 8, Omega felt like she lost a member of her family. Struggling to deal with it, she butts heads with Echo, who couldn’t comprehend her sadness about it. When both Echo and Omega get trapped in a cavern on their own, they had to confront their issues. It was an amazingly sweet moment where Tech confessed that despite his cold nature, he does feel, but processes those feelings differently than others.
That scene felt like a child asking their parent complex emotional questions, and the parent struggling to explain those nuances to them. It was a wonderful scene that showed how Tech has a heart, and having Omega in his life is forcing him to deal with those feelings. In his own way, Tech was super sweet and very considerate of Omega and her feelings, while having to face his own.
Clone Force 99 is definitely better off with Omega in The Bad Batch, but how this growth and development affect their eventual place in the galaxy remains to be seen.
The Bad Batch season 2 episode 9 is now streaming on Disney+.
What do you think about how the Batch is growing, and how that may or may not affect them in the long run? Share with me in the comments below.
