Fans have been wondering what direction the second season of The Bad Batch would be going in for months, and now thanks to the trailer released at Star Wars Celebration, they have some idea. Full of beautiful visuals, new and returning characters, and just enough intriguing plot points to keep fans guessing, the trailer is brilliantly edited and jam-packed.
While the actual main storyline of the second season remains unclear, the trailer gave so many nuggets of important information as well as some huge reveals that do not just implicate the show as a contained piece of content but the wider canon.
Release Date
There is yet to be an official, specific release date for The Bad Batch’s second season, but the panel told Star Wars Celebration that it will be released sometime in the fall of 2022, meaning it is coming up fast in the next few months.
The season will likely be sixteen episodes again, just like the first, and will see the return of Dee Bradley Baker and Michelle Ang in the leading roles, which they performed marvelously in season 1.
Returning Characters
The trailer gave fans some exciting new inclusions to the show but also reaffirmed what characters will be returning from season 1 to play their part in the story of Clone Force 99.
Of course, the titular group will return as the family they are, and so too will their lost brother Crosshair. Cid and her parlor will also be returning alongside Admiral Rampart and Captian Rex, the latter of whom fans cannot get enough of, as he’s one of the best characters in The Clone Wars and has significant gaps in his story ready to be filled in.
Time Jump & New Looks
While it is unknown exactly how far into the future the show will be going, there is a time jump for The Bad Batch’s second season, and it is enough time for Clone Force 99 to all have updated looks.
Donning the same style of armor as before, the clones will be showcasing new color schemes that look pretty badass and unique. On top of that, Omega now has longer hair and, finally, has a helmet of her own. It’ll be interesting to see how much time has passed and whether or not the show will fill in the gaps about what happened in the interim.
Wookiees & Battle Droids
The clones are still at work across the Galaxy at this point and so too are droids, with this trailer showcasing a couple of different scenes where droids are getting taken out. It will be interesting to see how the batch interacts with Separatist droids if they come across any.
In addition to battle droids, the trailer shows a shot of a Wookiee warrior looking ready to do battle, perhaps with droids, perhaps with the Empire, perhaps even with Clone Force 99 without knowing who they are. How these two unique groups fit into this story as well as the wider Galaxy with everything going on will be good to watch.
Clone Commandos (& Prisoners)
Clone Commandos, best known for their role in the Republic Commando game, will be returning to Star Wars animation in The Bad Batch‘s second season and could well prove a big threat to the heroes should they remain loyal to the Empire.
The group of highly skilled troopers can be seen herding what look to be prisoners in the trailer, which could have something to do with some sort of planetary takeover, Mt. Tantiss, or a squashing of insurgency; only time will tell. No matter their role in the story, their appearance in the show is welcome.
The Zillo Beast
The storyline of the Zillo Beast from The Clone Wars has gone unfinished for years now, with no indication of what happened with the creature that Palpatine cloned way back when. It appears as though fans will get their long-awaited answer, though.
The Zillo Beast in the trailer looks different from the one in The Clone Wars, but the two will unquestionably be connected and will likely have something to do with Mt. Tantiss and may even be a crucial step in the cloning process. The terrifying creature caused havoc in The Clone Wars and could do the same here should it get out of Imperial control.
Mount Tantiss
The finale of season 1 set up the future of canon, not just with Clone Force 99 without Crosshair and with the destruction of Tipoca City, but by revealing Mt. Tantiss, a Legends creation that has been confirmed for the show’s second season.
In Legends, Tantiss is a hub of Palpatine’s, full of cloning pods and storage houses, and it will be fulfilling the same purpose in canon, with the Empire having already transferred Nala Se there, with other medical staff also. Seeing the full scope of Sidious’ plans for Tantiss would make this season not only memorable but hugely important in Galactic history.
Gungi Lives
Perhaps the most unexpected thing to happen in the trailer was the reveal that Gungi, the Wookiee Jedi Padawan who appeared in the Gathering arc of The Clone Wars, had survived Order 66 and will return in The Bad Batch.
It will be fascinating to see how the young Jedi survived, what he has been doing, and if any of the other Padawans from his group also survived. Seeing Gungi with other Wookiees in the show would not be a surprise and would make the apparent team-up between him and Clone Force 99 all the better.
A Conflicted Cody (With Crosshair)
Crosshair, of course, appears in this trailer. And in every shot of him, he is joined by the returning Commander Cody, who fans have clamored to see the return of in post-Clone Wars content for years now.
The widely released trailer merely showcases the return of the beloved clone trooper. The Celebration-version of it sees a doubtful Cody, a Cody who is questioning the Empire, and that is an incredible prospect. In Legends, he was a pretty dedicated follower of the Empire, but perhaps with his friends in canon, he will be pulled back from that.
The Emperor In The Senate (With Omega Watching On)
There are few characters whose appearances in Star Wars can induce such goosebumps as those given to fans by the Emperor, whose appearance in this trailer is not only great to see but terrifying.
On his own, Sidious is scary enough, particularly at this time as he has taken over the Galaxy. But what is truly horrifying about his role in the trailer is the fact that he stands with the backdrop of Tipoca City’s destruction, with Omega watching on from a distance. Why Omega is there will worry fans or the months to come, as will Palpatine’s role in this story, which, while it may be qualitatively excellent, could spell doom and danger for the heroes.
