The Bad Batch Season 2 - What We Know So Far
"Star Wars: The Bad Batch" is the animated spinoff of the popular series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" that premiered on May 4, 2021. Originally conceived by George Lucas, and created and developed by Dave Filoni, the series follows a group of "enhanced" clones who find themselves on the wrong side of the Empire after Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) issues Order 66, the directive to wipe out the Jedi.
Season 1 of "Bad Batch" is all about Clone Force 99, also known as "the Bad Batch," leaving their military lives behind and becoming mercenaries-for-hire, while also accepting a new member of their group: Omega (Michelle Ang), a child clone who shares their DNA. Also in Season 1, Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo (all played by Dee Bradley Baker) find themselves at odds with their former squadmate Crosshair (also played by Baker), who has chosen to stay loyal to the Empire. The season ended with the destruction of Tipoca, the capital city of the planet Kamino and the home of the Empire's cloning program. Since then, fans have been eager to find out what happens to Clone Force 99, and how the Empire will evolve into the form that's familiar from the original "Star Wars" trilogy.
Here's everything we know about the upcoming second season of "Bad Batch."
What will Bad Batch Season 2 be released?
As reported by Deadline, "Bad Batch's" second season will premiere on January 4, 2023. Filoni made the announcement on Saturday during Disney's D23 expo. Disney also confirmed that Season 2 will consist of 16 episodes (via TV Line).
This is a few months later than expected. According to the "Bad Batch" Season 2 trailer that was released in May, Season 2 was originally set to drop in "Autumn 2022." The delay is definitely disappointing, but at least we now have a firm premiere date.
Additionally, there will be two other "Star Wars" TV series that will premiere between now and January 2023. The first season of the live-action Diego Luna vehicle "Andor" drops on September 21, and the first season of "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi" premieres on October 26. The latter series is an animated anthology show that tells stories about the origins of the Jedi, beginning with Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Count Dooku (Corey Burton). There's also the return of "The Mandalorian" to look forward to in February 2023 (via IndieWire).
What is the plot of Bad Batch Season 2?
The trailers for the series gives us a pretty good idea of where the show is headed. With their homeworld destroyed, the members of the Bad Batch will find themselves searching for a new one. Still on the run from the Empire, they'll need "all the allies they can get," as Hunter puts it. There will no doubt be plenty of smuggling missions and heists, as per usual.
Crosshair's storyline will be a major factor in Season 2. At the end of Season 1, he considered abandoning the Empire to rejoin his former comrades in arms before ultimately deciding to stay Imperial. However, Crosshair is still obviously conflicted, and the "will he or won't he" dynamic will likely continue to play out in the upcoming season.
There are also potential secondary plotlines that Season 2 will explore. At the end of Season 1, Kaminoan geneticist Nala Se (Gwendoline Yeo) is brought to another Imperial facility to continue a mysterious new cloning program. Will this mean a new secret clone trooper project, or something else entirely?
Above all, the show will be about what it's always been about — a group of cloned ex-soldiers trying to find their way in a strange new world.
Who is starring in Bad Batch Season 2?
Dee Bradley Baker will be reprising his many roles, including the enhanced clones Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and Crosshair. He also plays several additional characters on the show, like Captain Rex, who debuted on "Clone Wars." Michelle Ang will also be back as Omega. Baker and Ang were both present at Star Wars Celebration 2022's "Bad Batch" panel, which Looper attended.
The trailer for "Bad Batch" Season 2–more on this below–confirms that several other cast members will be back. Noshir Dalal will be back as Imperial Vice Admiral Rampart, and Rhea Perlman will be returning as Cid, the Trandoshan criminal on Ord Mantell who often gives the Bad Batch their jobs. Comedian Wanda Sykes will also guest star as Phee Genoa.
Finally, the trailer included a surprise reveal that the Bad Batch will cross paths with Emperor Palpatine. Since Ian McDiarmid already voiced Emperor Palpatine in Season 1–during the scene when the Bad Batch and their fellow clones watch a hologram message from their new emperor informing them of Order 66–most likely he'll be reprising the role.
Is there a trailer for Bad Batch Season 2?
So far, there have been two mind-blowing trailers for "Bad Batch" Season 2, promising heists, battles, and the looming threat of the Empire. The trailers show several new locales that the Bad Batch will visit, like an oceanic planet filled with giant crablike creatures. It also gives glimpses of some of the new and returning characters. Commander Cody (Dee Bradley Baker) will factor into the story, as will Gungi, the Wookie Jedi. Both characters were major parts of the "Clone Wars" TV series. The trailers have also revealed that the Bad Batch will all be getting wardrobe updates. Omega's hair is longer, and now she's rocking a helmet. The rest of the Bad Batch all have more colorful uniforms, which contrast visually with the Empire's new conscripted soldiers.
Where to watch Bad Batch Season 1
First, the Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm in 2012 and immediately starting churning out entries in the "Star Wars" cinematic canon, then big-screen offshoots ("Rogue One: A Star Wars Story") before hitting the small screen. In 2019, Disney+ launched, a repository for Disney branded and owned properties as well as an exclusive outlet for new stuff, like cinema-quality TV shows set in the "Star Wars" universe. Showrunners could really take their time and explore both new and familiar characters and realms in the multi-episode format. In addition to live-action fare like "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett" came the futuristically animated "The Bad Batch," with new episodes rolling out weekly in the summer of 2021.
With The Bad Batch Season 1 finishing up its initial run of 13 episodes in August 2021, the entire saga is available for binge-watching. Viewers can prepare for when the new season drops, just after the turn of the calendar in 2023, by navigating their TVs, computers, or streaming devices to Disney+, where every episode past and future of "The Bad Batch" resides.