Ended, the Clone War has — but Clone Force 99’s fight is far from over.
Disney has just dropped the latest look at The Bad Batch, Lucasfilm’s animated spinoff of The Clone Wars, which concluded early last year. Set shortly after the fall of the Republic seen in Revenge of the Sith, the series follows the titular ‘Bad Batch’ — a.k.a. Clone Force 99, who were introduced in Clone Wars’ seventh season — as their unorthodox special forces group has to adapt to the rise of a Galactic Empire.
[referenced id=”1657472″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/12/star-wars-bad-batchs-first-trailer-shows-the-fall-of-a-republic/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/11/tqpbsonrapsvb0tudyxv-300×123.png” title=”Star Wars: Bad Batch’s First Trailer Shows the Fall of a Republic” excerpt=”The Clone War may be over. But Clone Force 99’s war is only just about to begin. Welcome to The Bad Batch. The Clone Wars continues with The Bad Batch Today at the Disney Investor Day livestream, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy revealed the first look at what to expect from…”]
As well as re-introducing ourselves to the team — Hunter, Echo, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair — the trailer teases both new and familiar faces the squad will meet as the last remnants of the Clone Wars play out, only to be swept aside by Emperor Palpatine’s new tyranny. From Clone Wars and Rebels, there’s the returns of both Tarkin and Captain Rex, and from The Mandalorian, a younger version of Ming-Na Wen’s bounter hunter Fennec Shand.
But there’s also new characters — most notably what appears to be a new, young clone that the squad picks up as they make their escape from the now Imperial-controlled Clone labs of Kamino. Oh, and a whole lot of boots-on-the-ground Star Wars trooper action. What else would you expect from Clones forced to turn against their brothers in a fight to survive?
Star Wars: The Bad Batch begins streaming on Disney+ May 4 with a 70-minute special premiere, with episodes continuing weekly from May 7.