"Life Is Worth Living Again:" Star Wars Fans Celebrate As The Bad Batch Brings Back A Clone Wars Hero

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3, episode 13.

Summary Echo's triumphant return in The Bad Batch season 3 is celebrated by Star Wars enthusiasts, marking a significant moment in the series.

Despite Echo's absence in previous episodes, his return is met with great enthusiasm on social media, highlighting his importance to fans.

Echo's decision to leave the Bad Batch and join Captain Rex's clone rebellion adds a new dynamic to the ongoing storyline, but has kept him from being seen more.

The ARC trooper Echo, who first debuted as a Star Wars: The Clone Wars hero, has at last reappeared in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and Star Wars enthusiasts are celebrating his triumphant return. Echo became a member of Clone Force 99 in The Clone Wars season 7, but in The Bad Batch season 2, he made the choice to leave the Bad Batch in favor of joining Captain Rex and his burgeoning clone rebellion. This has caused Echo to have very few appearances in The Bad Batch season 3, but this week, he's finally returned.

Related Will There Be A Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 4? Has Star Wars: The Bad Batch been renewed for season 4? Here's everything we know about the animated series and Clone Force 99's future.

With Clone Force 99 desperately in need of assistance getting the coordinates to Mount Tantiss and thus to Omega, Echo arrives with a stolen Imperial shuttle for the Bad Batch to use. Not only does Echo lend them this vessel, but he also joins them on the mission - and he becomes a vital part of it. Various Star Wars enthusiasts have since taken to social media to share their reactions to Echo's return, celebrating the ARC trooper in both meaningful and hilarious ways.

User techs_leftfemur riffs on a highly-memed moment from the Twilight franchise, which sees Taylor Lautner's character asking "Where the hell have you been loca?" This is a perfect way to portray how viewers have felt about Echo's long absence, and ironically enough, the long hair is somewhat reminiscent of Hunter's.

User xajnie proclaims that "life is worth living again" now that Echo is back, indicating exactly how much audiences have truly missed seeing ARC trooper Echo on their screens. This, paired along with the video of a crowd of people celebrating, further encapsulates this feeling.

User hellikait offers a thoughtful reflection on Echo's return, reminding viewers that although the Clone Wars hero did get to show off his ARC trooper skills, it still doesn't make up for how long his absence lasted in The Bad Batch season 3. This is a valid insight, as the character's mysterious absence throughout this season has been difficult to face, particularly with the void left by Tech's tragic death in season 2's "Plan 99."

User StarWarsBean has an absolutely hilarious example of how it feels to see Echo again, with a sped-up video of someone flipping and dancing around a metro car. This wonderfully encapsulates the feeling of elation viewers have upon seeing a fan-favorite character turn up once again.

User kenediom takes the opportunity to quote a moment from The Bad Batch season 1, saying "Is there an Echo in here?" and adding a gif of Sue Sylvester cheering. This is not only a perfect callback to a memorable moment from the show, but it's also perfectly fitting for the celebration of Echo's return.

Echo's Return In The Bad Batch Is Long Overdue

The ARC Trooper's Absence This Season Has Been Utterly Disappointing

Close

While the return of Echo to this week's The Bad Batch episode should certainly be celebrated, it also should have been unnecessary. Echo was once a regular on The Bad Batch, during season 1 and early season 2, and him partnering up with Captain Rex felt much like an excuse for him to disappear from the screen altogether. This is a true shame, as Echo is honestly one of the most fascinating clones viewers have seen in Star Wars history.

As a character who was long thought to be dead, Echo's survival and his rescue were massive moments for Star Wars enthusiasts. Getting to see him accept what had happened to him by becoming a part of Clone Force 99 was touching, and while his work with Captain Rex and the fledgling rebellion is admirable, it's also taken him away from the story's focus. That makes this episode only one of four that Echo has appeared in this season, which - compared to the 13 total episode count so far - is disappointing.

Echo's return in The Bad Batch is thankfully not temporary this time.

Nevertheless, it's still good to see ARC trooper Echo back with his brothers once again. Now that he's boarded the shuttle headed to Tantiss, it's clear that Echo will be joining Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair for the final two episodes of the series, which is the way it should be. Echo has long since been eager to get the coordinates to Tantiss to free the clone prisoners, and he too has a desire to help Omega. Echo's return in The Bad Batch is thankfully not temporary this time, and viewers can look forward to seeing more of him.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch releases new episodes Wednesdays at 3 AM ET, 12 AM PT, and 8 AM GMT on Disney+.

Bad Batch Season 3 Episode No. Episode Title Air Date 13 "Into The Breach" 4/17/2024 14 "Flash Strike" 4/24/2024 15 "The Cavalry Has Arrived" 5/01/2024

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

rent

buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Dee Bradley Baker , Michelle Ang , Noshir Dalal , Liam O'Brien , Rhea Perlman , Sam Riegel , Bob Bergen , Gwendoline Yeo Release Date May 4, 2021 Seasons 3 Franchise(s) Star Wars Writers Jennifer Corbett , Dave Filoni , Matt Michnovetz , Tamara Becher , Amanda Rose Munoz , Gursimran Sandhu , Christian Taylor , Damani Johnson Directors Brad Rau , Steward Lee , Nathaniel Villanueva , Saul Ruiz Showrunner Dave Filoni Creator(s) Dave Filoni , Jennifer Corbett Where To Watch Disney Plus

Source: techs_leftfemur, xajnie, hellikait, StarWarsBean, kenediom