8 Ways The Bad Batch Has Changed Since Their Clone Wars Debut 4 Years Ago

Summary Clone Force 99's evolution over 4 years is evident through character changes and departures, showcasing their growth and adaptability.

Echo's journey from ARC trooper to rebel ally highlights the importance of loyalty and duty within Clone Force 99.

Crosshair's struggle with loyalty to the Empire and subsequent redemption storyline adds depth to his character arc within the Bad Batch.

It's been 4 years since Clone Force 99 first debuted in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and now that Star Wars: The Bad Batch is coming to an end, it's easy to see just how much they have changed over the course of their story. Also known as the titular Bad Batch, Clone Force 99 was first created for an arc of The Clone Wars that was never completed, due to the animated TV show's cancelation. When it returned for a final season in 2020, however, the Bad Batch was finally brought to life.

Originally composed of the genetically altered clones Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Tech, the Bad Batch has both added to and reduced its numbers over the past four years. With the end of the Clone Wars and the execution of Order 66 disrupting their entire galaxy, Clone Force 99 has struggled to find their place and their purpose. This has, of course, brought on plenty of changes for the clone squadron over time, and here are 8 of the most drastic that they have since undergone.

Related Star Wars: The Bad Batch Voice Cast - What The Actors Look Like In Real Life Star Wars: The Bad Batch has quite an interesting cast of actors that features multiple Star Wars veterans, as well as a few newcomers.

8 Echo Joins Clone Force 99 (& Then Leaves)

Formerly An ARC Trooper Of The 501st, Echo's Time With The Bad Batch Has Come & Gone

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Echo (CT-1409) A loyal clone soldier, Echo was captured by the Separatists and transformed into a tool that they used against the Republic. Rescued by Clone Force 99, Echo chose to join the team, and - like most of that mutant squad - he was not affected by Order 66. Echo left the Bad Batch to work alongside early rebel cells. Created By Dave Filoni Cast Dee Bradley Baker First Appearance Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV Shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Echo is not one of the original four members of the Bad Batch, but upon being rescued by them, Anakin Skywalker, and Captain Rex on Skako Minor, Echo decides his place should be with them. With his body having been heavily modified by the Techno Union, Echo finds a new sense of belonging with Clone Force 99, who's eager to accept him as one of their own. Echo remains with the Bad Batch for the rest of the Clone Wars, and as long as a year beyond then - until a new sense of duty begins to call on him.

Echo has always had a sharp sense of loyalty to his clone brothers, which makes him extremely vocal in The Bad Batch season 2 about his desire to help Rex free as many of their brothers as possible. Halfway through the season, he decides to leave Clone Force 99 in favor of joining Rex and his burgeoning clone rebellion, something his brothers and sister accept despite how hard it is for them to do so. Echo still returns to help the members of the squad, particularly Omega, but Star Wars has officially confirmed his new role is outside the Batch.

7 Crosshair Leaves To Serve The Empire (& Then Returns)

The Inhibitor Chip Initially Gets A Hold Of Crosshair, But He Overcomes His Fierce Loyalty To The Empire

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Crosshair One of five mutant clones created by the Kaminoan scientist Nala Se, Crosshair is a gifted marksman whose skills are almost preternatural in nature. He was the only member of Clone Force 99 to be influenced by the clones' inhibitor chip, but still chose to remain with the Empire for a time even after he'd had the chip removed. Crosshair is clearly on a path of redemption, however, one that will lead him back to his brothers. Created By George Lucas , Dave Filoni Cast Dee Bradley Baker First Appearance Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV Shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Though the rest of the members of the Bad Batch manage to stave off the effects of the clones' inhibitor chips during Order 66, Crosshair is not as lucky. His defective nature doesn't protect him, and he instead succumbs to the "good soldiers follow orders" command that causes him to swear his loyalty to the Empire. Even after his chip is removed and the Empire leaves him to die, Crosshair still makes the choice to stay with the Empire, though his loyalty begins to falter in The Bad Batch season 2 and leads him to kill an Imperial officer.

By The Bad Batch season 3, Crosshair is imprisoned on Mount Tantiss with Omega, and his desire to escape outweighs any other loyalties he has. His squad cautiously welcomes him back, a trust that is earned over the course of the season, and he begins to blend back into the old role he used to fulfill. Crosshair's redemption is much of the focus in The Bad Batch season 3, all of which is possible because of Omega's kindness towards him and her commitment to him and the good that's still left within him.

Related Every Clone Who Disobeyed Order 66 In Star Wars Canon & Legends Star Wars' Clone Troopers were bred for absolute loyalty and secretly created to destroy the Jedi...but not every one obeyed the sinister Order 66.

6 Omega Becomes Clone Force 99's Youngest Member

As The First Yet Forgotten Member Of Clone Force 99, Omega At Last Joins Her Squad

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Omega A mysterious mutant clone created by the Kaminoans, Omega longed to get away from Kamino and explore the galaxy. She was rescued from the Empire by Clone Force 99, and soon became the heart of the team. The Empire still view Omega as valuable, though, and all signs indicate her story could well end in tragedy. Created By George Lucas , Dave Filoni Cast Michelle Ang First Appearance Star Wars: The Bad Batch TV Shows Star Wars: The Bad Batch

In The Bad Batch season 1 premiere, it's revealed that Omega is not only a female clone of Jango Fett, but that she's also technically a member of Clone Force 99 itself. Though not designated with a CT number like her brothers, Omega was present in the lab when they were created, and her altered gender also makes her a genetically mutated clone - just like Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Tech. With this revelation, Hunter and the Bad Batch begin to treat her as one of their own, and they even return to Kamino to save her and take her in.

Hunter and the Bad Batch begin to treat her as one of their own.

Omega has since become an essential member of Clone Force 99, serving as the heart for the group of brothers who are left shattered after the end of the war. She becomes close with them all, though she develops a special bond with Hunter and later on does the same with a reluctant Crosshair. It's hard to imagine the Bad Batch without Omega now, though she wasn't a part of the picture back when they were first introduced in The Clone Wars.

5 The Bad Batch Becomes Mercenaries Instead Of Soldiers

With No Republic Left To Serve, Clone Force 99 Fights For Money & Survival

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In The Clone Wars, Clone Force 99 is portrayed as not only daring soldiers, but also some of the very best in the entire clone army. They're able to take out massive amounts of droids with little to no backup, and though their plans seem crazy to others, they function in the most perfect ways with their squad's unique abilities. With no Republic left to serve, however, the Bad Batch is faced with a crucial decision: what purpose do they serve now?

In need of money for survival, Clone Force 99 comes across Ciddarin "Cid" Scaleback, a Trandoshan who offers them work in exchange for just enough credits to survive. They run jobs for Cid throughout The Bad Batch seasons 1 and 2, though her betrayal of them in The Bad Batch season 2 finale causes them to fully part ways as they also seek out Omega's location on Mount Tantiss. It's likely they will fully abandon the mercenary life at the end of season 3 in favor of either helping Rex's clone rebellion or living a peaceful life somewhere like Pabu.

4 Tech Meets His Tragic Yet Heroic Fate

One Of The Original Clone Force 99 Members Dies To Save His Squad

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Tech proves himself to be an extremely valuable member of Clone Force 99 in The Clone Wars, a sentiment that remains throughout The Bad Batch as well. This goes far beyond his technological abilities, as there's no doubt his knack for blunt humor and his connection to his brothers has never failed to raise spirits in even the darkest of moments for the squad. His character has also been very important for many Star Wars viewers, as many have found the portrayal of a character like him to be very relatable and rare in the current media.

This only makes his death all the more tragic at the end of The Bad Batch season 2. It's hard enough to see an original member of Clone Force 99 meet his fate, but to have it happen in a plan of sacrifice that's been appropriately named "Plan 99" is nothing short of heartbreaking. Though there are still many rampant theories about his survival persisting, the loss of Tech has been a massive change for the entirety of the Bad Batch, and it's certainly an absence that's heavily felt.

3 Clone Force 99's Armor Becomes More, & Then Less, Colorful

The Changes In The Squad Have Been Reflected In Their Armor

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When Clone Force 99 is first seen in The Clone Wars, their armor instantly makes them stand out from other clones. Rather than matching the standard white armor, theirs are painted black, with accents of red and plenty of skulls - the latter of which serves as their squad's symbol. This makes them easy to identify, and by the time of The Bad Batch season 2, this is a problem for them. The ever-changing galaxy demands that they blend in more, and so they change their armor to brighter and more unique colors.

These colors, however, begin to fade over time, especially as tragedy starts to strike them. Following Tech's tragic death and Omega's capture at the hands of the Empire, both Hunter and Wrecker return with heavily worn-down armor, with Hunter having foregone several pieces of his armor and Wrecker's being decorated with plenty of scratches. Later on, after Omega's captured once more, Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair all remove any trace of paint from their armor to blend in with other troopers, stripping it back down to its original, plain color: black.

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.

2 The Havoc Marauder Is Destroyed

Clone Force 99's Reliable Ship No Longer Exists

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One of the coolest elements of the Bad Batch early on is their ship, the Havoc Marauder. It's what helps Clone Force 99 to make their first chaotic entrance in The Clone Wars, and in The Bad Batch, it becomes even more than just a means of attack or travel. Without Kamino to rely on anymore, the Marauder is the closest thing Clone Force 99 ever really gets to a home.

The Marauder is the closest thing Clone Force 99 ever really gets to a home.

In The Bad Batch season 3, however, this legacy of the Marauder is destroyed almost entirely. While preparing to leave Pabu for the sake of the island's safety, the mysterious clone assassin CX-2 catches up to them, and he shoots explosives onto the ship. Wrecker is caught in the blast that tears the entire ship to pieces, much like the iconic destruction of the Razor Crest in The Mandalorian season 2. Thankfully, precious belongings such as Lula and Tech's goggles have already been offloaded, but it's still a devastating moment nonetheless.

1 The Bad Batch's Loyalties & Priorities Shift

They Are No Longer Loyal To A Governmental Body As They Instead Prioritize One Another

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Perhaps one of the best changes for the Bad Batch since their debut has been the shift in both their loyalties and their priorities. Formerly serving the Republic along with the rest of the clone army, the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire causes Clone Force 99 to sever their ties with any one governmental body. There is no longer a Republic to serve, and they refuse to offer their loyalty to the cruelty of the Empire.

Though they continue to seek their greater purpose, they put all their energy and effort into protecting one another. When even just one member of the Bad Batch is in need, they all risk everything to help them, a sentiment they even extend to Crosshair during the beginning of his service to the Empire. This priority of keeping one another safe, particularly Omega, is beautiful to witness, and it makes this group one that's truly worth caring about - and one who will be missed as The Bad Batch ultimately comes to an end.