Season 2 of The Bad Batch animated series may reveal a connection between the animated series and The Mandalorian.
The Bad Batch is next in line when it comes to Star Wars releases, as Season 2 of the animated show is set to premiere its first two episodes on Disney+ on Wednesday, January 4.
Season 1 ended with the destruction of Tipoca City and its cloning facilities on Kamino, while also leaving Omega and Clone Force 99 still on the run from the Empire.
However, the show also revealed an Imperial scientist in the final episode who was wearing the same uniform as Dr. Pershing in The Mandalorian. According to one of The Bad Batch's producers, Season 2 may dive deeper into that connection between the two projects.
The Bad Batch's Possible Connections to The Mandalorian
In the latest issue of SFX Magazine, Star Wars: The Bad Batch supervising director and executive producer Brad Rau talked about the upcoming installment, specifically teasing that it could explore the connection between itself and The Mandalorian.
Rau stated in the interview that Nala Se's meeting with a cloning expert who was sporting the same uniform as The Mandalorian's Dr. Pershing was "not a coincidence," and that the show "will get into all of that:"
"That’s not a coincidence, but I don’t want to talk too much about what’s going on there. We’ve got to leave some things in the dark, but we do get into all of that, one hundred per cent."
The producer also talked about some other aspects of Season 2, such as the relationship between Omega and the rest of Clone Force 99:
"We have so much fun with these tough guy soldiers as the dads of Omega. In Season 1 it was a new thing for them. Now that time has passed, we’re seeing how they’ve settled into those roles as a bunch of dads."
One of the biggest cornerstones of the series is the inclusion of Omega and how she is different from other clones. Writer and executive producer Jennifer Corbett said in the interview that Season 2 will continue to explore "Omega's background," as well as her importance to the Kaminoans:
"We definitely continue with learning about Omega’s background, and the reasons why she was with [cloners] Nala Se and Lama Su on Kamino. But the Batch don’t care what she is. All they know is that she’s their sister, their squad member, and that’s it for them."
Corbett was also asked about Boba Fett, a clone of Jango Fett similar to Omega, but the producer stated that the two will not interact at this point in the timeline:
"Where Boba Fett is at this moment is a very different path to Omega’s. They’re on different journeys at the moment."
The Importance of The Bad Batch
It is no secret that The Mandalorian is serving as the center of the Star Wars Disney+ series. The show premiered when the streaming service launched in 2019, with Din Djarin and Grogu quickly becoming extremely popular with fans.
The Book of Boba Fett already continued to build the universe that The Mandalorian set up, and Ahsoka will give it even more depth when it releases later in the year.
However, it seems now that the animated shows will be just as important to the overall story as the live-action titles.
A big mystery surrounding both seasons of The Mandalorian has been the interest that the Empire has in Grogu. Dr. Pershing has been on a personal mission to study him due to his high midi-chlorian count and has gone to great lengths to retrieve him throughout both seasons.
The final episode of Season 1 of The Bad Batch not only revealed a character dressed like Pershing, but it also set up a possible connection between the two shows. It seems like there is more than meets the eye according to Brad Rau, and the series could hold greater importance than previously thought.
Every member of Clone Force 99 is unique in their own way, but Omega takes it to a new level. It is possible that she, or the rest of the Batch, could really have important roles to play when it comes to the Empire's study of cloning.
The first two episodes of Season 2 of The Bad Batch will be released on Disney+ on Wednesday, January 4.
