Experimental unit Clone Force 99, they're defective clones with, uh… desirable mutations.Clone Commander Cody describes The Bad Batch.
Clone Force 99, also known as The Bad Batch, are the tritagonists of the Bad Batch arc of Season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the titular main protagonists of its 2021 spin-off/sequel Disney+ streaming series Star Wars: The Bad Batch. They were a clone commando squad that was led by Clone Sergeant "Hunter" during the Clone Wars.
Biography
During the creation of the clone army, the Kaminoans made genetic experiments in an attempt to create super soldiers. However, physical and mental imperfections and certian defects that resulted from the process that almost hindered the subjects' ability to act as soldiers led to the project to being almost scrapped and the enhanced clones being deemed as "defective". Despite the project being regarded as a failed experiment, four of those experiments came to form Clone Force 99, or, as they called themselves, the Bad Batch. The Bad Batch was indeed an elite group, though their methods were somewhat unorthodox. Despite suffering from genetic defects and being regard as "defective" by their creators and even other clones, the unit eventually earned a legendary reputation in the Clone Wars, enough to rival even Delta Squad, another famous clone special unit during the war. The Bad Batch became acquainted with the deserter Cut Lawquane and Commander Cody who they occasionally worked with.
The team’s clones were wildly different from each other, with unique personalities and body types: Hunter, the stoic and strong leader; Wrecker, the hot-headed brute; Tech, the intellectual and strategist; and Crosshair, the extremely efficient sharp-shooter. Despite initial conflicts with Captain Rex and the other clones, the group successfully infiltrate a Separatist cyber center. The Bad Batch later accompany Rex and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker to the planet Skako Minor where they discover a long lost clone ARC Trooper named Echo who was used by Wat Tambor to be a Battle Strategy Algorithm against the Republic. After Echo gives the Republic a victory on Anaxes, Hunter offers him to be a a place on the squad due to no longer being a regular clone trooper.
Clone Force 99 were present on Kaller along with Caleb Dume and Jedi Master Depa Billaba as Order 66 was executed by Darth Sidious. After the other clones kill Billaba, Hunter and Crosshair pursue Caleb while Tech tries to find out what Order 66 is. Hunter tries to protect the youngling but Crosshair fires on Caleb due to his active inhibitor chip. They then head back to Kamino and witness the Declaration of the New Order. With the exception of Crosshair, all the members of the Bad Batch are skeptical of Order 66 and the new regime. Following a combat proficiency test, Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin has Clone Force 99 sent to kill Saw Gerrera and his band of rebels, which they don't carry out when they discover that they're mostly just fugitives and unarmed civilians.
They later head back to Kamino to save Omega, but are captured due to being declared traitors. Crosshair betrays his fellow teammates after his inhibitor chip’s power is increased, but the remaining members of Clone Force 99 and Omega still manage to break out of their cell and escape Kamino. Following a mission to Salucemi, Omega reaffirms her choice to stay with the Bad Batch.
For the next several months, the clones try to survive by working as mercenaries for the information broker Cid. They are later found by Rex who tells them that they need to remove their inhibitor chips. On Bracca, Wrecker briefly turns against his brothers after his inhibitor chip activated through traumatic head injuries, although they, along with Rex, subdue him and remove his chip, making him go back to normal. Everybody else had their chips removed as well.
Shortly thereafter, Clone Force 99 are found by Crosshair and his new elite squad. Crosshair fails to kill his former squad and inadvertently injures himself in the process. Before they can escape, Hunter and Omega are confronted by Cad Bane who had been hired by the Kaminoans to capture Omega. Bane quickly dispatches Hunter and escapes before the rest of Clone Force 99 can arrive.
Omega later escapes and reunites with the Bad Batch with the help of Fennec Shand. After befriending Omega, Hera Syndulla recruits the team to rescue her parents from the Empire. With the help of the clone Howzer, Clone Force 99 free Cham and Eleni Syndulla. Vice Admiral Rampart then gives Crosshair permission to hunt his former squad down. Rex later requests the Bad Batch's help in extracting Gregor from an Imperial Base on Daro. Though Gregor is extracted, Hunter is left behind and captured by Crosshair.
Crosshair brings Hunter to Kamino, hoping to lure the rest of the Bad Batch back. As predicted, the other members infiltrate Kamino and are captured by Crosshair's elite squad. Hunter and the others refuse to accept Crosshair's offer to join the Empire, citing the regime's numerous crimes. Despite this, Crosshair briefly goes back to fighting alongside his brothers against remaining training droids. He then reveals that he had his inhibitor chip removed, likely following their fight on Bracca. Hunter stuns Crosshair and the Bad Batch try to leave just as the Empire begins bombarding the cloning facilities. Crosshair begrudgingly assists in the Bad Batch's escape from the sunken facility and saves Omega from drowning. However, when Hunter asked him to rejoin them, he rejected it and stated he made his choice to stay with the Empire, also revealing he already had his chip. The Bad Batch then leave Crosshair on the platform. His time with his former squadmates softened him though as Crosshair did not report them to the Empire after he was rescued.
The Bad Batch continue to take jobs with Cid and modify their armor at some point. Over the course of several missions, they become acquainted with the pirate Phee Genoa and the former padawan Gungi. Rex later requests the team's help once again after he discovers a mysterious clone assassin working for the Empire. The Bad Batch along with Rex infiltrate Rampart's star destroyer and uncover proof of his attack on Tipoca City. Omega later accompanies Senator Chuchi to the Imperial Senate where the latter exposes Rampart's crime. Unfortunately, Emperor Palpatine used the Clones' complicity in Rampart's attack to push forth the Defense Recruitment Bill, thus officially phasing out clone troopers in favor of Stormtroopers. Following the mission, Echo chooses to stay with Rex to continue fighting for the Clones. On another mission, the Bad Batch encounter a new Zillo Beast which unbeknownst to them, was a specimen belonging to the Advanced Science Division.
Upon returning to the Empire, Crosshair was demoted and continues to be ostracized by other clones yet is still loyal to the regime. Following a mission with his friend Cody that results in the commander's defection, Crosshair's faith in the Empire begins to weaken. He is later sent to an Outpost on Barton IV alongside the xenophobic imperial Lieutenant Nolan. Crosshair befriends Commander Mayday and tries to save him from dying but to no avail. His faith finally broken by Nolan's disregard for Mayday's life, Crosshair shoots the lieutenant and is subsequently captured. He is then taken to the Mount Tantiss facility where Doctor Royce Hemlock asks him to reveal Clone Force 99's location. Inferring that the Empire is after Omega, Crosshair refuses and tries to send a message to his former squad before becoming recaptured.
After receiving Crosshair's message, the Bad Batch learn about the Advanced Science Division and decide to rescue their brother. They track Hemlock to Tarkin's stronghold on Eriadu, hoping to track his ship back to his base. Unfortunately, Saw Gerrera infiltrated the stronghold at the same time and set off explosives that destroyed the Batch's chances of tracking Hemlock. The Bad Batch try to escape but are trapped on the rail-line under heavy fire. With no other option, Tech initiates "Plan 99" and sacrifices his life to allow his squadmates' railcar to escape. They return to Ord Mantell where they try to process Tech's death with Hunter proposing they stay on Pabu. Their plans are dashed when Cid sells out their location to the Empire and Hemlock arrives with a squad of troopers. With Hunter and Wrecker as hostages, Hemlock tries to convince Omega to turn herself. The clone girl refuses but is incapacitated by Scorch. Echo and AZI-3 free Hunter and Wrecker but they are unable to stop Hemlock from taking Omega to Tantiss. Upon arriving, Omega is greeted by the scientist Emerie Karr who reveals she is another female clone and thus Omega's sister.
For the next several months, Omega assisted Nala Se and Emerie with taking blood from the clone prisoners. She befriends a hound who she named Batcher and tries to plan an escape with Crosshair who believes it is impossible. When Emperor Palpatine arrives on Tantiss to inspect the progress on Project Necromancer, Omega and Crosshair try to escape into the jungle. They manage to escape along with Batcher on a captured ship and Hemlock allows it, having learned from Emerie that Omega's blood is necessary for Necromancer's success. At some point, Echo rejoined Rex's Clone Underground while Hunter and Wrecker continued to look for Omega. On one attempt, they find a facility abandoned by Hemlock and rescue three clone cadets stranded there. Omega and Crosshair replace their ship and finally reunite with Hunter and Wrecker.
Members
The squad started off with Hunter, Wrecker, Tech and Crosshair. They also have a gonk droid named Gonky. Following the Battle of Anaxes, Echo joins the squad.
During the Battle of Kaller, Crosshair executes Order 66 due to a tiny modification in his chip. He started to be very conflicted with his brothers after they noticed he was willing to kill a Jedi and innocent civilians as part of the Empire while the rest weren't, but he sticked with them until the effects on his inhibitor chip increased on Tarkin's orders, causing him to desert his brothers and become a villain. However, a young female clone named Omega escapes Kamino with them. Although Hunter tried to have Cut and Suu Lawquane adopt her, she ultimately chose to stay with Clone Force 99 instead, becoming one of them.
Wrecker briefly turns against his brothers after his inhibitor chip activated through traumatic head injuries, although they, along with Rex, subdue him and remove his chip, making him go back to normal. Everybody else had their chips removed as well.
During the destruction of Tipoca City, AZI-3 finds Omega and meets up with the rest of the brothers. He assists The Bad Batch in giving them medical help for their injuries.
After Vice Admiral Rampart's crimes were exposed, Echo chooses to stay behind to help Rex and Riyo Chuchi fight for better lives for the clones. However, he occasionally comes back and assists them with missions. Meanwhile, Crosshair gets upset with the Empire not helping his friend Mayday. Realizing how much he cares for his fellow brothers, he chooses to defect, but ends up getting imprisoned on Mount Tantiss where he tries to warn Clone Force 99 to no avail.
After Tech's sacrifice, they go back to Ord Mantell, where Cid betrays all of the Batch and Omega ends up getting captured and taken to Mount Tantiss for experimenting, leaving only Hunter and Wrecker left. Omega eventually makes her way back to Hunter and Wrecker with the help of Crosshair after escaping Mount Tantiss. Prior to this, she also befriended a hound named Batcher.
Gallery
Trivia
- Clone Force 99 was named in remembrance of 99, a malformed maintenance duty clone who died while aiding the defense of Kamino from the Separatist invasion during the Clone Wars.
