Will The Bad Batch’s Season 3 Finale Set Up The Next Star Wars Animated TV Show?

Summary

• The Bad Batch’s series finale may hide a major new development in the Star Wars universe.
• The show has become essential in Disney’s new canon, revealing key details about Palpatine and more.
• The future of Star Wars animation remains a mystery, paving the way for new stories and revelations.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch‘s season 3 finale airs next week, and there’s still no word about the next animated Star Wars project – what if the series finale is hiding a major new development? Originally marketed as a direct continuation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch has become something more – it’s not just a story about the aftermath of Order 66 and Clone Force 99’s life within the Empire. It has also set up countless narrative threads that lead through to the New Republic and the Star Wars sequel trilogy, too.

As such, it’s arguably become Star Wars‘ most important animated TV project in Disney’s new canon, perhaps even more so than The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Without Star Wars: The Bad Batchfor instance, Palpatine’s resurrection would still be a convoluted mystery. And yet, The Bad Batch is still, at heart, the story of Clone Force 99 and their “adopted” sister. Once that story ends, where will Star Wars animation head next? At this point, the only confirmed animated project on the horizon is Star Wars: Tales of the Empirebut The Bad Batch‘s series finale could reveal something entirely new.

The Bad Batch Season 3 Is The End Of A Specific Story

The Bad Batch has been responsible for expanding the audience’s understanding of Palpatine’s cloning plans, explaining how the clone troopers were phased out in favor of stormtroopers, and reintroducing old favorite characters such as Cad Bane, Asajj Ventress, and more. But all those things happened to Clone Force 99. The story has never been solely about studying the aftermath of the Clone Wars. The audience learns everything about Palpatine, Tantiss, the stormtrooper program, and more because it is shown through the Bad Batch’s eyes. Would Clone Force 99 have gotten so involved if it weren’t for Omega? No. This is still, above all, their story.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch
‘s series finale premieres Wednesday, May 1, only on Disney+.

Since The Bad Batch‘s season 3 finale is the series finale, too, it stands to reason that Clone Force 99’s role in this era of Star Wars is coming to an end. Whether that be because of a tragic, untimely death or because they simply find a place to live out the rest of their lives in peace with one another remains to be seen. If, hypothetically, Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair manage to rescue Omega and burn down Tantiss, what will be left for them beyond a few minor appearances in something new? They’ll have done their part. It will be someone else’s turn.

So Many Bad Batch Spinoff Stories Have Been Left Untold

Throughout their travels, Clone Force 99 has encountered many new and compelling characters as well as familiar favorites, too. In three seasons, The Bad Batch has introduced plenty of plot threads that The Bad Batch itself doesn’t necessarily need to resolve. An animated show focusing solely on the goings-on within the Empire might be tantalizing, especially with Star Wars: Tales of the Empire airing so soon after The Bad Batch ends. On the other hand, what if Captain Rex were to lead a clone uprising in the next animated series, or Star Wars decides to focus on bounty hunters, like Asajj Ventress, Fennec Shand, and Cad Bane?

Asajj Ventress’ return is particularly interesting. They must have brought her back for a reason. Though the character had a major role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, she later canonically died in the novel Star Wars: Dark Disciple by Christie Golden. So how and why has she returned in The Bad Batch? With the Nightsisters now becoming major players once again in other Star Wars stories, particularly in Ahsoka, Tales of the Empireand the Star Wars Jedi games, who’s to say that Ventress can’t be at the center of it all in an upcoming animated series?

The Future Of Star Wars Animation Is Still A Mystery – But Why?

For some reason, Star Wars has refused to share what the future of the franchise’s animated slate looks like beyond Tales of the Empire. Why hold off on announcing something so important? Logically speaking, this could only mean one thing: The Bad Batch series finale sets up Star Wars‘ next mainline animated series. Perhaps something happens while Clone Force 99, Omega, and the other child subjects try to escape Dr. Hemlock’s base. Perhaps Rex and Echo’s uprising begins right then and there. Maybe a new revelation about the unaltered clones and their genetic makeup changes everything that was known about the Force.

Even the Empire’s young test subjects could be the focus of a new series – if they are Force-sensitive, their lives could be very difficult even after escaping Hemlock’s clutches. Though it’s a shame that The Bad Batch is coming to an end, there’s a wealth of stories Star Wars can still explore in animated form. Hopefully, what that next story will be will soon become clear. Star Wars animation has historically been used to fill in the gaps between Star Wars’ major stories and, as a result, elevate those stories to new heights, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch has fulfilled that purpose beautifully.