Star Wars: How The Bad Batch Sets Up Stormtroopers Replacing Clones

With the prequel trilogy of Star Wars films detailing how clone troopers became the infantry for the Republic and with the original trilogy famously featuring stormtroopers, some fans have wondered what the process was of evolving one trooper into another, with the premiere episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch potentially setting the stage for how the transition occurred. The process isn’t entirely a mystery, with various stories across the franchise teasing how the Galactic Empire found its recruits, but Bad Batch might be poising itself to more explicitly detail that process. New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch debut on Disney+ every Friday.

As explored in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, a cloning facility in Kamino used genetic material from Jango Fett to amass an army of loyal clone troopers. Clone Force 99, known as the “Bad Batch” of clones, were an experimental squad that were rejected from the rest of the armada though proved themselves to have impressive traits that made them superior to the rest of the clones in some areas.

The premiere episode of The Bad Batch, “Aftermath,” depicted Clone Force 99 carrying out an impressive mission, despite them largely failing to carry out Palpatine’s Order 66, which triggered the rest of the clone army to eradicate Jedi. Wilhuff Tarkin (who would go on to become a Grand Admiral) demanded a demonstration of the Bad Batch’s abilities in combat after learning of their notoriety, with the Imperial leader ultimately impressed with what he witnessed.

In “Aftermath,” Tarkin admits that having members of the Imperial army who weren’t all genetically and at least somewhat mentally identical with one another could come with some advantages. With this merely being the premiere episode of the series and with it taking place so soon after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, we don’t expect clones to be entirely abandoned in the imminent future, but with adventures like Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars Rebels taking place only a few years after the events of Bad Batch, this scene likely marks Tarkin’s inspiration to enlist soldiers into the Galactic Empire as opposed to merely using the expensive clones to serve as fodder on the front lines.

Of course, the genetic enhancements of the Bad Batch will surely result in Tarkin wanting to pursue more experimental warriors, while fans know that the Empire will ultimately change their tactics when it comes to enlistment.

New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch debut on Disney+ every Friday.

Do you think this is the start of the Empire abandoning clones? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!