The first two episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch show the Empire tightening its grip on the Star Wars galaxy, and better explain how the Jedi were so quickly forgotten. Star Wars: The Bad Batch picks up at the end of the Clone Wars, opening with the execution of Order 66, and then showing Emperor Palpatine announcing the commencement of the Galactic Empire. These events not only run concurrently with parts of both Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7, but serve to give greater understanding of the future too.

It's established early in Star Wars that the galaxy has largely forgotten about the Jedi. They're seen as the stuff of myths and legends, a force that no longer exists and many believe consigned to ancient history. While that makes more sense in the original trilogy, it's made weirder by the prequels, which shows a galaxy full of Jedi. Not only that, but they're key allies of the Republic, and they have worked together for generations. So with the Jedi numbering in the thousands and playing such a key role across the galaxy, just how were they so quickly forgotten by people?

Related: Order 66 Did More Than Just Make Clones Kill The Jedi

The Bad Batch episodes 1 and 2 provide good context for this shift, because it shows just how fast the Empire was established and mobilized its forces. Within the immediate aftermath of Order 66 -which left only a few apparent survivors, though various canon sources have increased that number - Palpatine started to expand his operations, ensuring the Empire's control of the galaxy. These changes appear to be very swift: in particular, Stormtroopers are already beginning to replace clone troopers, and the Empire has implemented the use of chain codes as another form of both control and information gathering, with the use of them seemingly spreading almost instantaneously.

Commander Cody looking at a Palpatine hologram in Star Wars

These rapid changes to the galaxy help show how the Jedi could be forgotten, because if the Empire can do so much in just a few days, then it could do a lot more in 19 years. This is all combined with other elements of Palpatine's plan that have previously been shown in canon: for instance, the Emperor wiped all record of the Jedi from what was the Jedi Archives on Coruscant. That itself happened within around a year of the Empire taking control, further showing just how quickly Palpatine moved in order to build on Order 66 and extinguish the light of the Jedi. Palpatine and his Imperial forces would then spend decades spreading fear, misinformation, and propaganda, all of which were effective tools in ensuring a firm grip on the galaxy and thus making any remembrance of the Jedi be stamped out. Anyone who did remember the Jedi would have been unlikely to discuss them, because to do so would carry great risk; plenty of people may never have met the Jedi or known them, and so it's easier to see how that flame burned out.

With this is the fact that Order 66 sent all surviving Jedi into exile or hiding, including the likes of Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. This means that the Jedi themselves did not actually want to be known, and so with neither side keen on promoting any remembrance of the Jedi, then it becomes less surprising that they were forgotten by the time of the original trilogy. Star Wars: The Bad Batch is already doing a great job of fleshing out the early days of the Empire's rule, and that includes the end of the Jedi Order too.

Next: Every Jedi Alive During The Bad Batch (& Where They Are)

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