Star Wars: The Bad Batch introduces the new character Omega, who fixes one of The Mandalorian’s biggest Baby Yoda problems. The new show takes place directly after the events of The Clone Wars during the early days of the Galactic Empire. After learning of Palpatine’s more sinister intentions, the titular Bad Batch, a.k.a. Clone Force 99, flee Kamino and the Empire with Omega, a young and mysterious Jango Fett clone.

In many ways, the core emotional story of The Bad Batch so far has mirrored that of The Mandalorian. In the latter show, Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin’s life becomes a bit more complicated after he rescues and comes to care for Grogu, the young Force adept known commonly by fans as Baby Yoda. Din’s journey is one of emotional vulnerability, as he learns to sacrifice and change his lifestyle in the interest of protecting the child. Omega plays a very similar role in the lives of Clone Force 99, particularly Hunter, creating the same kind of seasoned soldier and child dynamic.

Related: Star Wars Theory: Bad Batch's Omega Is A Force-Sensitive Clone

Omega is different from Baby Yoda in one key way, however, and that change has fixed one of The Mandalorian’s biggest problems. Simply put, Grogu was never much of a character. He was adorable and easily likable, but his role in the story was more as a plot device than a proper character, at least according to a number of fans. After a time, Grogu’s lack of character development became one of the more common criticisms leveled against the show.

Omega and Clone Force 99 in The bad Batch

By contrast, Omega is a fully developed, fully independent character who has plenty going on internally in addition to her relationships with the members of the Bad Batch. So far, Omega has proven to be one of the series’ most interesting characters, and not just because of her mysterious origins. The way she differs from the rest of the core characters gives a nice balance to the storytelling and tone of The Bad Batch, and her unique persona promises some exciting storylines as she develops further.

Grogu became an instant hit with viewers of The Mandalorian, and with very good reason. He was adorable and provided moments of levity and situational humor needed to balance out Din's largely taciturn nature. But he never became the kind of fully-realized, new Star Wars character that Ahsoka did in The Clone Wars, or that Sabine and Ezra did in Star Wars: Rebels. Omega is off to a much stronger start in that regard in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and it should be exciting to see where her character goes as the series continues.

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