The next Star Wars series is fast approaching, with The Bad Batch, the follow up to the beloved The Clone Wars show, debuting on Disney+ with a seventy-minute premiere on May the 4th. Fans are firmly in the sweet spot of anticipation, with the latest official trailer released from Disney and Lucasfilm detailing more of what we can expect from the series, including some familiar characters.
Joining Clone Force 99 in the new show will be characters from The Clone Wars and other Star Wars media. Given the show's plot and everything we know about it thus far, some other characters seem likely, with some having been heavily speculated about by fans for months now.
Rumored - The Inquisitorius (& Possibly Surviving Jedi)
The beginning of the Empire did not necessarily mark the end of all Jedi. Sidious was smart enough to realize it would be improbable that every Jedi in the Galaxy were to be wiped out by Order 66 and that there would be stragglers.
That is where Vader's Inquisitorius program comes in. The Inquisitorius have been prominent in Vader's comics, as well as Rebels and Jedi: Fallen Order, and are fantastic villains who would fit perfectly in this show, not necessarily as enemies of the Bad Batch but perhaps of surviving Jedi like Quinlan Vos that Clone Force 99 encounter. This show would also be the perfect place to answer the age-old question of what happened to Barriss Offee? Did she become an Inquisitor, as so many fans believe?
Confirmed - Grand Moff Tarkin
The joint oldest, as well as one of the most iconic Star Wars villains of all time, is Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, an Imperial Grand Moff who made his debut in A New Hope and has popped up in various bits of content ever since.
Tarkin had an interesting role in The Clone Wars, popping up on a couple of occasions as just the most hatable Republic officer with a distaste for the Jedi and a love for Order. He was confirmed to return in this series as many fans thought he might come in the first trailer, with his role in the series expanded upon in the second.
Rumored - Commander Cody
As one of the most well-known and beloved clones in all of Star Wars, Commander Cody is a character who is bittersweet to watch on screen because as developed and liked by fans as he is, everyone knows he ended up executing Order 66 without a second thought.
He is a character most fans are banking on appearing in the show. Everyone wants to see him and Rex interact post-Order 66 and find out whether or not he knows about his inhibitor chip and how he feels about it. There is potential that Cody could end up an antagonist of the series, but even seeing him pop up and answer a couple of questions would be good enough.
Confirmed - Fennec Shand
Fennec Shand is a bounty hunter - a skillful one at that - becoming one of the best original characters to come out of The Mandalorian, surprising audiences with her talent in season one, as well as her return in season two.
Before she plays a vital role in The Book Of Boba Fett, Shand will play what is as of now a relatively unclear role in The Bad Batch after appearing in both trailers. It seems as though she is hunting Clone Force 99, likely hired by the Empire, but that is not for definite, and there is potential she could become a protagonist.
Rumored - A Variety of Bounty Hunters
With the second trailer confirming that Tarkin and the Empire want Clone Force 99 wiped out and Fennec Shand seemingly stepping up to that challenge, there is a lot of room for more bounty hunters to appear.
Bounty hunters played a huge role in The Clone Wars, and a lot of them had unfinished stories or have more stories to be told. Characters like Bossk, Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, and, of course, Boba Fett could all interact with the characters, and other more unlikely potential criminals and bounty hunters such as Embo, Tobias Beckett, and Hondo could make cameo appearances also.
Confirmed - Saw Gerrera
Few characters in Star Wars walk the moral tightrope to such an extreme extent as Saw Gerrera. He is the character who most represents fighting for the right cause in what is arguably the wrong way.
He is a fascinating character introduced in The Clone Wars, and the second Bad Batch trailer revealed he would be returning in the series, looking more and more like Forrest Whittaker's live-action version of the character. It appears as though, once again, Saw will be the source of moral dilemmas for the main protagonists.
Rumored - Ahsoka Tano
There is no hotter commodity in Star Wars than Ahsoka Tano, who seems to be able to fit into nearly every single Star Wars series on the horizon, with her story continuing to expand every few months.
While she is in danger of becoming a bit stale due to her being used in such a variety of content, there is no doubt that she is one of Star Wars' best characters. As long as it is not a huge role, Ahsoka would fit very well into The Bad Batch alongside her greatest friend.
Confirmed - Captain Rex
Captain Rex is one of the most well-known and beloved clone troopers who was one of the main characters of The Clone Wars alongside Ahsoka and who had a fantastic role in Rebels also.
Most fans were betting on Rex appearing in The Bad Batch. It was surprising, though, that Lucasfilm and Disney decided to casually show him off in the second trailer rather than keep him a little under wraps. That indicates there may be bigger surprises ahead, but either way, we are all excited for Rex to appear and perhaps answer some key questions.
Rumored - Wolffe & Gregor
One set of questions that have been on fan's minds since Rex arrived in Star Wars: Rebels revolve around Commander's Wolffe and Gregor; what happened with the two Clone War heroes? How did they remove their chips? Did they partake in Order 66?
With Rex appearing in the series and clones and their identity being a crucial part of the show, it would be a safe bet that Wolffe and Gregor will appear. There are plenty of clones whose fates post-Order 66 fans want to know about, but given Rebels' events, few are wanted in this show more than Wolffe and Gregor.
Rumored - Crimson Dawn
The Siege of Mandalore provided an unexpected cameo in the form of Dryden Vos, where he is seen for only a few seconds talking to Maul in a hologram with other members of the Shadow Collective. That cameo could be indicative of more appearances on-screen.
With bounty hunters and other criminals involved in the show, having members of Crimson Dawn appear in the show is far from impossible. It is unlikely Maul will appear - although you never know - however, appearances from leaders of the sub-groups of the Shadow Collective, like Vos, are on the table.