The newest Star Wars TV show is here, and it is another venture into animation spearheaded by the man who can seem to do no wrong at the moment, Dave Filoni. The Bad Batch is a direct continuation of The Clone Wars, and its hour-long premiere lived up to the legacy of its predecessor, building on the characters audiences were introduced to in the former's final season.
With Clone Force 99 now out on their own in the Galaxy, away from the constructs of a Galactic Republic but hunted by the newly formed Galactic Empire, there is a lot the group will need to learn and many ways they will need to adapt and survive. Luckily, there are many fantastic characters around who can help them with just that.
Captain Rex
Captain Rex makes a brief appearance in the trailer for The Bad Batch, a move that surprised many who thought his inevitable appearance in the show would make for a surprise showing for fans.
Nevertheless, fans know Rex will be appearing, so it is not so much a case of if he could help Clone Force 99, but rather, how much will he help them. Rex could be on his own mission, during which he has a chance encounter with the clones, or the group could be seeking out other clones to help their cause, a call which Rex answers. Hopefully, his role in the show is more than just one singular mission.
Ahsoka Tano
Where there is Captain Rex, Ahsoka Tano tends to be not far behind, and vice-versa. At this point in The Bad Batch story, Ahsoka and Rex would have just been finished burying the fallen clones, so what is their next move?
They may break away from one another and go on separate missions. While Star Wars is at risk of overexposing Ahsoka by putting her in this show, it is still a genuine possibility to have her be an ally to Clone Force 99.
Saw Gerrera
Saw Gerrera made his appearance in The Bad Batch in the premiere, with a character model slightly updated from The Clone Wars as his journey brings him closer to Forrest Whittaker's Rogue One portrayal of the character.
Since Saw already appeared, it is entirely possible that he is finished with the show. However, given the advice he gives Hunter and Clone Force 99, it is possible that the two work together to help refugees on Onderon, or even in a small, very early act of rebellion against the Empire.
Cut Luquane
At the end of the premiere episode, Hunter proclaims he knows a guy and sets the group on route for sector J-19. What is sector J-19? It is Salucami, a planet fans of The Clone Wars are familiar with.
This is the world where Rex comes across a clone deserter by the name of Cut Luquane, who took up a new life as a farmer with a family. It is safe to assume he is the individual Hunter is referring to, and that would be both a deep cut and a great addition to the show, seeing a clone who, presumably, still has his chip but was nowhere near the action when Order 66 was given.
Hondo Onaka
A constant in both The Clone Wars and Rebels, Hondo Ohnaka is a pirate, a swindler, a morally grey character who flips so easily from good to bad and bad to good, and is also one of the best recurring side characters in Star Wars animation.
Should Clone Force 99 be looking for ways to survive in the harsh Galaxy, Hondo Ohnaka would be a great character to help them in that regard. The show looks bound to show off some of the scum and villainy in the Galaxy, and Hondo has done it so well in the past and would not be out of place here.
Quinlan Vos
What a mystery Quinlan Vos is. The Jedi Master is widely believed to have survived Order 66, but nobody knows where he is, where he was when the Order was given, or what his fate in the Galaxy was.
Vos was a maverick Jedi and likely would have far less trouble adapting to the new Galaxy as other, more arrogant Jedi would. Vos is being hunted by the Inquisitorius and the Empire, and Clone Force 99 are on the run also; if any Jedi is a prime candidate to make an appearance and help the group, it is Vos.
Commander Wolffe
One of the many standout clones that fans get to know throughout The Clone Wars was Commander Wolffe of the Wolfpack and the 104th Batallion under beloved Jedi Plo Koon. He also was a shock inclusion in Star Wars: Rebels.
Wolffe, more so than the two clones alongside him in Rebels, seemed to hold more guilt about the destruction of the Jedi, as well as more fear of them because of it. His story towards removing his inhibitor chip is fascinating. If there is any show to explore it, The Bad Batch is it, and Clone Force 99 will likely be an ally to Wolffe, and vice versa, if this happens.
Gregor
Alongside Rex and Wolffe in Star Wars: Rebels was the even more surprising clone commando Gregor, a character who appeared in only one episode of The Clone Wars, as both a complete badass and a character thought to have died to save D-squad.
His story of removing his chip is another fascinating one, especially since he was not involved in the war to the extent of the likes of Wolffe and Rex. Perhaps Clone Force 99 finds him or perhaps Rex finds him; either way, he could make for another fantastic clone ally to the enhanced group.
Bounty Hunters
Fennec Shand was one of the characters confirmed to be appearing in The Bad Batch through the trailers, but even after the premiere, her role in the story is not 100% clear. It seems she is hunting the group, but she could also be an ally. She is also not the only bounty hunter who could work alongside the group.
The morally grey choices narrative the show seems to be leaning towards could mean Clone Force 99 is forced into taking mercenary jobs for criminals, and that could pair them up with other famous bounty hunters like Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, and more. Although, there is a serious 50/50 chance of them either being allies or enemies, with the Empire obviously wanting their hands on the group.
Crimson Dawn
Speaking of criminals, more likely to be 'allies' to the Bad Batch throughout the show are not so much the bounty hunters and mercenaries, but rather those who employ them, crime syndicates like the Crimson Dawn.
Dryden Vos makes a very brief cameo in The Clone Wars' final season in a hologram to Maul; with the character model already created; he is ready and waiting to be used in this show. Maul is a totally other debate and seems fairly unlikely, but Vos could be a great addition to the show as the one who gives Clone Force 99 jobs a chance at survival in the Galaxy, however hard those moral decisions may be. Like the bounty hunters, there is also a good chance the Crimson Dawn or other crime groups could end up being enemies of Clone Force 99 rather than friends.