Warning! SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2, episodes 7 & 8.Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 may have just answered one of Star Wars’ most complicated debates about Captain Rex, explaining his role in Return of the Jedi. . When Return of the Jedi was released in 1983, no one paid much attention to one of the background Rebels during the battle of Endor. The Rebel—later identified as Nik Sant in a file fact from 2002—stood out among the rest of the crew on Endor since he was much older than the rest. It was only after Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels that fans began to think Nik Sant could be Dee Bradley Baker’s most famous clone, Captain Rex.
Given clones have an accelerated growth rate, it’s entirely possible for Rex to be in Return of the Jedi as an older man. Sabine Wren confirmed in Star Wars Rebels that Rex was present at the Battle of Endor, but whether he was seen on-screen in Return of the Jedi remains in canon limbo. Star Wars seems reluctant to retcon Nik Sant’s character in favor of turning him into Rex. And while Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 has not confirmed whether he is in fact Nik Sant, it has explained more about why he fought for the Rebel Alliance in the first place.
The Bad Batch Explains Exactly Why Rex Fought The Empire For So Long
Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2, episode 7 shows Rex trying to help Senator Riyo Chuchi secure proof that Vice Admiral Rampart intentionally destroyed Kamino. If the group had succeeded in bringing the truth to the Senate, then not only would Kamino’s destruction have meant something, but Senator Chuchi also hoped to stop the decommissioning of the clone army - and the advent of the stormtrooper program. She failed, however, underestimating Palpatine's genius. The clones were cast aside by the Emperor - but even though his wars are technically over, Rex was still dedicated to finding a way to fight for his brothers and the Republic he believed in.
Many of the clones in Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode express the same sentiment. None of them want to be decommissioned, because fighting is all they have ever known. The clones have all been conditioned and taught to fight from their inception, and this helps explain why Rex couldn’t just retire and move on with his life under the Empire. Between Rebels and ROTJ, Rex continued to fight for the Rebellion because, to him, there was nothing else to do. The clones who did not fight ended up like Temuera Morrison’s cameo in Kenobi—washed up and begging for money.
Will Star Wars Ever Confirm Rex's Return Of The Jedi Role?
Star Wars: The Bad Batch has helped confirm why Rex—and many of the other clones—felt the need to keep fighting after the Clone Wars had ended. But Rex’s precise role in the Battle of Endor still remains in question. If he is indeed Nik Sant, then he fought right alongside Rebellion heroes like Han Solo and Leia Organa. But it is also possible that he took part in the starship battle above the planet. Given that Star Wars continues to pump out spin-offs that lead up to the original trilogy like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Andor, it’s likely that one day fans will see more of what happened during the Battle of Endor.
Since Dave Filoni clearly loves Rex as a character, it is not out of the question for Star Wars to retcon Nik Sant in favor of adding Rex. Filoni—who is aware of the fan theory already—even joked he would rewrite canon to make it happen (via Slashfilm). But until that day comes, it seems like Nik Sant and Captain Rex will remain separate characters. Nevertheless, Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 has gone a long way in explaining why Rex still felt the need to fight in Return of the Jedi, despite being so much older than other members of the Rebel Alliance.
New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch release every Wednesday on Disney+.