The latest episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch suggests that there are more clone troopers who disobeyed Order 66 than shown in other Star Wars properties so far. Season 1, episode 7, “Battle Scars” sees the much-anticipated return of the fan-favorite clone trooper Captain Rex, who helps the renegade Bad Batch clones remove their control chips to preserve their free will. Rex, who was briefly controlled by his implant in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, implies that there are other clone troopers throughout the galaxy who could be saved from Imperial brainwashing. As shown in Star Wars Rebels, an older Rex lives on Seelos for years alongside Wolffe and Gregor, two more clones who removed their implants. What other clones might join Rex and the Bad Batch in deserting the Empire?
Order 66 was, tragically, the true purpose of the clone troopers. The fundamentally good men were used by Darth Sidious to gain the trust of the Jedi on the battlefields of the Clone Wars before assassinating them to facilitate the Sith Lord’s coup. To ensure their compliance, all clone troopers were given inhibitor chip implants while they were embryos. The implant was dormant until the order was given, where it compelled the clones to kill all Jedi and changed their personalities in the process. While some clones managed to remove their chips (or, in the case of the Bad Batch, prove mostly immune to them), the majority of the clone army was brainwashed into Sith servitude.
Thanks to the Martez sisters, Captain Rex tracks down the Bad Batch and helps the clone super-soldiers get rid of their implants, protecting them from potential Imperial brainwashing. Rex mentions that few clones were immune to their Order 66 programming, indicating that there may be more clones who were unaffected by their implants. This creates several fascinating possibilities. The Bad Batch members are all uniquely modified clones, and their immunity to their control chips is an unintended side effect of this. There may be standard clones (“regs”) who are also immune to their chips for various reasons. Moreover, there could be other clone characters who avoid their brainwashing, aside from the ones already shown in Star Wars canon material.
One possible explanation for additional standard clones avoiding their implant’s influence is that there are clones who were incapacitated or otherwise unable to receive Order 66 when it was issued. Their implants wouldn’t activate in this case. Another possibility is that there are clones whose chips were damaged by head trauma or unintended mutations. Just as Bad Batch team member Wrecker’s chip was activated by multiple blows to the head, perhaps a standard clone’s chip could be rendered inoperable by the same mechanics. Some clones, like Hardcase and Tup, had unintended attributes, such as hyperactivity or, in Tup’s case, a faulty implant that activated prematurely. There may be clones whose chips were similarly rendered inoperable.
Aside from Rex, Cut Lawquane, and the Bad Batch, few known clones broke away from the Empire. Rex’s dialogue may explain how he came into contact with Wolffe and Gregor, and it could also lead to more familiar clone characters being confirmed to overcome their implants. This may also indicate Rex’s mission in the aftermath of Palpatine’s coup. As shown in his conversation with Hunter, Rex seeks to defend the Republic, even after it’s been replaced by the Empire. Given the clone army’s incredible fighting prowess in the Star Wars saga, Rex may be seeking out other clones who didn’t follow Order 66 to rise against the Empire during the events of Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
