It’s official – The Bad Batch will return for Season 3, but it will be its last.
During a panel at Star Wars Celebration in London, the popular Star Wars animated show was officially renewed for a third season.
“I can say that the story's not over," said the show's writer, Jennifer Corbett. "The Bad Batch will be back for a third and final season."
The announcement was followed by a sneak peek at the upcoming third season which seems to also feature The Mandalorian character, Fennec Shand.
The Bad Batch follows the exploits of Clone Force 99, a batch of faulty Clone Troopers who failed to rise up against the Jedi during Order 66.
Becoming fugitives from the Empire, this elite squad takes on mercenary missions across the galaxy while also trying to evade the clutches of their Imperial creators. By the end of the second series, they hit more than a few bumps in the road.
Spoilers for the Season 2 finale of The Bad Batch follow.
Fan-favourite Tech (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) seemingly sacrificed himself in the Season 2 finale, while the squad finale managed to rescue Crosshair (also voiced by Baker). Appearing to plunge to his death, it looks as though Tech’s days are numbered… but could he be back?
"Never in my wildest dreams did I expect we were going to lose someone from the Batch," said Omega voice actress, Michelle Ang. "To read that script and sense it coming, it was like, 'No, really? It can’t be!' He doesn’t come back in this episode at least. It was really emotional.”
Whether or not Tech returns, Omega (voiced by Michelle Ang) will likely have to do without her begrudging father figure, at least for a little while. Moving into Season 3, she’s going to have to step up… and do it on her own.
"It makes sense – at least the journey Omega had with Tech feels like a strong, complete arc," she added. "We got to understand each other better, he got to be his version of a big brother. Tech imparted most of his technical knowledge and all of that stuff – Omega really absorbed all of that."
"It’s difficult for me to say goodbye to any of the clones," said Tech's voice actor, Dee Bradley Baker. "But one that has such an established story and one that I relate to more than any of the clones, it’s not easy. I try to console myself with the thought that his sacrifice was heroic and intentional and no less than any clone would wish for their final moment of service to their fellow soldiers. It’s choreographed in such a heroic way that it really knocked me out.”
IGN’s Bad Batch Season 2 review gave it 8/10 and said: “Whatever you may personally think of Experimental Clone Force 99, the value of The Bad Batch as a series really lies in how it illuminates the era the story takes place in on the Star Wars canon timeline. The mission-to-mission arcs, meanwhile, are fun, although at times a little repetitive. But the animation and production quality are once again top-notch, and The Bad Batch Season 2 is a great way to kick off 2023 for Star Wars fans.”
Want to read more about Bad Batch? Check out what the Season 2 finale means for the future of the show as well as the troubling theory that the Bad Batch may be destined to become Dark Troopers.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/star-wars-the-bad-batch-season-3-has-been-confirmed