List of essential “Bad Batch” episodes

Sara Edwards
Boardwalk Times
Published in
5 min readApr 12, 2021

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From StarWars.com

With Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiere date practically around the corner, now is the time to binge through The Clone Wars to prepare for this spin-off series.

The Bad Batch will follow the five clones that make up Clone Force 99 as the Republic is becoming the Empire with the rise of Palpatine and Darth Vader. Not many details about the show, like the number of episodes or main plot have been released, but nothing beats the rush of adrenaline I felt when Star Wars released a second official trailer.

The Bad Batch will premiere its first episode on May 4, 2021, with the second episode releasing later that Friday on May 7. Episodes will then be released consecutively on Fridays.

This is the Waycast will also be returning with its second season as Boardwalk Times columnist Giovanni Delgadillo and I recap each episode as they are released on Disney+. Click here to subscribe and get notified when new episodes are released!

But before we can get excited about the new show, it’s time to take a look back at The Clone Wars and the events that have led up to this spin-off series storyline. In chronological order, not release date order, here are the most essential Clone Wars episodes to watch before The Bad Batch is released on Disney+

Season 3 Episode 1: “Clone Cadets”

From Disney+

The Clone Wars had a funny thing about jumping back and forth across the timeline, starting its third season way back around Episode II and before Christophsis with the training of future 501st soldiers. In this episode, we are given an inside look at the training the clones go through before heading into battle. This is also where we’re introduced to 99, the maintenance clone that inspired the name for Clone Force 99.

Season 1, Episode 5: “Rookies”

From Disney+

Now, jumping all the way back to season one, we follow this batch of clones to the Rishi Moon, where the shinies are guarding an outpost from a potential Separatist attack. This is when Echo and Fives’s careers as soldiers really start to take off.

Season 3, Episode 2: “ARC Troopers”

Jumping forward once again, we follow Fives and Echo as they head back to Kamino to defend the cloning facilities and are reunited once again with 99. Throughout this episode, we really see how 99 really wanted to be a soldier and support his brothers even though he hasn’t had the proper training and is held back because he is a “clone-gone-wrong.” This is also the episode where Echo and Fives officially become ARC troopers.

Season 2, Episode 10: “The Deserter”

Rex is injured while tracking General Grievous on Saleucami and encounters a clone that fled the war to become a farmer and have a family. Rumor has it that the clone, Cut, could appear in The Bad Batch.

Season 3, Episode 19: “Counterattack”

The Jedi travel to the Citadel to rescue Master Piell. While this episode has a heavy focus on the Jedi and *cringe* Tarkin, this episode has a huge event in the 501st storyline when Echo is killed in a ship explosion. Not a lot of drama or emphasis is put on Echo’s death but little would we know that it would have a bigger impact on the story than we would realize.

Season 4, Episodes 7–10: Umbara

This story arc is one of my absolute favorites out of the entire Clone Wars series because we watch as Rex and Fives’ leadership is really tested when they are assigned to serve under Jedi General Pong Krell. This episode shows us how resourceful and passionate Fives is as an ARC Trooper and a brother to the other clones while also showing the balancing act Rex has as a connection for the clones to the Jedi.

Season 6, Episodes 1–4: “Conspiracy” story arc

It’s safe to say that Fives is the main character of the 501st because of how much he really contributes to the story and to the discovery of Order 66. This four-episode mystery follows Fives back to Kamino as he tries to figure out why clone trooper Tup killed a Jedi and how he discovered and tried to warn the Republic about Order 66 and the chips implanted in the clones.

Season 7, Episodes 1–4: “The Bad Batch” arc

And here they are! The final season of the Clone Wars starts with the introduction of Clone Force 99. While struggling to gain ground on the planet Anaxis, Cody calls in the Bad Batch to help sneak behind enemy lines only to discover that Echo is in fact alive and has been forced to help the Separatists by revealing Republic plans.

Season 7, Episodes 11 and 12: “Shattered” and “Victory and Death”

The way these last two episodes just shattered my heart into a million pieces. We’re now at the point when the Clone Wars overlaps with Revenge of the Sith as Ahsoka and Rex take a captured Maul back to Coruscant. However, this plan is completely uprooted when the Chancellor executes Order 66 and turns the entire squad of clones against Ahsoka and Maul.

Tune in to This is the Waycast on May 4 for the second season as we recap The Bad Batch episodes as they are released on Disney Plus.

Sara Edwards is the Star Wars Writer for Boardwalk Times.

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Sara Edwards is a columnist and Star Wars reporter for @BoardwalkTimes. She also enjoys photography, true crime podcasts and ramen.