The hotly anticipated trailer for The Bad Batch’s second season got released at the show’s panel at Star Wars Celebration and proved to be one of the hits of the entire event. The trailer looks awesome, setting up an epic season following the returning Clone Force 99. However, they were not the only characters that the trailer focused on, and that may well be the most exciting thing about it.
Fans learned a lot from the trailer which showcased a slew of characters, both good and bad, both new and returning, all of whom will have an impact on the lives of Clone Force 99 and on whatever their story is as a part of the Galaxy in the show’s second season.
Cid
The Trandoshan Cid will be returning for The Bad Batch’s second season following her role in season 1, which saw her help Clone Force 99 survive in the Galaxy and figure out what they wanted to be going forward.
Despite the time jump in the second season, Cid and her parlor will still be used by Clone Force 99, either for intel or even perhaps for missions. It is unclear how much better off the Bad Batch are in this season, but there is even a line in the trailer stating that they need all the help they can get, so a knowledgable ally like Cid will be handy to them.
Admiral Rampart
In the first season, the role of the antagonist was pretty much split between Tarkin and Crosshair, with Admiral Rampart playing a kind of secondary villain encouraging the ushering in of a new era, one without clones that would see them cast aside. While Tarkin may not be coming back, Rampart will be.
Whether it is against Clone Force 99 or some other enemy to the Empire, Rampart looks to be getting his hands a bit dirtier this season, wielding a blaster in the trailer. As Clone Force 99 build-up allies – with Wookiees and Imperial prisoners showcased in the trailer – Rampart may be faced with much harder challenges in his quest for clone removal and in the small role he plays in implementing tyranny on the Galaxy.
A Zillo Beast
Not a character per se, but rather a semi-sentient, enormous creature, the Zillo Beast has been the topic of much debate over the years, as one pretty much disappeared after The Clone Wars despite Palpatine’s intentions to try cloning the beast.
Although it looks like a different, smaller Zillo Beast, there is still a Zillo Beast in the trailer, and it may well be a critical step in the cloning process that leads Palpatine to life after death. This particular Zillo Beast may be a crucial part of the Mt. Tantiss aspect of the show’s second season, with that location confirmed to be returning.
Clone Commandos
Even though clone troopers are being phased out of the Empire at this time, they are still being used prominently and can be seen throughout this trailer. More interesting than the basic clones, though, is the presence of the scarcely seen clone Commandos.
From what audiences can see in the trailer, they can be seen hoarding prisoners, or so it seems anyway. It will be fascinating to find out what these people are imprisoned for, or if they are even indeed prisoners. These are elite troopers who could very well be a good match for the Bad Batch should they face off in battle.
Emperor Palpatine (& Mas Amedda)
Arguably the most goosebump-inducing moment of the entire trailer, which is terrific in its entirety, is the moment in which Emperor Palpatine appears. Flanked by Mas Amedda in the Imperial Senate, he states, “It is time for the new era.”
The truly fascinating, if not totally terrifying, part of Palpatine’s appearance in the trailer is the fact that Omega is watching on from a distance. Should she be put in danger, Lucasfilm would have riots on their hands. There seem to be so many elements in play in this season, and Star Wars’ most powerful villain may be at the center of all of them.
Rex
On a happier note, the trailer confirmed the return of Star Wars’ most beloved clone, Captain Rex, who may well have a more prominent role as the stakes increase for Clone Force 99 and they fight on more Galaxy-changing fronts.
What will be interesting with Rex in this season is whether it sheds any light on his route into Rebels or not. Fans are still patiently awaiting the return of Wolffe, as well as the story of how the three actually got together. This may be ignored at this point due to it not being deemed necessary for this story (which may well be the case), or the seeds could be planted, especially since Gregor has already debuted in the show.
Cody (With Crosshair)
The long-awaited return of the beloved clone trooper Commander Cody is finally happening, with him appearing in a few shots of the new trailer.
In both versions, most of his appearances come alongside Crosshair, with the two looking to be teaming up, perhaps on the hunt for Clone Force 99, throughout the season. Crosshair’s seemingly unwavering loyalty to the Empire makes this dynamic even more interesting, as Cody appears to be having doubts about them. Everyone is happy to see Cody back in Star Wars no matter what happens.
Gungi
The most surprising character revealed in the trailer was unquestionably Gungi, the Wookiee Jedi Padawan, who can be seen in The Clone Wars. His return has left many Star Wars fans jubilant.
There appear to be more Wookiees appearing in the show, as there is a quick shot of a Wookiee warrior, presumably on Kashyyyk, which may be where Gungi ends up. It will be both interesting and emotional to find out if there were others from his group of Jedi Padawans who survived Order 66, and it will be even more so if any of them reside in Mt. Tantiss under the capture of the Emperor.
