Anytime a new The Bad Batch was no different, with speculation being rampant for months leading up to its trailers and premiere episode.
Now, the series is here, and the hour-long premiere packed so much into it, giving fans not only a lot of reasons to be excited for the rest of the show, but also answers and confirmations to many a theory and rumor that have surrounded the show these past few months.
Cut Luquane
This is not necessarily confirmed until the May 8th episode of The Bad Batch is released; however, it seems unlikely anyone else could be getting referred to at the end of the premiere episode.
As the group escapes from Kamino, regroup and try to figure out what they can do and where they can go in the Galaxy as a group of defective clones opposing the Empire, Hunter proclaims he knows a guy. This guy resides in The Clone Wars when Rex encountered a deserter clone named Cut Luquane. It seems unlikely to be anyone else, and with his appearance in the show, he confirms a fan theory that he is one of the many clones who could appear in the show.
Clone Force 99's Enhancements Hindered The Inhibitor Chips
As soon as Clone Force 99 was introduced in the Bad Batch arc, fans speculated about what their enhancements meant for the inhibitor chips, what it meant for their role in Order 66. The season premiere swiftly answered this.
The enhancements of Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair suppressed the effects of the inhibitor chip, meaning that Order 66 did not have the same effects on them. Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech all look as though they are totally immune to the chips, something that many predicted was the case, with few fans believing their chips would work as smoothly as the 'regs.'
Echo's Chip Got Damaged
Of course, Echo is not technically an enhanced clone; he did not come out of Kamino with special abilities or become known as defective; he was a reg, a member of the domino squad and the 501st Legion.
Then, everything went down at the Citadel and on Skako Minor, and Echo changed, became different from most of his brothers, and ed Clone Force 99. Many wondered if everything that happened to him would result in his inhibitor chip being defective or straight-up broken, and the premiere, alongside some added info from Tech, confirmed this.
Clone Force 99 Do Not Want To Be A Part Of The Empire
It was made very clear in the trailers that Clone Force 99 would not be allied with the Empire, but the question presented seemed to be whether the Empire would squeeze out Clone Force 99 and try and eliminate them, or would Clone Force 99's conscience lead them away from the Empire.
It ended up being a mixture of both. The group obviously was not on board with the Empire but was going along with things until they were sent to kill innocent refugees and were charged with treason for refusing to do so. Clone Force 99 is actively against what the Empire is trying to do, and as the trailers showed fans, they are being hunted for it.
All Except For Crosshair
However, the point about inhibitor chips and not wanting to work for the Empire does not apply to every member of Clone Force 99, with Crosshair being the exception.
He always came across as the jerk of the group, and in the buildup to the series, many speculated that he would betray the Bad Batch or would give into his inhibitor chip and that he was the one clad in elite Imperial black armor. That is exactly what happened. Crosshair's enhancements did not suppress the chip nearly as much as they did for the others, and he was very pro-Empire the whole premiere. Then, Tarkin set the chip to eleven, and Crosshair was a full-on brainwashed Imperial henchman, an end result many expected with a very well-done buildup.
Get To See Signs Of The Transition From Clones To Stormtroopers
One of the biggest things many fans wanted to see from this show was the Galactic Republic transitioning into the Galactic Empire in regards to the clones and how it would affect them, specifically the individuals fans came to know and love in The Clone Wars.
Of course, the show has yet to delve into other individual clones and fully explore the transition, but the Empire looking to move from clones to stormtroopers can be seen significantly in the premiere. All color has been removed from the clone armor; everyone shares the same haircut; they are all clad in all white, like stormtroopers, holding no individuality whatsoever.
Omega Is An Enhanced Clone
Omega seems to be the Ezra of The Bad Batch, the Ahsoka, the younger character who resonates with and appeals to younger audiences. She was great in the premiere, but before it aired, there was a lot of speculation surrounding her.
Many wondered who she was, and the prevailing theory is that she is an enhanced clone, one of five alongside Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair. Her enhancements are unclear at this point, but that is sure to become more evident as the show progresses over the next couple of months.
Omega s The Bad Batch
Sticking on Omega, the trailers did seem to position her as a character of importance, someone who would play more than a simple single-episode role in the series.
Obviously, she would be forming some sort of relationship with the group, but the extent was not known until the premiere. Since the group found out she was an enhanced clone, they went back for her on Kamino, and in the end, she ed Clone Force 99, something speculated amongst some fans, particularly those who believed she was, in fact, a clone.