celestial-specter - Tumblr blog

celestial-specter · 2 months

Text

Clone Armor and Poster Symbolism in The Bad Batch Season Three

(Brace yourself, loooooong discussion under the cut).

So I’ve long been fixated on the symbolism of the clone’s appearance in Star Wars - it first began in The Clone Wars, with each clone discovering their own individuality and decorating both their bodies and their armor accordingly - think of the Republic crest which decorates both Jesse’s face and his helmet, and becomes a hard-hitting symbol of the end of the Republic which accompanies his death.

In The Bad Batch, clone armor has always been used to symbolize the character’s moral position- initially the main colors of the batch’s armor are black and red, showing both their power, and the element of mystery and otherness that they hold in comparison to standard clone groups. Crosshair’s turn to the empire is shown by him shedding his own armor, and donning a new, entirely black set, with no individuality at all.

In season two, the batch began removing certain sections of their armor and added pieces of a more civilian nature, such as Hunter’s scarf. The pieces of armor that remained were painted a lighter colour, showing that they were gradually leaving their lives as soldiers, or at least those of members of an elite squad, behind them.

In contrast, if you look at a character like Rex, he is still wearing the same armor from his service in the GAR, with only a few minor yet still currently unexplained modifications. He is the one holding onto the past and his service in the army, and it is his identity which drives him to save as many of his brothers as he can.

All of these ideas are particularly apparent in the new season three character posters which have just been released.

Now, while I have previously discussed the idea that the clone assassin is Tech, these posters have me equally convinced that it could actually be Cody.

I believe that Cody has the longest history of any clone in the franchise, being the only clone of any significance in the live-action films, and being prominent in both canon and legends material. As a standard clone, he would most likely have started his commission in the GAR with the general, all white trooper armor, and then decorated it himself as he gained individuality after leaving Kamino. In Brotherhood, the novel which takes place in 22BBY, Cody is described as wearing yellow armor, but, as we see in The Clone Wars, which takes place slightly later, his armor, along with that of the 212th, is more of an orange/gold. This small change could symbolize Cody’s own choice of armor paint being subtly darkened by his experience of war - he is still a loyal soldier of the GAR, but his experiences have changed him.

The orange armor quickly became synonymous with Cody, which is why it was such a shock to audiences to see him with grey armor in The Bad Batch season two. It is a sign that his individuality has been stripped away from him by the empire, but Cody himself still retains the capacity for individual thought and decision making, as shown by his actions in the episode. I also believe that clone armor colors not only symbolize the clones themselves, but also their Jedi generals - the 212th orange symbolized the positivity and energy which came alongside serving under General Kenobi, just as the 501st blue symbolized the freedom and fresh viewpoints of General Skywalker. Therefore, Cody’s grey armor also symbolizes his grief for what he did to Obi-Wan - the man who first provided him the space to discover his own individuality is now ‘dead’ at Cody’s own hand.

I have also long believed that there is a high chance that Cody did not end up escaping at the end of this episode, and was instead captured by the empire for use in experiments.

The release of these character posters seems very deliberate - Star Wars has always been about the battle between light and dark, but due to it’s association with the force, I don’t think we have ever seen clones portrayed in posters in such a manner. The cinematography staff of The Bad Batch have been very vocal recently on the importance of lighting in the show, and I believe that the posters are no exception.

If we look at these poster in order, it is interesting that Wolffe’s seems to be darker than the one featuring Hemlock and Emerie, especially considering how stable he appeared in the past episode.

I believe that this symbolizes that there will be consequences for Wolffe for his decision to let Rex and the others escape, and that he will be subjected to the same treatment which was used in an attempt to change Crosshair, which will leave him the unstable individual we first meet in Rebels.

This idea of placing the clones on a scale from light to dark has me concerned that this season will show the end of Cody’s arc, shifting from the bright white armor he first began with, ending with him wearing the dark armor of a clone assassin.

This idea is only furthered by Rex’s group referring to the clone assassins as ‘shadows’. The reason behind the name is obvious- the clones are shadows of their former selves, having been stripped of all identifying information and individuality.

Considering that Cody’s bright orange armor has long been thought to represent the sun, it would be devastating to see him reduced to an operative with no name and no personality, his only identifying feature being dark armor he would never choose to wear himself. Though I hate to think of it, it does make sense to portray Cody in this way to truly highlight the rise of the empire in the same way Jesse symbolized the end of the Republic - if this theory does turn out to be true, Cody’s arc may have always been intended to show his progression from sunburst to shadow.

#the bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #star wars #tbb crosshair #the bad batch spoilers #star wars spoilers #star wars tbb #star wars the bad batch #sw tbb #sw:tbb #commander cody #clone assassin #captain rex #the bad batch theory #the bad batch season three spoilers #star wars analysis #star wars the clone wars #the clone wars #the bad batch theories

104 notes · View notes

celestial-specter · 2 months

Text

Hooooolly shit- I can’t express how good Infiltration and Extraction were!!

Gotta say, I’m devastated that so many of the clones didn’t make it, especially Fireball :((( I’m hoping Howzer somehow makes it out alive, but I’m not holding out much hope.

I will say, I am now 100% convinced that the current clone assassin is a clone we have seen before- whether it ends up being Tech, Cody, or some other character remains to be seen. All the other clone assassins have quickly had their helmets removed, as their faces have been that of a generic clone. Considering that the assassin was close to drowning after being stunned, yet still did not remove his helmet, makes me believe that he has a distinctive face or facial marking like a scar.

Though I will say, I did notice a lot of the links others have also mentioned which point to the clone assassin being Tech. One thing I found particularly interesting is that, during their fight in the water, the assassin says the following to Crosshair:

“You had your chance to be one of us.”

“You chose the wrong side.”

While these lines do make sense coming from an imperial making jabs at Crosshair for defecting, to me they sound deliberately written to also make sense from the opposite standpoint- from a member of Clone Force 99 regarding Crosshair’s initial choice to join the empire.

I will admit, when Crosshair first rejoined his squad, I did anticipate more pushback from Hunter and Wrecker - I expected them to say something exactly like this.

If the clone assassin does turn out to be Tech, or even a clone of Tech who has been given his memories of his time with the batch, then it makes sense for him to be angry with Crosshair for leaving them, even though his conditioning and new allegiance to the empire will win out. If the imperial Tech theory is indeed true, this is a very clever piece of writing, as the double meaning isn’t immediately apparent, to us, or to Crosshair himself.

#the bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch theories #the bad batch spoilers #star wars tbb #tbb tech #tbb crosshair #imperial tech #star wars analysis #star wars spoilers #the bad batch theory #star wars the bad batch #sw tbb #star wars #sw:tbb #the bad batch season three spoilers

26 notes · View notes

celestial-specter · 2 months

Text

As amazing an episode The Return is, I’ve just gotta put this out there.

When Crosshair said this:

All I could think about was this:

It’s the same energy💀

#the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch spoilers #star wars the bad batch #the bad batch #sw:tbb #sw #star wars #tbb crosshair

110 notes · View notes

celestial-specter · 2 months

Text

Yesssss you see my vision!! I was thinking about the comparison between the clones and the lurca hounds as soon as I saw the empire was controlling them through behavioral collars, the same way they controlled the clones through their inhibitor chips.

Batcher immediately jumped out to me as a symbol for Crosshair when it became clear how Omega had chosen to prioritize her over the other hounds, just like she prioritizes Crosshair over any other clone during her escape.

Even more compelling, Hemlock attempts to convince Omega that her domestication of batcher has made her weak and will lead to her death outside the facility. Hemlock also believes that Crosshair’s attempt to protect Omega at the end of season two was a sign of personal weakness, as Crosshair declined to spare himself the pain of the probe droid in order to keep Omega safe.

Honestly, the bit that gets me the most is the scene in episode four when Omega mentions sending a transmission to Hunter and Wrecker. Before Crosshair even speaks, we see Batcher whine and lie down on the floor in distress. Then, Crosshair tells Omega that it is possible their brothers haven’t survived. I have seen a lot of talk about this moment as Crosshair finding it easier to accept that Hunter and Wrecker might be dead, rather than the alternative that they simply won’t accept him back. I think Batcher in this scene shows his despair perfectly, and I’m so interested to see how their dynamic plays out as the season goes on.

Me 🤝🏻 being obsessed with Star Wars animals

206 notes · View notes

celestial-specter · 2 months

Text

Yes yes yes!! When I first watched the scene I was initially confused by the fact that Hunter and Wrecker were inside the Marauder rather than waiting outside for any sign of Omega’s arrival, but this makes perfect sense!

I definitely agree with you that Hunter is the most fixated on Tech’s death, especially since he has been shown to have taken on Tech’s various roles within the team (flying the ship, following up on leads etc). Due to this, it is likely that it was Hunter who first received Omega’s communication, and yet his hesitation to leave the safety of the ship to go out and see her shows he doesn’t truly trust that the message was real either, just as Wrecker said. However, while Wrecker has the courage to face the fear of disappointment by leaving the ship first, Hunter stays behind until he hears Omega reunite with Wrecker outside, confirming that she truly has returned to them.

I definitely think that Hunter is fixated on his own failure to protect his family, and his display of Tech’s goggles certainly highlights that. However, until Tech fell and Omega was captured, no one represented Hunter’s failure as a leader like Crosshair. The tension between Crosshair and the batch throughout season one was primarily shown through the collapse of his relationship with Hunter, and both characters clearly feel it deeply. But up until the end of season two, Hunter had the rest of his siblings to focus on. But then, Tech and Omega were both lost, and his whole life began to revolve around getting Omega back. I can completely understand Hunter being blindsided here - he has probably been dreaming about their reunion for months, and certainly did not expect to be faced with one of his biggest failures during what should have been a happy, uncomplicated moment.

I love the attention to detail. Two islands of light. Crosshair on one, the others on the other. They perfectly displayed the huge gap that was created in the first season by Cross. Now he needs to regain the trust of his brothers after almost a year of living apart. From now on, the arc of Crosshair's correction begins in the eyes of the rest of the squad, his rehabilitation begins now and it is not known how soon he will be able to become a full-fledged part of this family again. When they trust him again and accept him as their own.

Omega will most likely help him with this. She was generally a ray of light, a supportive sister who you want to protect. She's the only one who believed in Cross, who trusts him even after all this time. Now that her brother has stopped listening to his demons and has begun his redemption, she must help him become Clone 99 again.

I sincerely hope that his story will not end with his death, otherwise we have already lost one.

238 notes · View notes

celestial-specter · 2 months

Text

I love this analysis!! Even further than it just being the Marauder, it has been made clear throughout the series that the ship is Tech’s ship - he is simultaneously it’s pilot and engineer, and the one who cares the most about it. The Marauder looming behind Hunter symbolizes perfectly why he is so hesitant to welcome Crosshair back into their ranks - because even though Hunter does not yet understand what Crosshair has experienced at the hands of the empire, he knows for sure that it led to them losing Tech. Even without him being directly mentioned, his loss is felt so prominently here.

While the other three have stepped out onto the ground, Crosshair lingers on the steps of the imperial ship. Even though he wants desperately to rejoin his family, he still lacks the courage to step down to their level and fully into the light, and leave his past with the empire behind.

Even though Crosshair is illuminated by the light from the cargo ship, the light from the Marauder is both higher and brighter. It is a beacon, one likely put together by the same brother he lost, and it is calling him home.

I sincerely hope that his story will not end with his death, otherwise we have already lost one.

238 notes · View notes

celestial-specter · 2 months

Text

Me 🤝🏻 being obsessed with Star Wars animals

#the bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch theories #the bad batch theory #star wars tbb #star wars analysis #star wars spoilers #star wars the bad batch #star wars #the bad batch spoilers #tbb crosshair #tbb batcher #batcher #clone trooper crosshair #sw:tbb #sw #sw tbb

206 notes · View notes

celestial-specter · 2 months

Text

So I finally got around to watching the first three episodes of the final season, and I’ve got to say, I’m very intrigued by the addition of the three clone cadets! Most of my interest comes from their names- and since I haven’t seen anyone else discuss them yet, I thought I’d throw my own thoughts out there.

As we have seen in many star wars projects over the years, character names seem to be overwhelming literal, either revealing elements of their background, or foreshadowing their future (think how in Rebels, Kanan means ‘little wolf’, while his true name, Caleb, means ‘dog’, foreshadowing his link to the Loth wolves.)

Of course, we know that the clones either name themselves or have the name bestowed on them by their brothers (think of Echo getting his name). The trio of clones that we meet in Paths Unknown are named Deke, Stak, and Mox. There hasn’t been much information released regarding at what age clones typically receive their names, however in the Clone Wars episode Clone Cadets, we see Cutup take his name from a trainer who criticizes him for his attitude. As that episode focuses on Domino squad’s final training simulation before graduation, and that they all appear to be fully grown adult clones, it can be assumed that they are all around ten years old, the same age of most clones sent to war. Given that we see Cutup choose his name during this episode, and that Echo is struggling with his nickname and remembering Fives’ name, it suggests that Domino squad had only recently begun thinking about what name they would choose for themselves.

While we haven’t been given a definitive age for Deke, Stak and Mox they are all still clearly children. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t even have names by the time they were taken off Kamino, and had to create names for each other while trying to survive on the planet they were stranded on.

To begin with Mox, his is the name I could find the least amount of reference for. There seems to be three possible interpretations:

Mox is a type of fuel designed for use in nuclear reactors.

Mox is a shortened version of moxie, meaning ‘energy, courage, and determination.’

Mox is the Latin word for ‘soon.’

I’m not overly drawn to the first idea, but I can understand the second - as Mox is clearly the eldest and protective over his younger brothers, I can see him taking a name which shows that side of his personality. I also see Mox as a direct parallel of Hunter; both are the eldest brothers of their respective groups, and are both incredibly wary of outsiders due to their need to keep their brothers safe.

However, I much prefer the third choice. The idea that Mox’s name means ‘soon’ can have both good and bad implications. For starters, Mox is clearly the most emotionally conflicted throughout the episode, unsure of his place on the mission, and of his place once they leave the planet. Hunter assures him that he has time to consider being something other than a soldier, and Mox offers his hand to Hunter. This action could be foreshadowing that soon, Hunter himself will be able to retire from this lifestyle, by finding Omega and Crosshair. Alternatively, Mox’s name meaning soon could be a very bad omen for the batch, as it could foreshadow the clone cadets being used as leverage against them (I’m thinking this could come into play when the empire attacks Pabu if the cadets are there).

Moving on, the word Deke was originally coined by Hemingway as a shortened form of the word decoy. We do not see him act as a decoy in any way during this episode, so I believe it is solely to foreshadow future events. Considering the many parallels drawn between Deke and Tech during this episode (e.g. Stak dubbing Deke ‘the smart one’ and Deke almost falling to his death in the base) his name meaning decoy only makes me more convinced that Tech is still around in some capacity (even if that capacity is just his body being used for cloning experiments).

Finally, Stak is most commonly considered to be an old version of the word stick, which makes sense when you consider the basic stick-based weapons that the cadets carry, and Wrecker’s first words to Stak and Deke when he meets them: ‘Blaster beats stick, kid!’ Knowing that the Star Wars writers love foreshadowing, this comment has me thinking things might not end so well for Stak. Interestingly, another link I found while researching this is that Stak is a common phrase in the Rogue Trooper series, in which a war is fought between facist Norts and democratic Southers (you can already see the obvious parallels to Star Wars here). In the series, in an attempt to win the war, the Southers create genetically engineered soldiers, but only one, known as Rogue, survives. Even more links involve one of the main stories of this series being titled ‘The Marauders’, and each one of the genetically engineered soldiers having a bio-chip in their body. While not a direct link, these coincidences do make me think there is a direct link between the two medias, it is possible that there is a fan of the Rogue Trooper series within the team behind The Bad Batch.

Either way, I’m very happy to finally be getting some explanation into what happened to the young clones who never saw the battlefield during the clone wars - though I am a little concerned that their worth being tied to their unexplored identity as soldiers could lead to them taking risks in further episodes in the hopes of proving themselves.

#star wars tbb #star wars analysis #star wars spoilers #star wars the bad batch #star wars #sw tbb #sw:tbb #sw #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch theories #the bad batch spoilers #the bad batch #tbb mox #tbb deke #tbb stak

26 notes · View notes

celestial-specter · 3 months

Text

Here it is everyone - the final part:

Aftermath’s battle simulation: How one scene reintroduces us to Clone Force 99, and possibly foreshadows later events in the series.

(Part 4)

Last we left off, Hunter and Crosshair were pinned down behind a barrier, and Tech had just reprogrammed one of the droids. Now, as the group of droids close in on the batch, Tech utilizes the other, taking out several droids in quick succession. The use of the batch’s theme music here makes it clear that this is a triumphant turning point of the battle, and the team come back stronger as a result.

Thanks to Tech’s actions here, Hunter and Crosshair are free to move from their position behind the barrier and rejoin the fight. If this moment is indeed meant to foreshadow Tech’s fall on Eriadu as I theorized in part 3, then it is likely that his choice there will be the main reasoning behind a change in circumstances for Hunter and Crosshair in season 3.

The last we saw of Crosshair in action in season 2, he had fought his way past armed guards in an attempt to warn his squad about Hemlock. Despite being recaptured, he still remains strong, refusing to give up any information about his brothers, even under torture. He seems full of anger and hate for the empire, and yet, from what we have seen of him in the season 3 promotional material, he is despondent and depressed.

Meanwhile, Hunter has spent the better part of seasons 1 and 2 avoiding getting involved in Rex’s clone rebellion. However, as Rex and Hunter share a scene in the season 3 trailer, that leads me to believe that Hunter does end up assisting them, even to a lesser degree than other clones like Echo.

Overall, I believe that the main reason behind both of these changes in circumstance are directly due to Tech’s actions. Of course, Hunter has always been focused on saving Omega when she is in danger, and Crosshair has always been of a more reserved temperament than his brothers, but I firmly believe that each one of them never expected to have to handle losing one of their own.

Throughout the clone wars, there were often comparisons made between the clones and the droids, based solely on the fact that they were the two largest forces on the two opposing sides of the war effort. Many of the clones story arcs were centered around discovering their individuality and their ability to make their own decisions - the main qualities which set them apart from the Separatist droids. If Tech does somehow return in season 3 and is under the control of the empire, this moment will make for an interesting parallel. Tech first reprograms an imperial droid to protect his brothers from the empire, and in return, the empire reprograms him.

Moving on, Hunter and Crosshair each use their own unique skills to fight the same droids, but their efforts are not the result of a coordinated plan as was the case with Echo and Wrecker taking down a droid for Tech to reprogram. Instead, they both seem to move completely independently, but are out to achieve the same thing. To me, this shows that while they will remain physically separated for some time into the final season, they will each find their own ways to fight back against the empire, and will finally be working towards the same goal.

Meanwhile, Tech realizes he cannot sustain his connection, and when another droid shoots the one he is atop of, he is flung backwards, injuring himself as he hits the ground. In Plan 99, the imperial ship hits the rail car Tech is running above, which causes him to lose his balance and brings about his fall.

Interestingly, Wrecker is the first to notice Tech’s fall here, just as he does on Eriadu.

Hunter notices the commotion and throws his knife into the arm of the droid, which has no effect besides distracting it from Tech and turning it’s attention onto Hunter. Now completely unarmed, Hunter has no choice but to flee back behind a barrier, this time completely alone. In my opinion, this likely means that whatever method Hunter initially follows during season three will likely have no effect on the empire, and instead put himself at risk. Here, he calls on Crosshair to provide them with cover fire, but Crosshair doesn’t immediately take action.

Across the room, Wrecker moves closer to Tech, but is unable to reach him due to the heavy fire from the droids. He calls out for Tech, telling him to ‘Hold tight.’ Tech attempts to move, reaching out to Wrecker, but finds he is too injured to do so, collapsing back to the floor. Then, he states ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ If this scene is indeed as laden with foreshadowing as I have analyzed here, this line could be one of the most obvious indicators that Tech survives his fall on Eriadu - either by being rescued by an outsider, kept alive by the empire, or that he did indeed perish but his body was used to create a new clone.

Crosshair finally turns to analyze the ongoing battle; he knows his own sniper rifle, along with the rest of the batch’s training blasters, are useless against the droids. Hunter is now completely unarmed and Tech is down, leaving only Wrecker with a functional weapon, but he is unable to get close enough to the droids to use it. Thinking fast, Crosshair calls to Wrecker to throw his knife, and Wrecker obliges. Crosshair fires a shot, lodging the knife directly into the head of the last remaining droid.

It is interesting to me that, throughout the first season, Crosshair was consistently telling Hunter that he could not see the ‘bigger picture’, in hopes that Hunter and the others would give in and join the empire. However, it was in fact Crosshair himself that could not fathom everything that was going on around him, as he was so focused on his individual circumstances. Yet in this moment, Crosshair is the only one who is able to take in the whole scene before him, and not only realize the only play they have left, but also to execute it perfectly to save his brothers.

This moment also leads me to believe that Crosshair will be the one to deal the final blow to the empire, likely by killing one of the shows main villains. In my opinion, the most likely candidate for this is Hemlock - Crosshair has the most personal reasoning to kill him due to his time spent in captivity on Mount Tantiss - and the droid being taken down by a direct hit to the head could represent Hemlock being the ‘brains’ behind the imperial cloning machine.

At the end of the battle, only Crosshair remains physically armed with his rifle. As the last droid collapses to the ground, it reveals Hunter and Crosshair in frame, each one moving out of their respective cover-spots and towards each other. Hunter compliments Crosshair on his work, likely illustrating that this final move made by Crosshair will be what allows he and Hunter to begin mending their troubled relationship.

Meanwhile, Tech remains on the ground, struggling to force himself upright. Wrecker and Echo immediately rush to help him up, while Hunter and Crosshair make their way over to the group. The final frame is the of the batch, all stood side by side on level ground, facing the same direction and acting as a united front for the first time since the simulation began. Tarkin, acting as the personification of the empire, turns his back on them and walks away.

(I really struggled to find an image of this moment, so I’m hoping it’s okay I’ve used a screenshot of a beautifully colored gif made by @kamino-coruscant - check it out here! https://www.tumblr.com/kamino-coruscant/664413485467320320/tired-tech-after-the-training-simulation-the-bad)

With regards to this moment, Echo and Wrecker going to help Tech up could have a few different interpretations. If Tech is revealed to still be alive in some form, it could be literal foreshadowing of Wrecker and Echo being the ones to bring him back to the group. However, if Tech remains dead, this moment could simply symbolize the pair working to preserve his legacy by keeping their family safe and free.

We do not see the batch move to leave the training ground before the scene cuts off, which could also be relevant to their potential ending. Their remaining on the low-level training ground could symbolize how, as clones, they will always be in danger from the empire, especially as its power continues to grow up until the main era of the rebellion. However, as shown by Tarkin’s departure, the empire may not always have their sights directly set on capturing/destroying the group.

This idea could be interpreted in both a positive and negative light. On one hand, this could mean that the batch escape the empire of their own accord, though their continued presence on the training ground symbolizes how they will never truly be free of their identities as soldiers. Alternatively, the empire could eventually decide themselves that pursuing the batch is not worth the trouble it brings, as they have already taken what they needed from the group.

I believe that the main thing we all need to remember regarding the upcoming final season, is that, eventually, the empire will succeed in their goal to create clones themselves. As revealed in the Rise of Skywalker, Rey’s father Dathan was a strand-cast clone of Palpatine, and was only considered to be a failed clone due to his lack of strong connection to the force. He was born in 12BBY, a mere six years after the second season of the bad batch took place. Additionally, it has been stated that Snoke was created through the same cloning method prior to Dathan, making his creation even sooner in the timeline. My point is, whatever happens in this final season, the empire will not be losing their monopoly on cloning technology. All we can hope for is that it does not come at the expense of the batch’s lives.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed my rambling analysis of this scene. All we have to do now is see if any of it actually comes to pass…

#the bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch theories #the bad batch theory #the bad batch spoilers #star wars spoilers #star wars #star wars analysis #tbb crosshair #tbb echo #tbb wrecker #tbb hunter #tbb tech #sw:tbb #sw tbb #sw #star wars tbb

22 notes · View notes