When The Bad Batch appeared in Season 7 of The Clone Wars, there was a lot of promise presented with these characters, a crew of mutated clone troopers turned mercenaries. While the episodes involving them were not the strongest of the season, the Bad Batch themselves were memorable. It only made sense they would be given their own animated series.

The Bad Batch became an even more highly-anticipated series once it was announced Dave Filoni—creator of both The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels—would serve as executive producer, and the series would be a spiritual sequel to The Clone Wars. Dee Bradley Baker also came back to voice all 5 members of the squad and all of the other clone troopers. Season 1 had plenty of highs and lows, but still delivered a mostly solid adventure within the Star Wars universe. Here is a ranking of every episode from the first season of The Bad Batch.

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16. “Infested”

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A new character introduced to this series is Cid (Rhea Perlman), a green alien who runs a parlor in Ord Mantell. Cid has the Bad Batch complete a bunch of tasks for clients that are highly dangerous but pay well. Here, Cid has her parlor taken over by crime boss Roland Durand (Tom Taylorson) who is working for the Pykes. Cid attempts to steal some spice so Roland gets in trouble, but due to an infestation of pests in a cave, things don’t go as planned.

The biggest issue with this episode is where it’s placed in the season, so close to the finale that it ends up feeling like absolute filler. It brings the narrative to a complete halt so that the crew can complete a random mission. Cid is a memorable addition to this show, but her presence mainly adds more unnecessary plotlines to the series. The action’s enjoyable in the episode, but there’s nothing fulfilling about it, even if it is cool to once again see the Pykes and how they run their criminal empire.

15. “Rampage”

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Similar to “Infested,” this is another filler episode where we see the crew complete a mission for Cid. This one sees them having to go save a Rancor from slavers and deliver it to a client, which turns out to be Jabba the Hutt, as revealed by the Bib Fortuna cameo towards the end of the episode. “Rampage” does have its moments as the Rancor, named Muchi, is really cute and it creates plenty of funny slapstick moments as the batch tries to corral her.

Unfortunately, it’s another filler episode where the Batch completes a mission that has nothing to do with the narrative. These are more about showing how efficient the Batch is while also giving time for Omega (Michelle Ang) to become an important part of the crew. Thankfully, Muchi is not the Rancor Luke kills in Return of the Jedi, so at least there’s that.

14. “Replacements”

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The worst part about “Replacements” is that the plot surrounding the Batch ends up being the most boring part of the episode. In this episode, we are seeing the early stages of the Empire ditching the cloning process and beginning to recruit regular people to become stormtroopers. We also see Crosshair continue down the rabbit hole of becoming a full-on villain. His lack of hesitancy in murdering innocent people is very dark and shows why these cartoons aren’t just meant for kids.

Meanwhile, the Batch are stuck on a moon and chasing a dragon for parts. This is a weakness of the series where something happens that is clearly meant to just fill in for time or add up the episode total. Sure, Omega gets more character development here and her bond with the team grows, but it’s just not as interesting as what’s happening with the Empire.

13. “Common Ground”

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“Common Ground” does suffer from being another “mission for Cid” episode, but at least this time the mission ties in more to the overall narrative. Not only that, it also ties into the events of The Clone Wars. The batch is sent to Raxus to rescue a senator who spoke out against the Empire. What’s interesting is Raxus was a prominent member of the Separatist government, but even the Separatists are beginning to realize the Empire is bad news.

Both sides of the Clone Wars, the Republic and the Separatists were pawns in the Emperor’s plans. Now, both Separatist and Republic forces are beginning to unite as the Empire is becoming the common enemy. However, this episode doesn’t end up completely tying into the main story, which unfortunately leaves it somewhat forgettable.

12. “Decommissioned”

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This episode brings back Trace (Brigitte Kali) and Rafa Martez (Elizabeth Rodriguez), sisters who made their first appearance alongside Ahsoka in the second storyline of The Clone Wars Season 7. The sisters clash with the batch who are assigned to recover a Separatist tactical droid. The two end up uniting as both need to escape the facility as they are under attack.

The action in this episode is exciting and it’s nice to see the Martez sisters have a more productive role as their storyline from Season 7 is rather bland. They’re now working for a mysterious figure who is setting up a fight against the Empire. We later find out this figure is Rex. Another interesting aspect of this episode is that Wrecker’s chip almost takes over, suggesting the batch isn’t completely resistant to the inhibitor chip that turned the clones against the Jedi in Order 66.

11. “War-Mantle”

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The team is once again contacted by Rex who asks them to rescue a fellow trooper, Gregor, who ends up being one of the three older clone troopers in Rebels. While the rescue is an exciting one, the big revelation is that the Empire is moving forward with replacing the clone troopers. This episode shows the clones becoming a thing of the past as regular people are beginning to train as stormtroopers and swear their allegiance to the empire.

Even on Kamino, Lama Su (Bob Bergen) and Nala Se (Gwendoline Yeore) are betrayed by the Empire after many years of working on the cloning program. This episode also sets up the two-part finale as Hunter is captured by the Empire and comes face-to-face with Crosshair.

10. “Cornered”

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In this episode, Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) makes her animation debut when she is hired to retrieve Omega. A chase ensues as Hunter and Fennec battle over Omega, who does end up showing how crafty she can be without the help of the other members. Fennec’s appearance here is awesome as we get to see her at the height of her mercenary power before she becomes Boba Fett’s lackey in The Mandalorian.

This episode could be better in future watches because initially, it was hard to care about Omega. Audiences don’t really know much about her and her chemistry with the rest of the group hasn’t been fully developed yet. Later on, when Omega is in peril, these moments are more intense since we’ve had more time with her.

9. “Cut and Run”

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This episode gives another great look at the building of the Empire throughout the galaxy. They have way more control over planets to the point where people can’t travel without going through tons of steps. This also brings back a memorable character from The Clone Wars, Cut Lawquane, a clone deserter who left the Republic Army to start a family on Saleucami.

While the episode tries to push emotional moments with Omega a bit too early, “Cut and Run” has strong messages of family. Omega would probably be safer staying with Cut and his family, but she realizes the Batch is her family and she would be happiest with them. This starts the beginning of her bond with the team, especially Hunter.

8. “Kamino Lost”

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The season finale unfortunately ends up being the lesser of the two parts. There are great moments between Hunter and Crosshair, but this episode is mostly just the characters escaping from a fallen Kamino. Watching Crosshair develop a slight attachment to Omega is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Crosshair seems to want to rejoin the Batch, but he can’t let go of his allegiance to the Empire, even with no chip in his head.

“Kamino Lost” does end with a cliffhanger that could have massive implications that tie into the saga as a whole, but it hasn’t been completely revealed yet. It’s unfortunate, though, that this episode ends up being mostly an escape from a dangerous situation, similar to what we’ve seen throughout the season.

7. “Return to Kamino”

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“Return to Kamino” is the stronger of the two-part finale. Yes, there is another rescue mission to get Hunter, but the moments of interaction between Crosshair and Hunter are great. Crosshair becomes a more complex villain in these scenes as he explains how he felt betrayed by the Batch, despite going against their traditional morals. He also reveals he willingly fought and killed for the Empire even after having his chip removed.

The destruction of the cloning facility on Kamino also serves as a tragic moment as an iconic Star Wars location meets its end. It not only serves as an official end of The Clone Wars but also as a transitional moment from the prequel trilogy into the original trilogy.

6. “Devil’s Deal”

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Part of this series has been bridging the gap between The Clone Wars and Rebels. This first-part episode feels almost like an episode of Rebels as we are reunited with a young Hera Syndulla (Vanessa Marshall) and Chopper on Ryloth. In Rebels, Hera and her father had a complex relationship due to how each approaches attacking the empire. This shows the beginning of that relationship and their conflicting ideologies. We also see Hera’s love for being a pilot coming to life.

What’s interesting about this episode is the Bad Batch themselves are in it for maybe a minute. It’s more focused on Ryloth and the diplomatic issues involving Cham Syndulla, Senator Orn Free Taa, and the Empire. The Bad Batch does a really good job at showing how rebellion is building towards the Empire. The Rebel Alliance hasn’t been formed yet, but the seed is being planted for growth.

5. “Rescue on Ryloth”

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This episode contains a lot of what made the previous one great but now has plenty more action. Hera is given moments to shine along with her parents. We see Hera’s skills as a tremendous pilot beginning to come to fruition. It’s cool to see characters from The Clone Wars interacting with characters from Rebels, helping these two shows connect.

Also, the animation in this show in comparison to early seasons of The Clone Wars and Rebels is so upgraded. It gives many of these characters, especially ones from Rebels, more dimensions. They just look better. It is more of an aesthetic thing, but better animation can go a long way in giving characters more depth. Hera and her family feel more gritty and real here in comparison to their more cartoony designs in Rebels.

4. “Reunion”

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Crosshair became a strong villain throughout this season and this episode shows why he’s so dangerous. He can anticipate the Bad Batch’s moves since he was once a member of this team. Plus, his expert marksmanship gives him an edge over regular troopers. While the Batch usually gets the better of him, Crosshair came close to getting them many times in this episode.

“Reunion” also ends phenomenally with the return of Cad Bane (Corey Burton), one of the coolest and most dangerous bounty hunters from The Clone Wars. Here, Bane has now gone full cowboy and even has a duel with Hunter that’s straight out of a Sergio Leone movie. This is a great homage to classic Westerns, one of Star Wars’ biggest influences.

3. “Bounty Lost”

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“Bounty Lost” is an epic duel between two mercenaries. Cad Bane and Fennec Shand duke it out as both try to capture Omega. Both hold their own against the other, each using their unique set of skills to try and outwit the other. The fight ends in a draw, showing how skilled Shand is as she goes one-on-one with Bane, despite Bane being more experienced.

It’s an awesome battle and quite possibly the best action sequence in the entire series. Hopefully, Bane comes back because he’s one of the better villains in the animated Star Wars shows.

2. “Battle Scars”

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Rex is one of the best animated characters in Star Wars so it only makes sense that the episode featuring him is a highlight. The last time we saw him was when he and Ahsoka escaped the clone army during Order 66. Now, Rex is hiding in the shadows as a deserter but is really helping to start the rebellion. This episode focuses on the fallout of Order 66 which is where the series shines.

The clones all visit a facility where they can remove their chips. However, Wrecker snaps and attacks his brothers. Seeing Wrecker snap shows how dangerous the chips really are as Wrecker is such a friendly character. His quick transition into a murderous soldier shows how dangerous and powerful the chips are. It also highlights how heartbreaking Order 66 really is, as it caused all these clones to turn on anyone who went against the empire, even former friends.

1. “Aftermath”

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The first episode of season 1 combines every great element of this show. It focuses on the end of the Clone Wars and the establishment of the Empire as the dominant, galactic power. Order 66 has changed everything and the characters feel it immediately. We see the growing power of the Empire along with the seeds of the rebellion when the Batch bumps into Saw Gerrera (Andrew Kishino).

This episode even shows a young Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.) as he escapes Order 66, but watches his master tragically perish. There are hints that the Empire is going to do away with clones as Grand Moff Tarkin (Stephen Stanton) questions the loyalty of the clones and the Kaminoans. The episode is almost an hour and it does everything it can within that time. “Aftermath” does an excellent job at revealing the current status of the universe, where the characters are, and where the series is going to go.

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