Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 2 Episode 3 of The Bad Batch.With the likes of R2D2, C-3PO, BB8, and many others, Star Wars has made droids some of the most beloved characters in the franchise. These non-human creatures are unique characters capable of expressing opinions and full of personality. Yet not all the droids in Star Wars are portrayed as such. Particularly in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the prequel film trilogy, battle droids are underdeveloped. They are shown as mindless and unexceptional. This is a stark contrast to the clone troopers who are their enemy in the Clone Wars. The battle droids are used in the war to minimize loss of life, while the clones' genetic makeup is meant to make them more capable soldiers. Yet the disaster of Order 66 is that, through their inhibitor chips, the clones are forced to follow orders unquestioningly, like the battle droids are shown to do. With limited exposure after the life-altering event, the fallout is left much to the imagination. But The Bad Batch begins to change that.
Battle Droids in The Bad Batch
The third episode in the show's second season, "The Solitary Clone," brings the old enemies together again. With familiar faces like Commander Cody (Dee Bradley Baker), Obi-Wan Kenobi's (James Arnold Taylor) second in command, it is hard to root against the clones. Seven seasons of The Clone Wars have conditioned fans to actively cheer for Cody and his team, but what if they are in the wrong? At the time of this episode, they are fighting for the Empire. In contrast, the battle droids, who were supposed to be deactivated, defend the planet of Desix, which attempts to resist the Empire's control.
Desix's leader, Governor Tawni Ames (Tasia Valenza), reactivated the battle droids as they are the planet's trained (or programmed) soldiers and her final line of defense when the Empire sends its forces to attack the planet. Defying the Empire is one of the oldest traditions in Star Wars, so when talking about right and wrong, it's an easy answer. The Empire is always in the wrong. Yet, in this case, it implicates the clones as well. The show bridges the gap between the prequel era and the original trilogy, so much must change. Most notably, the series must show the transition from the much-loved clone troopers to the more villainous stormtroopers. But in this situation, it becomes clear that the battle droids are not the bad guys. Like the revered Rebel Alliance, the battle droids fight against the Empire, a clear sign of the franchise's heroes.
If They're Heroes In The Bad Batch, What About the Rest of the Time?
But if the battle droids fall on the right side of this argument, were they ever wrong? The hard truth is that, no, they weren't wrong. While it is easy to root for the Jedi in the Clone Wars, it's also important to look at the conflict itself. The war was between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, or more commonly, the Separatists. This group of planetary systems left the Republic because they believed the organization to be corrupted, and they weren't wrong. By the end of the war, Chancellor Palpatine reveals himself to be a Sith Lord, pulling the strings of the Republic. In fairness, the Separatists weren't truly innocent either, considering that Count Dooku, Palpatine's apprentice, was one of their leaders. Yet, the Separatists' premise was correct. The battle droids are shown to fight the Separatists' war because of their programming. Yet neither these droids nor the Separatists themselves are the villains they are made out to be. And despite the orders they follow, battle droids are as sentient as any other droid, so the fact that they were made into nothing but comic relief is a shame.
Actually, the way these droids are treated throughout Star Wars media is incredibly dark. They are seen as an easily discarded alternative to "actual" life when droids are sentient. The fact that they are not portrayed as such and are instead given the role of goofy antagonists is an egregious injustice. In fact, these poor droids are used as little more than cannon fodder throughout the franchise. They rely on tactical droids to tell them what to do and are easily fooled when the Jedi and clones need them to be. Making the vast majority of the opposing forces next to useless does a lot to bolster the clones' abilities, as they rarely lose a battle. But the greater question is, what is so bad about these droids? The answer is nothing.
Battle Droids and Clones Aren't So Different
As the antagonists of the clones, it seems as if these two groups are more similar than most give them credit for. The key difference is the individuality (or lack thereof) they are afforded. Despite being created from the same DNA, the clones actively distinguish themselves. By choosing nicknames rather than using their number, decorating their armor, and even getting tattoos, clones express their individual identities and personalities. But that isn't true for the battle droids. They are built the same and seem to remain that way. Clones are shown to have individual thought processes, while battle droids are not. But that distinction falls apart with Order 66 when the clones' choice is taken away. This, if anything, should show how alike these two groups are.
With The Bad Batch dealing with the power of choice and how the clones cope in the fallout of Order 66, it's important to bring the battle droids back because they are the flip side of the argument. They are what the Empire wanted to make the clones. By reusing the battle droids, The Bad Batch emphasizes this comparison, showing that the Empire's expectations of clones are for them to reflect the mindless obedience of battle droids. Once again, the show poses the same question – do good soldiers follow orders? With a look at the battle droids and what life has become for clones, Commander Cody appears to have found an answer.