Yesterday Disney and Lucasfilm announced that The Bad Batch, the animated sequel series to The Clone Wars, will debut on Star Wars Day. Unfamiliar with the elite squad of clones? You can learn about them in the teaser trailer for final season of The Clone Wars, below. The “defective clones with desirable mutations” are also known as “Clone Force 99” in honor of the original, defective clone who became a hero. So who was Ninety-Nine?
99 was one of the original batch of clones slated to become the Grand Army of the Republic. Unfortunately, his cloning process malfunctioned, leaving him physically and genetically defective. Notwithstanding, he remained on Kamino and still served the Republic. There he filled the role of aid, and inspiration, to the clone cadets in training. (Ultimately he’d become the namesake for Clone Force 99, a/k/a the Bad Batch.) He was especially fond of Domino Squad, whose members included “Fives” and “Echo.”
It was Ninety-Nine’s guidance that led Echo, Fives and the others to pass their training. They later returned to Kamino to help fight off the Separatist invasion of the cloning facility. Sadly, their reunion with their old brother-in-arms would be short-lived.
The Bad Batch remembers Clone Trooper 99
The Separatists’ droid army was nearly too much to overcome. If not for Ninety-Nine’s quick thinking and efforts, the clones very well may have lost. He gave his life running ammo to the clones defending the planet. 99 died in Echo’s arms, every bit a soldier as his clone brothers despite his deficiencies. His sacrifice would not be forgotten. When other, mutated clones arrived, this time with beneficial differences from their brothers, the Bad Batch was born.
For a first look at the new Star Wars series, click HERE.
Despite his death on Kamino, the legacy of Clone Trooper 99 would nevertheless live on. When we first meet the Bad Batch, their mission is to assist Rex in finding the source of the Separatists’ battle algorithm tipping the war in their favor. They do, and in the process end up rescuing Echo, who they all believed to have died long ago. Thus, Ninety-Nine was there to save and serve his comrade one last time…. From a certain point of view.
The Bad Batch premiers on Disney+ on May the 4th.
