It’s a well-known problem even in the hallowed Star Wars original trilogy: stormtroopers don’t shoot well. But count on Disney’s Star Wars productions, namely The Bad Batch, — with regard to stormtroopers, a character named Gregor — to fix problems with the films.

With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the issue as to why there was a pathway straight from the surface to the core of the Death Star – a pathway large enough for a proton torpedo to fit – was addressed. Now, we have Star Wars: The Bad Batch to thank for addressing the stormtrooper problem. In the show’s 14th episode, War-Mantle, the Bad Batch goes to an Imperial base to rescue Gregor, a Republic clone (who will later be a Rebel fighter, as seen in Star Wars Rebels). As the crew looks to escape after freeing Gregor, he makes a statement that pertains to those future stormtroopers:

We clones are soldiers of a Republic that doesn’t exist. These recruits come from all over the galaxy; swear loyalty to the Empire. They’re not as skilled, but there’s an endless supply of them.

–Gregor
Gregor with members of the Bad Batch. Shortly after this shot, Gregor talks about the Empire’s new soldiers. (photo credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)

“They’re not as skilled.” It seems clear that The Bad Batch creator Dave Filoni & Co. is covering for why the stormtroopers are terrible shots – and get beat by diminutive Ewoks, and be of low mental fortitude to get fooled by a Jedi mind trick, and generally be of low effectiveness – later on in the Star Wars saga.

Gregor lays out the issue with Stormtroopers in The Bad Batch

The rest of Gregor’s statement is interesting as well. He makes a great point that the clone troopers are without a home; that the Empire would have a deep pool from which to draw recruits; that in men swearing loyalty to the Empire, the Empire has not just clones, but converts, who are more loyal than clones; and also explains the vastness of the Empire on the soldier side of things.

Stormtroopers at work. Wilhuff Tarkin talks about the Empire recruiting soldiers in Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Then, audiences learn from Gregor in the show that the stormtroopers were recruits of the Empire from all over the Star Wars galaxy, “swear loyalty to the Empire” and are “not as skilled” as clone troopers, but come in an “endless supply.” (photo credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Gregor saying “these recruits … swear loyalty to the Empire” and the implication of that also largely explains why the Empire sought out recruits and stopped its clone system. Gregor’s statement built upon what Wilhuff Tarkin says earlier in The Bad Batch about the Empire recruiting soldiers. (Now, we have to wonder about Princess Leia Organa asking Luke Skywalker, “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” Because recruits across the galaxy would almost certainly be different heights.)

I love Star Wars so much that it’s beautiful to see holes and problems that it has get fixed.

What do you think? Did Gregor’s statement fix a stormtrooper problem? If so, are you glad for such fixes? Comment below!