Maybe Iām over analyzing the show a bit with this, but I was thinking about the cafeteria scene in the Bad Batch episode 1. The Regs that were making fun of the Batch, calling them the ādefect squadā and āThe Sad Batchā, and āLab Scrabbers,ā also didnāt have any unique armor or facial differences such as hair or scars or tattoos. The regs in the cafeteria were all the same and hated the idea of people, even if they were clones, being remotely different from them. Clone Force 99 have a 100% success rate, have fought along side Jedi generals like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and their mutations have made them extremely skilled soldiers. However, the regs in the cafeteria couldnāt look at the squadās success because of the their differences. Instead, they thought of the squad being less meaningful because of it.
It seems like the clones who saw Clone Force 99 as a truly successful and amazing group, were also the ones that were trying to be different from their brothers. Clones like Rex, Cody, Jesse, even Captain Grey from the very beginning of the Bad Batch also tried to make themselves different. They painted their armor different colors, dyed or cut their hair different colors, lengths, and styles, and got tattoos. They saw the individuality in themselves and fellow soldiers, and wanted to show that and embrace them. When THOSE regs met the Bad Batch, they seemed eager to work with them, and used their mutations and differences to their advantage in the battles and fights on Anaxes and Skako Minor.
When the Bad Batch left, Captain Rex even said, āthose are some of the finest clones Iāve ever worked along side with.ā The show seems to highlight both the advantages and disadvantages of being different than the norm. I think it paints a very realistic picture, rather than a lot of other kidsā shows that simply say ābeing different is good. Embrace it!ā Itās not always that simple. Being different can feel lonely and degrading, like a defect. It can also be empowering too, and having a group of people by your side who are also considered far from the norm can make the world feel less lonely, hence why Omega joined them, to tie this back to the show again. She found her place with them, a place where her curious is mind is not frowned upon, but encouraged. Even if the Bad Batch donāt have a lot of people on their side, they have each other, and thatās whatās most important to them.
tangentwithtanner
jbbartram-illu
jacobvanloon
annaxmalina
theartofmadeline
