listen u can't tell me Tech saw Echo return w a droid arm and didn't try to give his brother a new one loaded with a bunch of ridiculous tools and stuff
The Impact of Techâs Sacrifice within the Fandom
An analysis of why it sparked so much controversy and possible solutions on how that could have been avoided.
A Disclaimer about this analysis:
Before I go into detail about how Disney handled Techâs death in both Season 2 and Season 3, I want to clearly state that I love the Bad Batch.
This story and the characters grabbed my heart instantly and S1 got me through the darkest years of my life after my brother passed way. The amount of gratitude I have for those who put this beautifully animated series goes beyond words.
My analysis isnât an attack on the creators, writers, animators, etc. I believe that many episodes throughout all 3 seasons are some of the best written stories in all of Star Wars. The animation itself is awe inspiring and the soundtrack is a work of art.
However, one can still love a show while also having valid criticisms.
This analysis is strictly concerning the nature of Techâs sacrifice in the series. The questions of why it happened, when it happened, how it was handled, and what was the detrimental affect on a particular group within the fan base were all factored in.
I have placed my personal feelings aside for the sake of offering a fair assessment of Techâs sacrifice within the series. With complete neutrality, I have spent a great deal of analytical thought regarding the controversy and it has allowed me to provide a few alternate solutions to how it could have been avoided.
The heart of the debate:
After the conclusion of season 2, Techâs sacrifice has become one of the most emotionally painful losses in all of Star Wars and started one of the most heated debates within the fandom.
Is he alive or did he really die on Eriadu? After analyzing every scene and dissecting the overall narrative within the Bad Bad Batch, there was plenty of evidence that it could be interpreted either way.
Techâs sacrifice was undeniably heroic. He gave his life without hesitation in order to save both his squad and his family. It secured their survival and thus their eventual success in season 3. There could be no greater act of love.
Neither side of âTech is alive or Tech needs to remain deadâ would deny this.
However, the fact remains that the circumstances surrounding Techâs sacrifice did spark debate regardless. Therefore, Iâve come up with a few possible ways that Techâs sacrifice would have less room for speculation:
If a batch member died (permanently); placing it within in the 3rd act, not the 2nd
Having all Batch remain alive until they were reunited. This allows the fractured family to reconcile and fight together before any member is lost. It heals the wound of the fractured family and gives the catharsis of seeing them finally all on the same side.
Having a canonically neurodivergent character, who also gets an unfinished romantic story with a WOC right before they are killed off, will always cause a deeper introspection to why they were chosen to be sacrificed. Removing all intentional/non intentional aspects of having a sacrifice interpreted as âshock valueâ would help alleviate that concern
The manner of which Tech died was too ambiguous for many viewers. In real life, Tech would never survive a fall from that height, but this is Star Wars. Characters survive impossible situations all the time. In order to reduce speculation when a main protagonist dies, the death needs to be clearly shown on screen. The fact that there was a huge debate after Plan 99 proves that insufficient evidence was provided
This is not a universal sentiment from all fans, but the lack of sufficient payoff or closure led many of them to believe Tech would return. They were awaiting official confirmation that was yet to be revealed in season 3 that would solidify if he was still alive or really dead
Combining all of these factors, here is how the story may have unfolded:
If the stakes needed to be raised in Season 2, having one of the main protagonists severely injured, enough to cause viewers to fear they may die, would still require the Batch going back to Ord Mantell for help with AZI.
The betrayal by Cid would still happen and Omega would still end up captured; thus leaving us with the same cliffhanger of Omega being ripped away from her family. Having a character still clinging to life and Omega being taken would certainly quantify as raising the stakes for ACT II.
As hard as it is for me to admit this, Wrecker would be the obvious pick if Tech was slated to die later in the series. This would have given Wrecker more focus for season 3 character development should he be hindered in some way after the injury.
Season 3 would start out exactly the same; the Batch hunting for Tantissâs location and Omega. Omega would have the same time skips and bonding with Crosshair and would still escape and reunite with the Batch, Exactly as shown.
The reunion, however, would allow the entire Batch to reconcile and learn to work as a team again. Tech could have solidified whatever feelings he had for Phee during this time. The Batch would seemingly have won but trouble would still be on the horizon.
The series still goes on as originally planned, Omega would still want to free the clones they left behind on Tantiss. Since Omega and Crosshair both have knowledge of Tantiss, the Batch would all be summoned to Teth in order to aid Rex with this shadow operative. Unfortunately, this would once again place Omega and the Batch on the radar again because CX-2 would still be dispatched to TethâŠetc etc.
The Batch would realize Omega was being targeted and therefore, the plot of Ventress could also carry on. (Though Iâm pretty certain Tech would have known what an M-count was).
So now we get to the mid point of Season 3 where a sacrifice would have built up to a larger payoff.
The Point of No Return would be a perfect place for this option. It was the turning point to when everything goes wrong for the Batch in Season3.
By this time, the viewer has been led into a false sense of security. Having a main character death here would have proven just as shocking and emotional as it did at the season finale of season 2.
Tech and Phee would have already solidified their relationship and would have had the kind of emotional moment Kanan had with Hera had in Rebels. Techâs death could have been just as unexpected and shocking as Kananâs, as well as having a similar completion of his story arc.
Also, creating a Plan99 type sacrifice while on Pabu may have been able to clearly define his death unlike how he disappeared into the clouds. Omega would have still witnessed his sacrifice and the viewer would be left with zero ambiguity of whether or not he survived.
Continuing down this path, we would also see Omegaâs reaction to Techâs sacrifice just like Plan 99 and could have immediately set her towards the decision to give herself up in order protect her family and the island inhabitants. Basically two huge sacrifices happen. Stakes would have definitely be raised.
In the episode that follows, Tech would be given proper mourning; perhaps a funeral of sorts on Pabu.
Even though Omega had unfortunately returned to Tantiss, the closure in Techâs death would have been equal to the weight of his character importance. Having his story arc with Phee resolved and seeing the Batch fight together against the Empire, may have lessened the sting of a neurodivergent character being the only one who didnât survive after the finale.
This alternate direction in the story, would also mean that CX-2 wouldnât be a mystery box. One would be led to believe that the shadow operative was clearly a metaphor for âWhat Crosshair would have Becomeâ without having the the possibility that CX-2 could be Tech.
One could even argue that it would have created more emotional impact on the mental struggle of crosshair when the mystery box element is removed from the equation.
The rest of the season continues on as normal. No changes; not even the beautiful epilogue.
What if Plan 99 stays the same in Season 2? What other directions could be taken to avoid viewers from speculating?
How would one maintain Techâs sacrifice; only adding slight differences that may have enhanced the narrative?
The mission at the summit could have either been a success to increase the payoff or have been given more time to ensure proper closure. This could happen in a few ways:
Tech sacrificed himself to save his family but the mission itself failed. Not having a successful payoff allows viewers to draw a conclusion that all the character buildup for Tech and the entire plot of the finale was to kill off a character to âraise the stakes.â Whether it was the intentional not to do so is irrelevant. Many in the fandom interpreted it as such.
Having some part of the âmission gone wrongâ still ending with some success allows the thought of âat least this good thing happenedâ and the audience experiences the relief of knowing that something came from it beyond Techâs sacrifice.
Think of Cassian and Jyn in Rogue One. Even though their sacrifice was heart wrenching, Cassian and Jynâs sacrifice immediately led to the Death Star plans reaching Princess Leia.
Tech saved his family in Plan 99, which was heroic no doubt, but the failed mission had the viewer go through an entire third season in order to experience the payoff that the survival of his family eventually led to them defeating Hemlock and retiring on Pabu.
The second option is that if Plan 99 and the rest season 3âs plot is keep exactly as it is, to include more clear and concise emphasis on the characters grief and mourning from the remaining members. It would allow the viewers to also process the loss and grieve.
As it stood, after a few tears from Omega and a drink from Wrecker at a bar, the Batch was immediately rushed into being found by Hemlock and Omega being captured. Many complaints online stated that Techâs death seemed like an afterthought by the end of the episode; especially after Emerieâs bombshell reveal was introduced.
Another direction one could take to alleviate any hope or confusion over Techâs death was to remove the ambiguity. In Star Wars, having any character âfall out of sightâ without being clearly dead first; especially in Star Wars, will always lead to speculation.
If Tech had experienced an ending more like Fives, the viewer witnesses his last breath and it removes all doubt that he has died.
How would any of those options look applied to the story:
Starting season 3, avoid moving straight into a time skip. This would include showing Omega telling Crosshair about Tech as well as Hunter and Wrecker telling Phee. Seeing the reactions of important people in Techâs life, who wasnât present during Plan 99, would allow the viewer to know how much he was missed by everyone.
Another possible scenario is a reflection scene, much like Crosshairâs moment with placing Maydayâs helmet on a makeshift memorial.
Perhaps the entire Batch standing behind Omega as she placed his Goggles in the Archium. Many in the neurodivergent community have expressed that Tech was only mentioned whenever his skills were missed. Having a few words about Techâs character and not just his skills, may have resonated more with people who related to him. If anything, just to take some of the edge off for the families and young children watching.
Wrapping up:
This assessment was to examine how Techâs death was handled within the season and how other directions within the story could have alleviated some of the speculation and dissonance within the fandom surrounding Techâs sacrifice.
Iâm not trying to persuade anyone to change their opinions on whether if Tech should be alive or stay dead. My hope was to offer a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding Techâs sacrifice and how that fueled heated debate.
It is completely possible to watch Season 3 and see CX-2 as a misdirection. It is also completely understandable to see CX-2 as as a mystery box reveal that he could be Tech with the clues given.
Either way, it remained a debate and distraction after the finale of season 2 and all the way to the end of season 3.
Tech said it best, âUnderstanding you doesnât mean I agree with you.â People will always see the world differently. No matter how Techâs sacrifice was presented, there will always be those who feel it was the wrong decision because Tech meant more to them than the majority of the fandom. Their grief and feelings are just as valid as those who disagree.
No oneâs grief or sadness should be made into a joke, ever. You may not understand it, or agree with it; but like Tech said we should always ârespect their decision.â
Star Wars is about hope and the stories found within touch us all in different ways. We bring our own unique life experiences and connect to the story in ways that are deeply personal. Fictional characters do hold weight into the real world because of this.
A personal note:
I will always love Tech. He will remain one of the best and bravest characters in the entire Star Wars Universe.
However, I do wish that there had more clear and direct confirmation regarding Techâs sacrifice. Being neurodivergent and âprocessing moments and thoughts differently,â made me see parallels and patterns that kept conflicting; driving a mystery that my brain desperately needed to solve.
Now that the Bad Batch is over, Iâm relieved to have that mystery officially closed; even if I had to say goodbye to the one Star Wars character that I connected to the most.
Ironically I lost my brother, (who was my only sibling), on the same day Plan 99 aired. Now that Techâs death is officially confirmed, itâs hard to know that March 29th is also the day Omega lost her brother too. We both have had to carry the weight of having a brother whose life ended too soon.
I have yet to reach that feeling of acceptance with losing both my brother and Tech but Iâm sure Iâll get there. Tech lives on through Omega. My brother lives on through me. I still wish they both survived long enough to grow old and share more moments with their families. Still, Iâm thankful for the precious time we were given with them.
So to everyoneâŠ
Be kind to each other. Reach out often and tell those you care about how much they mean to you. Try hard to remember that we are doing our best to survive in this world together, so be kind and compassionate to those who are struggling.
Itâs been over three weeks since the show ended and Iâve been writing this in my head ever since, mostly to have it summed up in one post for posterity lol. I considered letting it go at this point but I know itâll drive me crazy if I donât get it out of my system so might as well.
So here we go, some of my rambly post-finale thoughts on Techâs death (and a few other issues) under the cut!
Disclaimer: while this post is in critical spirit (because thatâs how my brain works), I want to make clear that I have nothing but respect and gratitude towards everyone whoâs worked on the show. My criticisms are of the final story as a whole as I interpret it (art is art, everything is subjective, you know the drill), but one never knows what goes into the process of making it behind the scenes, so Iâm not holding anything against the creative team. I love this show dearly and am in awe of how good it is at its best, despite certain things I wish they did differently.
To begin, if I had to sum up the biggest problem that TBB writing suffers from, it would be lack of closure, and too many red herrings. Not just for Tech, but many things. Major plot threads as well as little character moments are cultivated or thrown in just to never culminate in anything or to be immediately discarded after serving the plot, some of them incredibly misleading. Some of the top examples:
- Crosshairâs chip. We never get an exploration of how the trauma of his chip activating and being left behind not only affected his motivation and choice to stay with the Empire, but his relationship with his brothers. While it was made fairly obvious, if subtly, that Crosshair became free of the chipâs influence after getting hit by the ion engine on Bracca, the narrative treated this change as if it didnât matter at that point, while it obviously mattered a lot within the context of Crosshairâs character. Add to that all these little details with him clutching his head in s1 finale, Omega expressing her disappointment in him, and Techâs comment on how âit is just his natureâ (as if it matters!!! See what I mean about the narrative treating Crossâs chip as if it didnât play the key part in his trajectory? They throw in this line, like we are supposed to take away that itâs simply Crosshair being Crosshair and not like, the results of brainwashing and abandonment), Wrecker blaming Crosshair for not going back to them, all while we as the audience have been shown and told repeatedly how these chips work (and so were the Batch), we ended up with an incredibly confusing situation with lots of mixed signals from the writers. And once Crosshair makes his choice to stay with the Empire in s1 finale, his chip and the confusion it brought to his relationship with his brothers is never brought up again, because the plot simply moves on.
- Cidâs betrayal. After her being a major character for two seasons with a continuous relationship build-up with Omega in particular, she is discarded as soon as her betrayal serves the plot, with all that character development getting thrown out of the window. You can be mad at Cid all you want, but to me itâs incredibly weird and wasteful to end two seasons worth of build up on that note without it having any closure for the characters, especially Omega whose whole theme is trusting people and bringing out the best in them. Itâs fine if they decided to make Cid exactly what she appeared on the surface (untrustworthy and self-serving) after playing around with her potentially growing through her fondness of Omega, but then at the very least the betrayal shouldâve had an impact on the characters, Omega most of all. Even just one casual line from Omega in s3 about how Cidâs betrayal impacted her emotionally, however minimally, would have solved that problem. And no, CX-2 mentioning how he extracted info on Phee from her off screen absolutely doesnât count as closure, because Iâm talking about emotional closure for the main pov characters as well as the audience. Cid had a presence for two seasons, then as soon as she executed her role as a traitor to further the plot, she was discarded like she was a random extra.
- Emerieâs relationship with Hemlock. We are led to believe that he basically raised her, instilling in her the idea that she had no chance without him and owed her purpose and âsafetyâ to him. You canât tell me that this didnât deeply affect her struggle and eventual decision to break away from all that and choose to help the kids, basically betraying Hemlock. I get that the show only had so much screen time and Emerie is a supporting character in season 3 at best, but common, she has more tension with Dr. Scalder than Hemlock while the potential for this rich deep conflict between them is right there.
I can probably list more smaller examples but this is getting long and I donât want to go on any more tangents, so, finally, the biggest example of lack of closure and tendency of TBB writing to display foreshadowing that leads nowhere:
Techâs death.
First of all, Iâll die on the hill that it wasnât denial or delusion that led to such a big portion of the audience to believe that Tech didnât really die in s2. If we look at the facts:
- there was no body
- itâs the finale of season 2 out of 3, pretty early for one of the main titular characters to get killed off
- the only/last character to allegedly see Tech after his fall is a villainous scientist who is known to experiment on clones specifically
- not a fact but: the whole scene with Hemlock presenting Techâs goggles to Hunter was incredibly suspicious. In hindsight, I think the whole purpose of it was so that the Batch got Techâs goggles back in their possession as a memento (and to show how evil Hemlock is to rub it into Hunterâs face like that) but it was executed in a way that read as something much more. It read as if Hemlock was going out of his way to convince us/Hunter of Techâs death, but with us knowing who Hemlock is, his background in experimenting on clones, everything screams at us to not trust a word he says. Is it really so surprising that so many of the viewers immediately jumped at the conclusion that something more was going on there?
- Hunterâs (lack of) reaction/immediate narrative fall-out. More on that later as I address lack of emotional impact of Techâs death in s3.
- itâs Star Wars. And there was no body.
So yeah, to me, it is completely justified that so many people read that whole thing as open to speculation at the very least, foreshadowing Techâs survival at most.
Personally, I was 70% sure Tech was truly dead prior to s3, but not because the text told me so, but because at that point I was used to the showâs writing regularly sending out mixed signals, and a part of me was resigned to Techâs death becoming another example of the writerâs intent clashing with their accidental empty foreshadowing.
As season 3 aired and the whole CX-2 plot was unfolding alongside continued lack of closure for Techâs fate, my hope for Tech Lives reveal grew and grew, but in the end my initial doubt was proven right, unfortunately.
Oh, CX-2.. what a mess. You canât tell me the creators went over all of these scenes, all of these lines, looked at the whole picture and *didnât* see how it was incredibly easy to interpret CX-2 as potentially being Tech with all these little potential parallels. âDomicileâ alone.
If they didnât want us to entertain the idea that it could be Tech, they couldâve done it differently, but for some reason, they chose to leave that space for speculation. My question is, why?
If they truly wanted us to believe Plan 99 was it, Techâs Noble End that we were supposed to take as this dramatic super emotional ultimate sacrifice and all that, then why would they not make it clear that CX-2 couldnât be Tech? Why breed confusion? And breed confusion they did. Itâs hard for me to believe they didnât foresee the âohh is it Tech?â speculation.
When so many members of the audience immediately and individually jump at a theory or have the same take away from the story they are being told, yet the authors say it wasnât meant to be taken that way, something went seriously wrong with the writing.
I donât like to speculate on such things because we will probably never know for certain, but I wouldnât be surprised if they had at some point considered CX-2 being Tech or at least something more for the whole CX plot thread, but changed and reshuffled things at the last minute for whatever reasons.
Which is fine and understandable. But it brings me to the heart of my biggest issue with how Techâs fate was handled:
lack of impact and closure.
Letâs disregard all the Tech Lives theories for a moment and focus on what we did get: Tech, one of the main characters, getting killed off at the end of s2 out of 3, for stakes and consequences and NOTHING else. When I say nothing, I mean nothing.
Imagine, for a moment, he survived and stayed with the Batch. Nothing would have changed, in the grand scheme of things. Nothing. We wouldnât have had a few obligatory âTech mention, everyone feel sad nowâ throwaway lines/goggle shots and whatnot, sure, but thatâs it.
Tech dying didnât change the trajectory of the plot in any way, nor did it affect any of the other characters in a way that changed their trajectory. And anything less is simply not enough to justify killing one of your main characters. Stakes and consequences ainât it.
Consider Mayday, for example: a supporting character, but his death in s2 affected Crosshair in such a way it completely redirected his journey, AND in s3 we got an episode that cemented the impact Mayday had on Crosshair and provided emotional closure for them. Thatâs a narratively meaningful death.
Techâs death was not meaningful to the narrative beyond removing him from it. Thatâs why so many Tech fans insist he deserved better treatment: not only was he not present in one third of the show physically, but he lacked any sort of presence even in death. His absence was never processed or grieved by any of the main characters and so by extension by the audience.
And before anyone starts with the whole âthey are soldiers/they had no time to grieve/etcâ arguments, it is the responsibility of the writers to provide the space for all of that emotional impact. It they donât, there is no impact.
A few reactions here and there, moments of missing Tech as a person and a brother, not an asset, anything would have made this whole thing easier to accept.
The lines that we did get, from Omega mentioning the stuff Tech taught her to Echo commenting on how decryption would be easier if Tech was with them to âClone Force 99 died with Techâ from Crosshair - each and every single one of those lines linked to Techâs functions as part of the squad, his usefulness, but we didnât get a single line in remembrance of him as a person of his own, no one missed or remembered him for himself or his personal impact on them.
Just one line from Omega about how he taught her about change being a constant part of life or whatever, or Wrecker making a comment on how Tech used to info dump about stuff, anything would have instantly provided that much needed sense of âhe was here, he was a person and is still a part of usâ. Instead, Tech was killed off to show that messing with the Empire is dangerous and risks are real, I guess, and immediately lost any and all presence within the story.
We never even got to see Crosshairâs or Pheeâs reactions to losing him.
Speaking of Crosshair, thatâs a whole other example of complete lack of closure: they never closed the loop on the family being reunited again after initially leaving Crosshair behind, and with Tech dead, itâll forever stay broken.
They couldâve given this a bittersweet yet meaningful spin if they developed the angle of Tech dying on a mission to bring Crosshair home, making a sacrifice so Crosshair had a chance.
Instead, the moment Tech dies, we get Hunter (and through him, the narrative) immediately abandon the idea/plot thread of going to rescue Cross all while saying âletâs not waste Techâs sacrificeâ. Sacrifice for what? Clearly Hunter doesnât see it as a sacrifice for Crosshairâs sake, so, what, to make sure the rest of them makes it from the mission? The mission to save Crosshair. That mission. Right.
I see people talking about Techâs noble sacrifice that ensured his family got to live and eventually have their happy ending, but all I can think about is how the creators chose to have him die on a mission that was immediately abandoned and the only take away from that whole sub plot was Techâs own demise.
And after Crosshair is back with the Batch, his reaction to Techâs death is never explored at all.
So yes, to me Tech deserved so much better. If you are going to kill off a major character, it must be necessary to be compelling. The way I see it, Techâs death was not necessary at all because it didnât change anything. And if it was meant to, the creators failed to communicate that by choosing not to explore the emotional impact of it and not structuring certain story beats in a more precise manner.
To wrap this up, if the way Techâs death was handled was satisfying for you, thatâs valid and Iâm glad for you. For me, unfortunately, itâs completely the opposite and will forever remain the biggest and most unfortunate low point in the story.
And while I welcome anyone to share their own perspective if they wish, please donât take this post as an invitation for debate, since there is no one right or wrong way to interpret or be affected by art.
The funny thing about Tech's "death" is that it's so flimsy you can actually bring him back in fic while staying completely canon compliant. We cut off directly after the Hemlock situation - you can bring him back in any way you want here.
What about the time skip? Well what the hell did it actually show us?
Omega didn't tell Hunter to keep an eye on Tech along with the other two. (She didn't mention Echo either.) You can excuse this a dozen ways. Tech keeps an eye on himself. He's with Phee much of the time and so not under Hunters Direct Responsibility. He didn't need to have an eye kept on him because he agreed with her decision to join the rebellion and the other two didn't. He's already actually WITH the rebellion.
You can come up with just as many reasons for her to still have his goggles - they're a good luck charm since it turned out he survived, they're a remembrance of how much was sacrificed because even without him being dead he was gone for a long while, they're just sentimental now because of the love they represent, Omega didn't feel right getting rid of them.
This isn't a "Oh canon is totally implying-" I know what canon is saying. But Star Wars itself has retconned much bigger things than this. You can absolutely consider your fic canon compliant and have a surviving Tech returning to his family. It at most contradicts authorial intent, not what's actually onscreen.
We spend an entire sequence with Phee on a random moon where CX-2 sneaks onto her ship, steals data, stares at her, then sneaks off. None of that scene was necessary, at all. It could have been handled in his conversation with Hemlock the same way the interaction with Cid was.
It wasn't. We see Phee's ship for the first time, we listen to her argue with Mel, we see her have a security measure that CX-2 actually trips (to his obvious annoyance), watch her realize CX-2 is there (though she doesn't catch him). And then rather than leave, he stays to watch her go.
This whole scene is over 3 minutes. That's a big piece when the entire episode is 20m long. Why is this here?
It's not because CX-2 is no one. If he was, this scene wouldn't be here.
yousharknotpass
prguitarman
discoholicmusic
izzy806
andulkaphoto
gummygunk
dededos
