The Bad Batch & Din Djarin Are Tied in a “Worst Star Wars Dad” Competition (original) (raw)
Published Mar 30, 2024, 1:30 PM EDT
Kendall Myers is a Senior Author with Collider. As part of the TV and Movies Features team, she writes about some of the most popular releases before, during, and after they premiere. In three years, she has written over 900 articles with topics ranging from classic sitcoms to fantasy epics.
Editor's Note: The below contains spoilers for 'The Bad Batch' Season 3.
Summary
- Grogu and Omega face unnecessary danger due to their fathers' choices, putting them at risk.
- Both Din Djarin and The Bad Batch hold back their children from reaching their full potential.
- While not the worst, these dads make poor parenting decisions, leaving much room for improvement.
Star Wars may be an epic story about the ups and downs of a galaxy, but, to a certain extent, it's always been about family, whether it's the generations of Skywalkers and their antics or the closely bonded Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu. Star Wars TV series have thrived on the trend of an unlikely family forming out of a child and their battle-hardened adoptive father (or fathers). The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and even Obi-Wan Kenobi follow this storyline, though Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) does not take a parental role long-term like the others. Meanwhile, Din Djarin has officially adopted Grogu in the way of Mandalorian culture, and Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Echo (Dee Bradley Baker) have taken responsibility for Omega (Michelle Ang), teaching her, protecting her, and putting her needs first in an undeniably fatherly way.
However, not all Star Wars fathers are built the same, and neither Din Djarin nor the Bad Batch have any talent for raising a child. They're actually pretty bad at it. Suddenly becoming responsible for another life is no easy task, but both shows are now on Season 3, and the respective fathers are not learning quickly. While Omega and Grogu both come with challenges, neither have guardians who will earn a parenting award any time soon. Though well-meaning, Din Djarin and the Bad Batch make many of the same mistakes, putting them on the same level as contenders for the worst dad in the Galaxy.
The 'Bad Batch' of elite and experimental clones make their way through an ever-changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars.
Creator
Jennifer Corbett, Dave Filoni
Main Genre
Seasons
3
Studio
Disney+
Franchise
Star Wars
Omega and Grogu Are Taken On Dangerous Situations
The circumstances of these families are fairly similar. A Force-sensitive child (Omega or Grogu) is taken in by someone with a dangerous job who chooses to protect the child from those trying to harm them. In both cases, the child is a target for the Empire, even connecting to the same research on Project Necromancer. But, while the Empire prevents them from safely settling down, both children are unnecessarily taken along on dangerous outings that are no place for a child.
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Grogu cannot even speak yet, yet he regularly dawdles around battles, and a bulletproof crib is never a sound parenting choice. Yes, Grogu can use the Force, so he's not totally defenseless, but he is still too young to be thrust into danger. Admittedly, Din Djarin is raising Grogu according to Mandalorian customs, which value weaponry and battle. But Season 3 proved that, though training begins from a young age, most children are left in a safe environment with the clan rather than accompanying their parents into danger. Grogu's life is dangerous enough without the additional complication of Din Djarin's bounty hunting.
Omega's case is slightly different, mostly because she is older (relative to her species), but even so, her soldier-turned-bounty-hunter fathers take her along on missions that she has no business helping with. Hunter takes most of the responsibility for Omega, though the whole Bad Batch looks out for her, and he, in particular, is concerned about her needs, considering staying on Pabu because it would be good for her. Yet, when danger arises, they leave the peaceful planet, taking Omega along despite knowing they are headed to face the same people who want to kidnap her. The Bad Batch and Din Djarin's willingness to put their children in unnecessary danger is irresponsible. Really, keeping kids away from blaster fire should be Star Wars parenting 101. Yet this recklessness is not their worst offense.
The Bad Batch and Din Djarin Hold Their Children Back
Din Djarin and the Bad Batch's choices continue to parallel with The Bad Batch Season 3, Episode 7, "The Harbinger," when the Bad Batch makes a similar choice to Din Djarin in The Book of Boba Fett. In The Bad Batch episode, Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman) tests Omega's connection to the Force. At the end of the episode, she tells Omega she cannot use the Force but hints to Hunter and Crosshair that it is a lie because if Omega were a Force user, she couldn't stay with the Bad Batch. Granted, The Bad Batch takes place in a time when it is dangerous to wield the Force, but the fact that they accept Ventress' lie and prevent Omega from training with her abilities holds her back.
Din Djarin does the same thing. Though initially Din Djarin says goodbye and sends Grogu with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to learn to be a Jedi, the separation doesn't last. Grogu quickly gives up the training to return to Din Djarin, who enables him to do so. Grogu is a powerful Force user, and his long life span would allow him to keep the Jedi around for centuries, but that is not the case. This time, Grogu was at least part of the decision, but even so, it's not an example of stellar parenting. Both Din Djarin and the Bad Batch clones hold back their child from reaching their full potential by being unwilling to let go.
Related
Crosshair’s Return Makes ‘The Bad Batch’ an Even Better Show
Crosshair rejoining the team is the perfect story for Season 3.
And the Award for Worst ‘Star Wars’ Dad Goes to…
Obviously, the all-time worst father in Star Wars is Darth Vader (James Earl Jones/David Prowse). The man didn't acknowledge his kids for years, blew up his daughter's (Carrie Fisher) home planet, and cut off his son's hand. Any of those things are hard to beat, and even Vader's redemptive sacrifice cannot make that all okay. Of course, since Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker revealed that Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is a father, he may offer Vader some serious competition, but the details around the Palpatine family are vague. Though neither Din Djarin nor the Bad Batch can claim the title, they are far from the best parents around. In fact, until there is more context for the other Star Wars families, they are tied for the second-worst dads in Star Wars.
Even with good intentions, these men consistently make poor choices, proving they have no idea how to parent their children. And their actions put Omega and Grogu in danger time and time again. Worse, both hold back their children from whom they could be given the chance. Admittedly, both The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch are ongoing, so there's always time for these fathers to learn and improve, but so far, their parenting skills are unimpressive.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S. with new episodes on Wednesdays.