When Does ‘The Bad Batch’ Take Place? (original) (raw)
Updated Mar 8, 2024, 7:46 PM EST
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.
Summary
- The Bad Batch easily fits into the Star Wars timeline, connected closely to The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Episode III — The Revenge of the Sith.
- The show begins in 19 BBY, providing context for the rise of the Empire and Order 66's impact on characters.
- Prequels like Andor and Star Wars Rebels are set after The Bad Batch, showing the early days of the Rebel Alliance's resistance.
In the ever-expanding Star Wars universe, the timeline has grown complex. As various shows and films fill in different parts of the timeline, fitting them all together can be confusing. There have been many discussions about the difference between chronological and release order for films, but television shows make the timeline a much more overwhelming prospect. While some need extensive context to figure out, others can be determined based on the ages of the characters that appear. Yet The Bad Batch is quite possibly the easiest piece of Star Wars content to place, as the show is so closely related to The Clone Wars that it alleviates some of that issue.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is the direct sequel to The Clone Wars, both in time period and in subject matter, as the first few minutes overlap with The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Episode III — The Revenge of the Sith. This connection gives a good idea of where The Bad Batch would be in the timeline of the universe, but that is only a generalization relying on the surrounding content. As the show ventures into galactic politics more than ever before, now is the time to unpack what is happening in the galaxy at the time of The Bad Batch.
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
When Does 'The Bad Batch' Actually Take Place?
In terms of an exact date, The Bad Batch begins in 19 BBY. BBY stands for "before the Battle of Yavin," the identifying event for labeling dates in the Star Wars universe. Things are either BBY, like The Bad Batch, or ABY (after the Battle of Yavin), like The Mandalorian. The system is simple enough, but the timeline can be confusing without understanding the Battle of Yavin itself. Luckily, that is an event every fan should be aware of, even if they don't realize it.
This battle takes place on screen in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, though the name may throw people off.It is best remembered for the iconic moment when Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) destroys the Death Star. The battle occurs in the system of Yavin, hence the name. Knowing The Bad Batch is exactly 19 years before the Rebel Alliance destroys the Death Star puts things in perspective. For one thing, it indicates that The Bad Batch happens right around the same time as Luke and Leia's (Carrie Fisher) birth. It also shows how long people have to go before there is any victory against the Empire. But that doesn't mean they aren't fighting back.
What Happens Before 'The Bad Batch'?
Clone troopers in white armor running in 'The Bad Batch' Season 1
Image via Disney+
The opening sequence of The Bad Batch makes placing where the show belongs relative to other content pretty simple. The events of the show's first scene in Season 1 overlap with the end of The Clone Wars series and Revenge of the Sith. All three of these stories offer a different view of Order 66. When Palpatine activates the clone troopers' inhibitor chip, forcing them to turn on the Jedi, who are almost all killed, allowing the Empire to take over.
Where the films show the betrayal from the point of view of the Jedi who survived, The Clone Wars focuses on the clones who lose their own volition at the moment. The Bad Batch shows a third option — clones whose inhibitor chip doesn't work — and they must figure out what's going on in the chaos. Unlike the others, Order 66 is the beginning of The Bad Batch, not the end.
Depicting this event through the eyes of the Bad Batch characters not only gives a new perspective on the tragedy but also solidly places the chronology of the story. The prequel trilogy and The Clone Wars story give the immediate context for The Bad Batch. Understanding the connection between these stories is important for the context of the world.
What Era Does 'Star Wars: The Bad Batch' Take Place In?
Order 66 occurred in 19 BBY, and the show continues without significant time jumps. Even when Season 2 begins, the year is the same. Yet Order 66 is a turning point for the fictional world. While The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith take place during the Republic era, The Bad Batch is set during the era of Imperial control. Filling in the timeframe immediately following the rise of the Empire, the show is unique.
Unlike most stories in this timeframe, The Bad Batch happens before the famous Rebel Alliance can form. Only small pockets of people fight the Empire, and with the Empire at the height of its power, they have little hope. While The Bad Batch depicts Hunter, Echo, Tech, Wrecker (all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker), and Omega (Michelle Ang) defying the Empire themselves, it also shows how difficult that is. They spend much of their time on the run, from one desperate situation to another. As the Empire gains control, The Bad Batch shows how ruthless and unforgiving it is, only further proving the need for the Rebellion.
What Happens After 'The Bad Batch'?
Alden Ehrenreich in Solo A Star Wars Story
Image via Lucasfilm
While the majority of Star Warscontent takes place after the show, it's important to think about the immediate sequels. The closest thing in the timeline is Solo: A Star Wars Story, which is set around 10 BBY. With nine years between the two stories, they are unlikely to connect, but it does show the trajectory that the Empire is destined for. The Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi is a similar situation. It occurs in 9 BBY, and though The Bad Batch isn't going to introduce Kenobi any time soon, the show does explore the Empire's complete control over the galaxy.
More directly related as far as content is concerned are the series Andor and Star Wars Rebels. These shows focus on the early days of the Rebel Alliance, but they don't happen until 5 BBY. With 14 years before that story, there doesn't seem to be much hope for the Bad Batch, but both Rebels and Andor make it clear that people have been fighting the Empire for a while, just not in any unified attack. Captain Rex, Echo, and the clones already fighting back are certainly part of the early groups to fight the Empire, but how they will fully connect to the Rebel Alliance remains to be seen as the third and final season plays out.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is available to stream on Disney+, with new Season 3 episodes premiering every Wednesday.