The Clone Wars was hailed as a breakthrough inside the Star Wars franchise for the best way wherein the clone troopers have been fleshed out and given distinctive personalities. While the clones had been nothing however similar troopers in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, Dee Bradley Baker’s unimaginable voicework explored numerous completely different characters with completely different views, idiosyncrasies, and destinies. The present Disney+ collection The Bad Batch continues after the top of The Clone Wars, and follows a bunch of genetically enhanced clones that defy the orders to execute Order 66. While it’s thrilling to see how the franchise has advanced in its depiction of those characters, their journey was chronicled first within the Republic Commando online game and novels from the Legends period.
Following the discharge of Attack of the Clones, Lucasfilm launched an formidable multimedia plan to chronicle the story earlier than Revenge of the Sith. As followers waited three lengthy years for the ultimate installment within the prequel trilogy, an in depth timeline was composed that included video video games, novels, comedian e book storylines, and the animated Clone Wars collection from Genndy Tartakovsky. While many of those initiatives featured extra distinguished clone characters (together with the Republic comics’ Alpha, the predecessor to Captain Rex), it wasn’t till Republic Commando that they obtained a starring position.
In March 2005, the primary Republic Commando online game was launched, which starred the 4 members of “Delta Squad” as they enterprise on a collection of harmful missions from the Battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones to their orders to “execute Order 66” amidst the Battle of Kashyyyk in Revenge of the Sith. A collection of novels by creator Karen Traviss started in 2004, which spotlighted each Delta Squad and the members of “Omega Squad,” a bunch of clones that work carefully in step with the Jedi. Within these Legends tales are every little thing that The Bad Batch followers could take pleasure in; they’re darker, action-packed Star Wars tales that present the pains of fight, and discover the inhumanity of males who have been bred for the only real goal of warfare.
Legend’s Era Republic Commando Offers a Nuanced Game About Clones
In some ways, the characters in Delta Squad have been the predecessors to the Bad Batch. They’re genetically modified to have enhanced talents, and so they usually go on particular person covert missions divorced from the remainder of the clone battalions. Even inside the first-person shooter recreation, the squadmates every have defining traits and quirks. “Boss” is the grizzled sergeant, “Fixer” was the by-the-book tech genius, “Sev” was the remorseless sniper, and “Scorch” was the comical explosives professional. The recreation is fast to notice an in depth historical past of in-jokes and experiences that these characters share, and permits them to interact in gentle banter as they carry out their duties.
Republic Commando was an attention-grabbing approach to chronicle the clones’ story all through your entire battle. While the timeline could have acknowledged their first deployment within the Battle of Geonosis as nothing however a Star Wars historic landmark, it’s attention-grabbing to see how the inciting incident of galactic fight is perceived by the clones. Many of the troopers endure post-traumatic stress dysfunction from their experiences being hunted down by Geonosians and handed over to the inexperienced Jedi leaders. Sev makes it a precedence to destroy 4,982 droids by the point the battle ends; that’s one for each clone killed on Geonosis.
The Republic Commando Story Continues In the Novel Series
The novel collection does extra to chronicle the three-year battle from the clones’ standpoint. Omega Squad, which consists of the self-serious sergeant “Niner,” the delicate demolitions professional “Darman,” the cussed laptop whiz “Atin,” and the paranoid medic “Corr.” While the archetypes are much like these of Delta Squad, Traviss’ novel collection explores how these males break from their duties in the identical manner that Captain Rex does on the finish of The Clone Wars. Due to their coaching by the Mandalorians on Kamino, Omega Squad begins to discover their heritage on Mandalore as they give the impression of being in direction of a future when the battle is ended.
Darman emerges because the central determine within the novels, as he’s faster to query orders and contemplate what the ramifications of their campaigns will probably be. In one of many extra intriguing storylines, Darman begins to fall in love with the Jedi Knight Etain Tur-Mukan after they share an in depth name with dying on a essential mission. They’re clearly pressured to maintain their relationship a secret, however Darman acknowledges that he’s doomed to an early destiny in any case; since clones age at twice the speed of regular people, he decides to utilize the time he has left. In a transfer of defiance, he takes on the surname “Skirata,” and indoctrinates himself inside the customs of Mandalore.
Republic Commandos Explores the Nuances of Order 66 and the Aftermath
Of course, the clones are set on a collision course with evil that they couldn’t have probably predicted. Traviss’ finest novel Order 66 explores the haunting revelation that the extra skilled clones face after they notice they’ve been the instruments for spreading fascism all through the galaxy. It’s attention-grabbing to see the diverging views inside the ranks; some clones are prepared to just accept Emperor Palpatine’s radicalism, as they see searching down rebels and Jedi as a “reward” for his or her trauma in fight. It was arguably probably the most detailed exploration of militarization and fascism within the Star Wars franchise earlier than Andor and clearly took inspiration from the then-current conflicts within the Middle East and the dialogue of President George W. Bush’s administration about responsibility and repair.
There was a quick glimpse into the way forward for these characters within the novel Imperial Commando: 501st which was launched in 2009, however sadly the collection didn’t proceed any additional. There weren’t any subsequent Republic Commando video games past a cell Order 66 sequel recreation, which wasn’t as story-based as its predecessor. The additional adventures of Delta Squad and Omega Squad (a few of whom take new Mandalorian names) could be left a thriller, as Dave Filoni’s The Clone Wars opted to give attention to new clone characters that didn’t seem in earlier supplies. However, Delta Squad will get a quick cameo within the third season of The Clone Wars within the episode “Witches of the Mist.”
While the Star Wars Legends tales could not be a part of the official “canon,” many of those older tales are price revisiting as high quality entries within the collection. Just as a result of one thing isn’t a part of an official timeline doesn’t imply it’s not price your time, and the Republic Commando franchise is an interesting completely different facet of the universe. Those which might be having fun with The Bad Batch is likely to be within the tales that first proved that the clones weren’t at all times essentially similar.