Phil Roberts 
The third and final season of The Bad Batch will close out the fan-favorite animated series and culminate the adventures of Clone Force 99
The Bad Batch will return.
Just days after the heartbreaking second season finale of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, it was confirmed at Star Wars Celebration that a third season is on its way. Ordinarily, this news would be a reason to celebrate. However, the announcement also confirmed that the new season would indeed be the show’s last. During the bittersweet panel, executive producers Brad Rau, Jennifer Corbett, and Athena Portillo confirmed that the series would culminate in 2024 with this chapter of Clone Force 99’s journey coming to a close.
Whether this is the end of the road for The Batch remains to be seen. But with Crosshair at the mercy of Doctor Hemlock, and Tech dying on Eriadu, surely the team is running out of road as the Empire’s net of tyranny closes in?
TEASER
Fans lucky enough to have made the pilgrimage to London’s ExCeL Arena were treated to a brief teaser for the next season. And it was packed with cameos, battle-action, and monsters of all shapes and sizes. It began with the Emperor (once again voiced by Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid) visiting Dr. Royce Hemlock. The leader of the Empire’s cloning efforts, on Mount Tantiss.
“It is imperative that this facility remain secure,” Palpatine says. “Your brilliance is a great asset to this Empire.” All members of the Bad Batch appear, with Hunter addressing Omega’s capture at the hands of the Empire. “Omega’s been waiting for us. I’m not making her wait another day.” We see Omega and a sullen Crosshair, both still in Imperial custody. “I’m not giving up, Crosshair,” Omega tells him. “I won’t leave you, either. You’re my brother.” Throughout, there are glimpses of several worlds and characters, including Republic commandos, clones, Rex, plenty of giant creatures (“Why is there always a huge monster!” Wrecker asks, before dropping a thermal detonator in one’s mouth.), and Ming-Na Wen’s fan-favorite bounty hunter, Fennec Shand.
The Bad Batch follows the heroic Clone Force 99 — also known as the Bad Batch, a group of elite clones — in the aftermath of Order 66 and the rise of the Empire. The end of Season 2 saw the death of team member Tech and the capture of Omega — along with the revelation that she has a sister. How will the story end? Looks like we’ll find out next year.
RELEASE
Our man on the ground Thomas Storai was fortunate enough to be in the room. And he was blown away by the return of Commander Wolffe, Captain Rex, Emperor Palpatine, and Fennec Shand. But can the final season deliver the send-off we are all hoping for? All will be revealed in 2024 when the final season premieres on Disney Plus.
That being said, this is a bittersweet announcement for the fans. After suffering the loss of both The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, the animation fans amongst us were eating well with Clone Force 99. And now Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, Crosshair, and Omega look set to follow them into the twin sunset of Tatooine. Thankfully, Lucasfilm’s live-action umbrella has more than enough content to see us through. But one can only hope that the studio has another animated gem up its sleeve to appease the fans’ appetite. But maybe we’re hoping for too much.
The Bad Batch will return for one last ride in 2024.
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Phil Roberts is the Owner, Daily Content Manager, and Editor-In-Chief of The Future of the Force. He is passionate about Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force and babbles frequently!
