Star Wars: The Bad Batch is an animated television series that acts as both a sequel to and a spin-off of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It focuses on the squad known as Clone Force 99, a band of genetically enhanced clone troopers. It was announced on July 13, 2020 and premiered on Disney+ on May 4, 2021. The first season has sixteen episodes, and its musical score was composed by Kevin Kiner, who previously worked on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
The series stars Dee Bradley Baker as all male members of The Bad Batch, including Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, and Crosshair, as well as Michelle Ang as Omega.
The series follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way into a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch (Clone Force 99) — a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army — each possess a singular exceptional skill, which makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew. In the post-Clone Wars era, they will take on daring mercenary missions as they struggle to stay afloat and find new purpose.
The Bad Batch was announced on July 13, 2020, along with the producers and writers attached to the show. Dave Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo, Brad Rau, and Jennifer Corbett were named as executive producers. Carrie Beck also served as co-executive producer and Josh Rimes as producer. Rau also served as supervising director while Corbett was named as the series' head writer.
On August 5, 2021, the series was renewed for a second season.
On April 10, 2023, the series was renewed for a third and final season.
The first trailer for the first season of the Bad Batch was unveiled at a Disney investors presentation on December 10, 2020. A second trailer was released on March 30, 2021.
On May 29, Lucasfilm released the official trailer for the series' second season at the Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022.
The first episode of The Bad Batch premiered on Disney+ on May 4, 2021 with a 74-minute premiere episode. The first season ran for 16 episodes until August 13, 2021.
The second season ran for 16 episodes from January 4 to March 29, 2023.
The third season premiered on February 21, 2024.