Potential spoilers for the season as well as for the episode “Aftermath”

On May 4th, Disney+ released the first of sixteen episodes for the follow up to the critically acclaimed and fan-favourite television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Now, one year after that show ended, another begins. Star Wars: The Bad Batch is a direct follow up to that show, so much that it could easily be the eighth season. Tom Kane reads out the WWII inspired radio opener and the original logo appears at first before burning away to reveal the new one. The animation style is also nearly identical, albeit much, much better than anything that has come before it. But where is the show going?

The Set-Up

Star Wars: The Bad Batch opens in the moments prior to Order 66. The tituar unit, desinated Clone Force 99 (after the defective clone 99 introduced in the third season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars) are largely uneffected by the inhibitor chips in their brain, preventing them from engaging in the order to wipe out the Jedi. As the Republic gets reorganized into the Empire and the need for expensive clones loses favour for conscripted soliders, these clones, loyal to the Republic, must find a place for themselves in this new and harrowing world.

The troops, introduced in the final season of The Clone Wars, are once again all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. Actually, Baker voices nearly all the characters in the episode “Aftermath” and will continue to be a “one-man show” as this series marches forward. Baker does such a great job at giving each clone their own personality and voice that you forget that it’s one man providing us with five core voices as well as countless other clones in the background. Joining the clones, however, is a new face, that of Omega.

Who Is Omega?

Voiced by Michelle Ang, Omega is a young and curious individual who lives on Kamino and works closely with the cloner Nala Se, the same who worked against the Jedi during the “Fives” arc in season six of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Omega, which is the final letter in the Greek alphabet, is the last clone of Jango Fett and a “bad batcher” herself. She finds herself gravitating towards Wrecker, Tech, Echo (a “reg”) but most importantly towards the series’ lead, Hunter (Crosshair continues to remain cold and antagonistic towards her).

Omega warns the unit not to return to the planet after their mission, citing Tarkin’s distrust of the clones. Of course, after seeing just how shady their mission was, the clones return home and are prompty arrested for treason. Omega, already in custody herself, joins the clones in a cell. It’s here that Omega tells Crosshair that she knows what he wants to do and begs him not to do it. Later on, Omega takes a shot at Crosshair with a rifle, disarming him. She later reveals she’s never held a blaster before. It’s more than likely, then, that Omega is the first clone to be Force sensitive and this will pave the way for Palpatine’s clones The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

A Special Clone

With the rise of the new Empire, through the authority of Admiral Tarkin, the Clones’ significance in the future of the Empire is in question and the Kaminoans don’t seem too thrilled about losing their lucrative contract. When the Bad Batch escape (with the help of Nala Se), she tells the Prime Minister that Omega is with them, to which the Prime Minister makes clear that said piece of information shouldn’t make it’s way to the Empire, for the time being. Maybe the Kaminoans don’t want the Empire getting their hands on their most prized asset just yet, unless it’s in their interest financially.

The reason for this discretion is likely that no clone has ever been Force sensitive before and we know from the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker novelization that the Sith Eternal had difficulty with the Palpatine clones as they wouldn’t be Force sensitive. Clones, traditionally, can’t use the Force as they have no midi-chlorians. It’s likely that Omega is the first and only clone to be born with a connection to the Force and that’s something Palpatine would definitely want to have in his arsenal for his future clone project.

But what are your theories? Is Omega Force sensitive or does she have something even more unique? Let us know in the comments, as well as if you prefer the original Tartakovsky Clone Wars special or the canonical CGI version.