This brand-new look at 14-year-oldStar Warsconcept art proves that one belovedStar WarsTV show truly is the end ofGeorge Lucas' franchise legacy. WhenLucas soldStar Warsto Disneyin 2012, he effectively put anything he had in progress for the franchise to an end, includingStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
One of the final ideas Lucas had created forThe Clone Warsprior to this sale was the development ofClone Force 99, also known as the Bad Batch. The Batch famously wouldn’t make their full debut untilThe Clone Warswas brought back for a final season in 2020 before they earned their own spin-off animated series,Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
Now, the earliest concept art of the group of enhanced clones from Dave Filoni’s own sketchbook has been unveiled at San Diego Comic Con byStar Wars.
This art reveals not only how the Bad Batch has changed over the years, but also howthey truly are the end of Lucas' legacyin theStar Warsfranchise.
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They Were Lucas' Last Big Idea For The Franchise
The Bad Batch may have officially debuted quite a few years into the Disney era ofStar Wars, buttheir origins date back long before then. One of the three pages of Filoni’s sketchbook shared byStar Warsincludes a year at the top: 2011.
This means thatLucas was actively developing the Bad Batch as characters with Filoni for at least a yearbefore he ultimately soldStar Warsto Disney. While fans have long since known the Bad Batch was done in collaboration with Lucas, the timeline hasn’t always been clear, and this provides a clearer look at it.
Star Warswould go on to develop a rough visual of an early Bad Batch arc forThe Clone Wars, including dialogue recorded by Dee Bradley Baker, but much of this story, aside from its central idea of the clone trooper Echo being found alive and rescued, was rewritten forThe Clone Warsseason 7 in 2020.
They Prove To Be One Of His Best Ideas Yet
NoStar Warsfan can deny now how beloved the Bad Batch truly is, especially after their spin-off series. It’s rare for animatedStar Warscharacters to get additional supplemental material for their stories, but the Bad Batch has recently gotten not only a comic miniseries, but also a full novel.
Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories — The Bad Batch — Ghost Agentsby Michael Moreci just completed its 5-issue run in July, whileSanctuary: A Bad Batch Novelby Lamar Giles releases on August 5th.
All of this has much to do with how well-received the Bad Batch has been ever since their debut inThe Clone Wars. As the last major idea Lucas created for the franchise that has since seen fruition in the Disney era,they are the conclusive, definitive piece of Lucas' legacy in theStar Warsfranchise, and they represent him well.
The Bad Batch maintains that infectious charm that lies at the heart of the original Star Wars itself.
There’s a large portion of theStar Warsfandom that has found themselves sorely missing Lucas' influence onStar Warsnow that we’re thirteen years into the Disney era, but the Bad Batch maintains that infectious charm that lies at the heart of the originalStar Warsitself. The franchise truly struck gold by making good on Lucas' finalStar Warsconcept.
