The first episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch is finally out and the series didn't waste time in getting a little nostalgic. The opening scene immediately brings us back to the chaos brought about by Order 66 and somehow retcons the origin story of an important Star Wars character.
WARNING: The following contains SPOILERS from Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 1 so PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
Aftermath opens with a large-scale battle between the Jedi and the Separatist group. Clone Force 99 arrives to serve as support to the Jedi and their Clone Trooper companions and we get our first surprise in the series: The Jedi are revealed to be Jedi Master Depa Billaba and her Padawan Caleb Dume.
As Order 66 is suddenly executed, the Jedi's Clone Trooper companions turn against them. At this point, Depa orders Caleb to run so he could survive the Jedi Purge.
The opening sequence is one that isn't necessarily connected to Star Wars: The Clone Wars but leads straight to another animated show. In Star Wars Rebels, it is revealed that Caleb had taken a different name and goes by Kanan Jarrus.
What's interesting about the young Kanan's cameo is how it is very different from his origin story. In the comic book Kanan: The Last Padawan, Caleb and Depa are actually gathered around a fire when Order 66 was executed. In addition to that, The Bad Batch never appeared in the comics.
While The Bad Batch introduced new characters into Kanan's story, it also removed some old ones and it is this change that stands out to fans. In the comics, Depa and Caleb are accompanied by Commander Grey and Captain Styles, who both wear armor with red accents. In the show, their companion is an anonymous Clone Trooper wearing armor with green accents.
Sadly, it looks like Grey's redemption arc has been erased with the Kanan retcon. On the other hand, fans are still hoping that the truth will be revealed in the next few episodes.
The Bad Batch Episode 1 is titled Aftermath. It is now streaming on Disney+.
Related: Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 1 Review: Dealing with the Aftermath of Order 66
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