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Will The Bad Batch Be In The Mandalorian Season 3?


The Mandalorian Season 3 will be arriving on Disney+ on March 1. Naturally, fans will be expecting to see faces both familiar and new, but will the upcoming series feature characters who currently only exist on the animated side of the faraway galaxy? In other words, will the Bad Batch appear in The Mandalorian Season 3?

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Related: Is Bo-Katan Kryze a Villain or a Hero?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 is currently streaming on Disney+, and soon, so will The Mandalorian Season 3. Are both shows set to cross paths, or will Clone Force 99 remain exclusively animated for the time being? Well, it would be wise not to rule anything out at this point.

So far, The Mandalorian has introduced a number of characters who had previously only ever been seen in animation. Two particularly notable characters are Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kryze, who were brought to life by Rosario Dawson and Katee Sackhoff in Season 2.

While the casting for The Mandalorian Season 3 doesn't include the likes of Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, Crosshair, and Omega, it's not as if we had any foresight that Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, and the two aforementioned Clone Wars characters would be showing up in Season 2.

As such, it's entirely possible that the Bad Batch, or some of them at least, could show up in The Mandalorian, which would serve as their live-action debut. But first of all, it's important to note exactly when The Mandalorian takes place along Star Wars' very long timeline.

Check out the teaser for The Mandalorian Season 3 below:

Related: Will The Bad Batch Appear In Live Action?

The show takes place five years after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983), during the New Republic era. The Bad Batch, on the other hand, takes place shortly after the end of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), after Order 66 and during the first days, weeks, and months of the reign of the Galactic Empire.

But this doesn't really matter, because this is Star Wars, and time isn't a particularly great divide in this franchise. After all, Ahsoka and Bo-Katan have both shown up in The Mandalorian, so it would make perfect sense to see someone like Omega make an appearance, or one of the other clones.

The real problem is what lies ahead for Clone Force 99. Given the fact that another 28 years are to pass before we even reach The Mandalorian, it's highly likely that they don't all survive. This we will only learn by the time The Bad Batch reaches some kind of conclusion.

With that said, there's no telling how long the show will run for. The Clone Wars lasted for 12 years, from 2008 to 2020 (though there was a hiatus in that time). The Bad Batch may very well go on for a long time yet, but that doesn't mean The Mandalorian can't spoil the fate of at least one defected clone.

Check out the brand-new official trailer for The Mandalorian Season 3 below:

Related: Will Cara Dune Be In The Mandalorian Season 3?

Spoilers are widely considered to be somewhat inconsequential where the faraway galaxy is concerned these days anyway. As such, The Mandalorian Season 3 could easily feature any one member of Clone Force 99, or the team in its entirety, and there would be far more pleased fans than not.

From a narrative perspective, exactly how the Bad Batch could appear in The Mandalorian is another matter entirely. And it's safe to say that (although we hope we're wrong), this won't happen in The Mandalorian Season 3. Right now, it would seem that the emphasis is on Din Djarin's return to Mandalore.

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Related: The Mandalorian Season 3 Full Trailer Breakdown: All The Star Wars Easter Eggs Revealed

But if Star Wars has taught us anything, it's to never say never. Season 2's post-credits scene, perhaps? The show is going to need some ammunition to drum up interest for Season 4, after all. And what better way to do this than to tease the arrival of characters like the Bad Batch.

Maybe this is the way.

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Related: Who Has Been Cast For The Mandalorian Season 3?

As per StarWars.com, here's the official synopsis for The Mandalorian:

After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.

The Mandalorian Season 3 stars Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin/The Mandalorian), Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon), Carl Weathers (Greef Karga), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Emily Swallow (The Armorer), Omid Abtahi (Dr. Pershing), Amy Sedaris (Peli Motto), and Tim Meadows and Christopher Lloyd in undisclosed roles.

The Mandalorian Season 3 will premiere on March 1 on Disney+ and will consist of eight episodes.

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Related: Will The Mandalorian Season 3 Tie Into the Sequel Trilogy?

The Mandalorian Seasons 1 and 2, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), and Andor (2022) are all currently streaming on Disney+.

You can also enjoy all the animated shows -- Star Wars Rebels (2014), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022), and Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021), as well as all 12 Star Wars movies, and more.

Other upcoming live-action shows include Ahsoka (2023) and Skeleton Crew (2023).

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