Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3, episode 15
Summary
- Republic Commando’s Scorch meets a disappointing end in The Bad Batch’s series finale, shot by Clone Force 99 without a chance to retaliate.
- Fans of Star Waras Legends and the Republic Commando series most likely feel let down by Scorch’s unfulfilling fate.
- Scorch’s lack of a proper and worthy death or a surprise redemption somewhat hinders the success of The Bad Batch’s series finale.
The Bad Batch animated Star Wars series ended with a very satisfying series finale…for the most part. Omega and Clone Force 99 all get very dynamic endings and even receive teases that their stories could continue during the Star Wars timeline’s Age of Rebellion. However, there is no justice to be found in The Bad Batch season 3 regarding Scorch.
Originally hailing from Legends, Scorch (RC-1262) first appeared in LucasArts’ 2005 Republic Commando game and its connecting novels by Karen Traviss. A member of Delta Squad, Scorch was the elite unit’s demolitions expert and the most lighthearted of their squad. Thanks to The Clone Wars season 3, Delta Squad was re-canonized into the Star Wars timeline with a brief appearance, though Scorch was the only Delta featured in The Bad Batch and the dawn of the Empire. That said, Scorch’s ultimate fate in The Bad Batch is incredibly heartbreaking for longtime fans of his character and the Republic Commando series.
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Scorch’s Fate In The Bad Batch Season 3
Killed By Hunter and Crosshair
First appearing on his own in The Bad Batch season 2, Scorch debuted training the Empire’s new stormtroopers on the planet Daro. This was his first encounter with Clone Force 99 who was featured helping the Republic Commando known as Gregor escape from Imperial custody as he was no longer willing to serve the Empire. In contrast, Scorch remained loyal to the Empire, mirroring his and Delata’s transition to Imperial Commandos as seen in the Legends novels.
As seen in The Bad Batch season 3, Scorch became the Clone Commander of Doctor Hemlock’s security forces on Tantiss Base with the Empire’s Advanced Research Division, seemingly having no qualms about Hemlock’s testing and experiments on his fellow clones. As a result, Scorch is quickly and unceremoniously shot multiple times by Clone Force 99’s Hunter and Crosshair while attempting to help Hemlock flee with Omega who needed her valuable blood for Palpatine’s Project Necromancer. While Scorch’s dark turn necessitated his defeat, his past as a beloved hero should have meant he got a much better end that he received.
Scorch Deserved So Much Better
A Worthy Death (Or A Suprise Redemption) Was Needed
Considering his long history in Legends, Scorch should have at least received a more worthy death as a member of the elite Delta Squad. Instead, Scorch was shot multiple times (the first in the back) and wasn’t even able to fire a single shot back at Clone Force 99 before tumbling off the side of a catwalk. He should have at least been allowed to put up more of a fight. Likewise, there was never any mention of what happened to Delta Squad following the end of the Clone Wars.
Rather than being an actual character and soldier who had been corrupted by the rise of the Empire, it felt like Scorch’s presence in his recognizable armor was simply to be a walking Easter egg. He had zero depth beyond being a high-ranking clone who was still loyal to the Empire, a fact that’s quite tragic seeing as how a surprise redemption could have been very exciting and a true twist for the series finale. Any kind of regret and/or split decision to side with his fellow clones would have been incredibly exciting, especially after Clone Force 99 helped free all of Hemlock’s test subjects.
Ultimately, Scorch received neither a worthy death nor a surprise redemption by The Bad Batch’s end. For fans of Legends and Republic Commando, it’s not surprising if many see Scorch’s quick death as a hinderance to the success of the series finale overall. It’s a truly heartbreaking and unfulfilling end for Scorch, one that just doesn’t feel right in an otherwise very compelling and satisfying ending for The Bad Batch.
All episodes of
The Bad Batch
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Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is an action-adventure animated series set after the events of The Clone Wars, following Clone Force 99 (a.k.a. the Bad Batch.) Finding themselves immune to the brainwashing effects of Order 66, the Bad Batch become mercenaries for hire while outrunning the empire, now seeing them as fugitives of the law.
- Cast
- Dee Bradley Baker , Michelle Ang , Noshir Dalal , Liam O’Brien , Rhea Perlman , Sam Riegel , Bob Bergen , Gwendoline Yeo
- Release Date
- May 4, 2021
- Seasons
- 3
- Writers
- Jennifer Corbett , Dave Filoni , Matt Michnovetz , Tamara Becher , Amanda Rose Munoz , Gursimran Sandhu , Christian Taylor , Damani Johnson
- Directors
- Brad Rau , Steward Lee , Nathaniel Villanueva , Saul Ruiz
- Showrunner
- Dave Filoni
- Creator(s)
- Dave Filoni , Jennifer Corbett
