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The Clone Wars was hailed as a breakthrough within the Star Wars franchise for the way in which the clone soldiers were fleshed out and given unique personalities. While the clones had been nothing but identical troopers in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, Dee Bradley Baker’s incredible voicework explored countless different characters with different perspectives, idiosyncrasies, and destinies. The current Disney+ series The Bad Batch continues after the end of The Clone Wars, and follows a group of genetically enhanced clones that defy the orders to execute Order 66. While it’s exciting to see how the franchise has evolved in its depiction of these characters, their journey was chronicled first in the Republic Commando video game and novels from the Legends era.
Following the release of Attack of the Clones, Lucasfilm launched an ambitious multimedia plan to chronicle the story before Revenge of the Sith. As fans waited three long years for the final installment in the prequel trilogy, a detailed timeline was composed that included video games, novels, comic book storylines, and the animated Clone Wars series from Genndy Tartakovsky. While many of these projects featured more distinguished clone characters (including the Republic comics’ Alpha, the predecessor to Captain Rex), it wasn’t until Republic Commando that they got a starring role.
In March 2005, the first Republic Commando video game was released, which starred the four members of “Delta Squad” as they venture on a series of dangerous missions from the Battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones to their orders to “execute Order 66” amidst the Battle of Kashyyyk in Revenge of the Sith. A series of novels by author Karen Traviss began in 2004, which spotlighted both Delta Squad and the members of “Omega Squad,” a group of clones that work closely in line with the Jedi. Within these Legends stories are everything that The Bad Batch fans may enjoy; they’re darker, action-packed Star Wars stories that show the rigors of combat, and explore the inhumanity of men who were bred for the sole purpose of warfare.
Legend’s Era Republic Commando Offers a Nuanced Game About Clones
In many ways, the characters in Delta Squad were the predecessors to the Bad Batch. They’re genetically modified to have enhanced abilities, and they generally go on individual covert missions divorced from the rest of the clone battalions. Even within the first-person shooter game, the squadmates each have defining characteristics and quirks. “Boss” is the grizzled sergeant, “Fixer” was the by-the-book tech genius, “Sev” was the remorseless sniper, and “Scorch” was the comical explosives expert. The game is quick to note a detailed history of in-jokes and experiences that these characters share, and allows them to engage in light banter as they perform their duties.
Republic Commando was an interesting way to chronicle the clones’ story throughout the entire war. While the timeline may have acknowledged their first deployment in the Battle of Geonosis as nothing but a Star Wars historical landmark, it’s interesting to see how the inciting incident of galactic combat is perceived by the clones. Many of the soldiers suffer post-traumatic stress disorder from their experiences being hunted down by Geonosians and handed over to the inexperienced Jedi leaders. Sev makes it a priority to destroy 4,982 droids by the time the war ends; that’s one for every clone killed on Geonosis.
The Republic Commando Story Continues In the Novel Series
The novel series does more to chronicle the three-year war from the clones’ point of view. Omega Squad, which consists of the self-serious sergeant “Niner,” the sensitive demolitions expert “Darman,” the stubborn computer whiz “Atin,” and the paranoid medic “Corr.” While the archetypes are similar to those of Delta Squad, Traviss’ novel series explores how these men break from their duties in the same way that Captain Rex does at the end of The Clone Wars. Due to their training by the Mandalorians on Kamino, Omega Squad begins to explore their heritage on Mandalore as they look towards a future when the conflict is ended.
Darman emerges as the central figure in the novels, as he’s quicker to question orders and consider what the ramifications of their campaigns will be. In one of the more intriguing storylines, Darman begins to fall in love with the Jedi Knight Etain Tur-Mukan after they share a close call with death on a critical mission. They’re obviously forced to keep their relationship a secret, but Darman recognizes that he’s doomed to an early fate anyways; since clones age at twice the rate of normal humans, he decides to make use of the time he has left. In a move of defiance, he takes on the surname “Skirata,” and indoctrinates himself within the customs of Mandalore.
Republic Commandos Explores the Nuances of Order 66 and the Aftermath
Of course, the clones are set on a collision course with evil that they couldn’t have possibly predicted. Traviss’ best novel Order 66 explores the haunting revelation that the more experienced clones face when they realize they’ve been the tools for spreading fascism throughout the galaxy. It’s interesting to see the diverging perspectives within the ranks; some clones are willing to accept Emperor Palpatine’s radicalism, as they see hunting down rebels and Jedi as a “reward” for their trauma in combat. It was arguably the most detailed exploration of militarization and fascism in the Star Wars franchise before Andor and clearly took inspiration from the then-current conflicts in the Middle East and the dialogue of President George W. Bush’s administration about duty and service.
There was a brief glimpse into the future of these characters in the novel Imperial Commando: 501st which was released in 2009, but sadly the series did not continue any further. There weren’t any subsequent Republic Commando games beyond a mobile Order 66 sequel game, which wasn’t as story-based as its predecessor. The further adventures of Delta Squad and Omega Squad (some of whom take new Mandalorian names) would be left a mystery, as Dave Filoni’s The Clone Wars opted to focus on new clone characters that didn’t appear in previous materials. However, Delta Squad gets a brief cameo in the third season of The Clone Wars in the episode “Witches of the Mist.”
While the Star Wars Legends stories may no longer be part of the official “canon,” many of these older stories are worth revisiting as quality entries in the series. Just because something isn’t part of an official timeline doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time, and the Republic Commando franchise is a fascinating different side of the universe. Those that are enjoying The Bad Batch might be interested in the stories that first proved that the clones weren’t always necessarily identical.
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