Summary
Major spoilers ahead for Seasons 1, 2, and 3 ofStar Wars: The Bad Batch.
Respawn’sStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderhelped putStar Warsgames back on the map withStar Wars Jedi: Survivorexpanding on what Fallen Order built. These games are just as integral to the franchise as other forms ofStar Warsmedia, withStar Wars Jedi: Survivorand its predecessor referencing the various shows and films ofStar Wars.
TheStar Wars Jedigames haven’t exactly been referenced on the same level in return. However, there is oneStar Warsshow that embraces the games wholeheartedly.Star Wars: The Bad Batchis a continuation ofthe incredibly popularStar Wars: The Clone Warsand it has referenced the games far more openly than most other shows. It could even be seen as a treasure trove of Easter eggs referencing Respawn’sStar Wars Jediseries.
The planet Bracca is full of references toStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and it is well known for appearing in the game. In fact, Bracca was created by Respawn forFallen Order. So, the fact that the planet made quite a significant appearance inThe Bad Batchis truly special. In the episode “Battle Scars” in Season 1, the Bad Batch makes their way to Bracca to meet up with Captain Rex, who helps them remove their inhibitor chips to protect them from followingStar Wars' Order 66. They then stay on Bracca for the remainder of the next episode until they are chased off by the Empire.
Episodes “Battle Scars” and “Reunion” Are a Gold Mine of Fallen Order References
Unfortunately, young Cal Kestis doesn’t make it into the show, even though he could have conceivably been on Bracca at the time. However, one iconic item that resembles him did make an appearance—Cal Kestis' first poncho. The Scrapper Guild, which also appeared inStar Warsfor the first time inFallen Order, appears in the two episodes.
These two episodes are certainly a gold mine of references to the game, and to top it all off, the members of the Scrapper Guild all wear the same poncho uniform.
In the episode “Entombed” of Season 2, The Bad Batch travels to an uncharted world in search of treasure. They come across an ancient ruin with puzzles that are very similar to those found in Zeffo ruins inStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.Star Wars' Zeffonians, or Zeffo for short, were a species that predates the Republic and were thought to have ruled a vast majority of the galaxy.The Bad Batch’s Tech even states that the ruins are very old and likely to predate the Republic. That said, the Zeffo is an elusive species as not much is known about them.
InThe Bad BatchSeason 3 episode “Bad Territory,” Fennec Shand mentions the Haxion Brood, a crime syndicate that first appeared inFallen Order, abducted Cal Kestis, and continues to send bounty hunters after him.
Other Star Wars Shows That Embrace Star Wars: Jedi
References to The Star Wars Jedi Games in Other Star Wars Shows
Aside fromThe Bad Batch, otherStar Warsshows have been embracing Respawn’sStar Wars Jedigames. TheObi-Wan Kenobimini-series features a rather big reference toFallen Orderby introducingthe Fortress Inquisitoriusto live action and by having Obi-Wan’s infiltration of the fortress resemble Cal Kestis’ infiltration. Likewise, there are a few other note-worthy references, albeit subtle ones:
Although there have been many references over the years to Respawn’sStar Wars Jedigames, none of these embrace the games as much asThe Bad Batch. It’s very likely that futureStar Warsshows or films will reference the games, and it will be interesting to see how they manage to continue integrating them into the canon.
