Clone Force 99 has zipped around space in the same ride for all three of The Bad Batch‘s seasons – so what is their ship called? And does it really have a surprisingly raunchy connection to a major Star Wars character?
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What Is the Name of the Bad Batch’s Starship?
Clone Force 99’s Omicron-class attack shuttle is called the Marauder. It first appeared (alongside the team themselves) in Season 7 of The Bad Batch‘s precursor series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Just as its owners were unlike other clone troopers, the Marauder differs from standard Galactic Republic attack shuttles. This is thanks to modifications made to the Marauder – presumably carried out under Tech’s supervision – that transformed it from a factory-line Omicron-class vehicle. The Marauder‘s non-standard features include its overhauled crew quarters, which are more spacious (handy, given the ship doubles as a mobile headquarters).
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That’s not the only way the Marauder differs from other Star Wars starships, either. Clone Force 99’s interstellar whip technically has two names – something few other craft can lay claim to. Most of the time, characters call the ship the Marauder, but occasionally, they refer to it as the Havoc Marauder, instead. There’s a mundane real-world reason for this discrepancy: the Clone Wars creative team shortened the Marauder‘s name during production on Season 7. Even so, the longer version still pops up.
How the Bad Batch’s Ship Changed During Production
Another major revision to the Marauder has held firm, however. Originally, Clone Force 99’s ship sported a racy portrait of the Star Wars prequels’ female lead, Padmé Amidala, on its nose. Accompanied by the slogan “Good to be Bad” in Star Wars‘ fictional Aurebesh language, the nose art was a callback to the pin-ups that adorned World War II fighter planes. It was visible in the unfinished version of Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 2, “A Distant Echo,” circulated prior to Season 7’s official release.
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However, the Marauder‘s nose art doesn’t appear in the finished version of “A Distant Echo.” Similarly, it’s not present in any of the Marauder‘s other Clone Wars appearances, nor does it show up in The Bad Batch Seasons 1 to 3. Clone Wars‘ supervising director Dave Filoni was responsible for axing the artwork, despite initially backing it. He explained why at a press screening of Clone Wars Season 7, saying he wasn’t comfortable having characters objectify Padmé, especially given her relatively small role.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 is currently streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Wednesdays.
Published: Apr 1, 2024 07:39 am