After a stellar three-year run, it’s the end of the road for Clone Force 99. On May 1, Star Wars: The Bad Batch came to an end on Disney+ with a gripping and highly emotional finale that brought things full circle for Omega, Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, Crosshair and Co.—but what about Tech?
When the fan-favorite animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars wrapped up its seventh and final season in 2020, its finale left fans concerned about the future of Star Wars animation. Thankfully, we’ve been well-fed since, with series like Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi and of course, Star Wars: The Bad Batch taking its place, all while picking up on loose story threads introduced in The Clone Wars.
Created by Lucasfilm CCO Dave Filoni, The Bad Batch takes place during the rise of the Galactic Empire, following the plight of Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair, Hunter, and Echo (all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker), otherwise know as Clone Force 99.
Being genetically modified clones, the team’s inhibitor chips fail to kick into high gear after Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) executes Order 66, making them targets of the Empire. Throughout the first season, we see Crosshair abandon his brothers to pledge loyalty to the Empire after the team picks up a straggler on Kamino: a young, female Jango Fett clone named Omega (Michelle Ang), who’s a little more important than we’re initially led to think.
As expected (or perhaps not, given it’s technically a kid’s show), The Bad Batch is full of tragedy. Not only has Clone Force 99 lost their home world, the trust of their brothers, and everything they’ve ever known and loved, but in season 2, they also suffer the devastating loss of Tech. In the tear-jerking finale, titled “Plan 99,” the computer-savvy clone sacrifices himself to protect his squad from Governor Tarkin’s (Stephen Stanton) Imperial forces, plummeting to his death from a cable car in the sky.
Although Doctor Hemlock (Jimmi Simpson) tosses Hunter Tech’s shattered goggles before taking Omega away for experimentation on Mount Tantiss, we never actually see his corpse. And if you’ve stuck around the Star Wars fandom for a while now, then you’re well aware that showrunners have a funny little habit of bringing characters back from the grave. Because of this, fans speculated that Tech indeed survived his fall on Eriadu, as many weren’t convinced by the vague circumstances surrounding his death. Now that the series finale has premiered, however, we finally our answer—and it’s not exactly optimistic.
**SPOILER ALERT: This post spoils all episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3.**
The Bad Batch finale confirms the worst Tech theory
Look, we all knew that The Bad Batch finale was going to tug on the heartstrings. But beyond that, many hoped that the fate of Tech would be addressed in the final episode, “The Cavalry Has Arrived,” given his death has been something of an elephant in the room all season. Internet sleuths drew connections between Tech and the mysterious clone assassin CX-2, with many believing that an epic reveal would confirm that the clone wasn’t dead, after all—simply reprogrammed. Or that, somehow, he was saved by Captain Rex.
Alas, this seems to have been a stroke of wishful thinking, as last night’s finale did answer our burning questions about Tech: He’s well and truly dead. Crosshair says as much near the beginning of the episode, telling Hunter and Wrecker, “Clone Force 99 died with Tech.” Ouch! Too soon, man.
Later on, amid the many faces of the freed clones on Mount Tantiss, Tech, unfortunately, isn’t one of them. CX-2 is revealed to be no one in particular, and the clone assassins all get wiped out one by one. Still, no Tech. But with the research facility destroyed, the crew is finally able to retire on Pabu (a.k.a. space Margaritaville), knowing their mission is, at last, complete. Project Necromancer will still continue, but at least the Bad Batch has done their part to ensure clones aren’t Palpatine’s test subjects.
An epilogue shows a touching moment between Omega (all grown-up now) and Hunter, with the younger clone jetting off to join the Rebel Alliance, much to the chagrin of her pseudo father figure. Nonetheless, he allows her to leave and fulfill her destiny. As Omega gears up to leave, the camera shows Tech’s goggles resting on her dash—a touching reminder that she’s never forgotten the heroism of her slain brother.
Tech’s death is a good thing, actually: here’s why
So there you have it, folks. Tech is officially dead. Our wild fan theories went absolutely unproven, and the galaxy far, far away sure feels bleak. Still, hope persists, as we know that Crosshair, Hunter, and Wrecker earned some well-deserved peace after a lifetime of fighting, and are finally able to choose their own destinies along with the rest of the clones. Plus, with Omega on the frontlines of the Rebellion, victory is near.
Ultimately, The Bad Batch finale proves that Tech’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain. His memory lives on through Omega, who uses the skills she’s learned from her brothers over the years to fight back against the Empire—which is exactly what he would’ve wanted.
So, even if it’s hard to accept, the loss of Tech is probably for the best in the long run, especially given the sheer amount of resurrections Star Wars has pulled in recent years. Beyond giving viewers some much-needed finality, his death gave the remaining members of Clone Force 99 the strength to complete their mission, even if it took a little time to get there. And now that all is said and done, it’s safe to say that Tech will forever go down as one of the best characters in the history of Star Wars.
(featured image: Lucasfilm)
