Summary
While Darth Vader’s redemption inStar Warsmay be its most famous, I thinkStar Wars: The Bad Batchhas managed to top it with Crosshair’s story in season 3. Crosshair’s redemption has been all three seasons in the making, from his full commitment to the Empire throughout season 1 to his reconciliation with his brothers and Omega in season 3. The way it plays out is utterly breathtaking, and better yet, it’s given time to breathe within the actual story itself. This makes his redemption feel even more earned, and thus even more effective.
The key to a good redemption story is convincing the audience to root for the character, whichThe Bad Batchaccomplishes all the way back in season 2. Crosshair’s tragic story with Commander Mayday in episode 12 “The Outpost” earns Crosshair this necessary empathy from the audience, highlighting his full disillusionment with the Empire and his genuine remorse for what he’s done on their behalf. This carries through season 3, and after re-watching the show with a friend who was seeing it for the very first time, I’m convinced it’sStar Wars’best redemption story yet.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 Ending Explained (& What Happened To Clone Force 99)
Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3’s ending brought the show to a close, providing plenty of reveals, action sequences, and character conclusions.
My Friend Hated Crosshair At First - & She Can’t Be Easily Swayed
Crosshair’s Antagonistic Arc In Season 1 Left Its Mark
For context, my friend decided to watchThe Bad Batchwith me when I started my re-watch following the animated series' ultimate conclusion. She’s the admiringly strong kind of person who cannot be easily swayed once she’s made up her mind, and after watchingClone Force 99’s introduction inStar Wars: The Clone Warsand the first episode ofThe Bad Batch, she was set on her strong opposition of Crosshair. The more season 1 went on, the more vehement her disdain for him became, especially when he announced that he had removed hisinhibitor chip.
If the show could convince my friend that Crosshair was a character truly deserving of redemption, then this truly is the best kind of redemption story Star Wars has ever offered.
Yet by the end ofThe Bad Batch,her view of Crosshair had changed completely. She was rooting for him just as I was, and she was just as reluctant to let him self-sacrifice in the series finale as Hunter and Wrecker were. This, to me, spells out just how remarkable Crosshair’s redemption story really is. If the show could convince my friend that Crosshair was a character truly deserving of redemption, then this truly is the best kind of redemption storyStar Warshas ever offered.
Crosshair
One of five mutant clones created by the Kaminoan scientist Nala Se, Crosshair is a gifted marksman whose skills are almost preternatural in nature. He was the only member of Clone Force 99 to be influenced by the clones' inhibitor chip, but still chose to remain with the Empire for a time even after he’d had the chip removed. Crosshair is clearly on a path of redemption, however, one that will lead him back to his brothers.
The Outpost Alone Was Able To Change Her Mind
Crosshair’s Fight For Mayday Is A Pinnacle Moment
Even more remarkable is the fact that it only took “The Outpost” to convince my friend to root for Crosshair’s redemption. This is how beautifully moving that episode is; though the story lasts for less than a half an hour, its impact was enough to change her mind on Crosshair completely.It was one particular moment that won her over, one that speaks volumes about how Crosshair’s mentality has changed over the course of the episode and the season that preceded it.
The moment after the avalanche hit and Crosshair fought his way through the snow, she was already cheering him on to find Mayday. When he did, and he decided to save Mayday, there was no stopping the support she was putting behind him. This highlighted, to me, just how brilliant the writing really is in this particular episode, especially since it draws upon Crosshair’s comment from earlier in the mission about the pointlessness of “carrying deadweight.“To see this change in Crosshair over the course of the episode makes it highly convincing, as evidenced by my friend’s reaction to it.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch’s Full Timeline Explained
Star Wars: The Bad Batch takes place during a critical point of the Star Wars timeline, with each season providing new insights on a famous era.
Crosshair’s Redemption Really Is Star Wars' Best
His Redemption Is Earned & Satisfying
“The Outpost” was just the first major step in Crosshair’s redemption, and it took place at a perfect point in the series. It was able to act as a launching pad for his story in season 3, which details his full struggle to not only live with the regrets of what he did for the Empire, but also with his trauma from what he endured on Mount Tantiss.Nothing is easily earned for him, as it’s made clear he shoulders quite a bit of guilt and remorse for leaving his squad, serving the Empire, and never getting to say goodbye to his brother, Tech.
It’s much more convincing to believe in a redemption like Crosshair’s, which shows the longevity of the process as well as the full consequences that often come with it - and all the burdens.
This is a lot more than what otherStar Warsredemption stories have shown. Ben Solo’s redemption takes place within a single movie, and even Darth Vader’s redemption is mostly completed from start-to-finish withinReturn of the Jedi. To me, it’s much more convincing to believe in a redemption like Crosshair’s, which shows the longevity of the process as well as the full consequences that often come with it - and all the burdens. In my mind, then,The Bad Batchwill always have one of the best, if not the best, redemption stories in all ofStar Wars.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Cast
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.
