The Bad Batch Delivers in Devil’s Deal
Clone Force 99 delivers a look at the childhood of one of Star Wars most beloved heroes….
The below blog post contains spoilers for the 11th episode of The Bad Batch, “Devil’s Deal.” Jump to another article here if you are spoiler averse.
.
.
.
.
Admittedly, I was not expecting to see Hera Syndulla, one of the main protagonists in Star Wars Rebels, in The Bad Batch.
Hello Hera
I don’t know why, but it never occurred to me that The Bad Batch needed to provide any other origin stories and — as some of the other folks who gave a response to the episode — didn’t think the show needed it.
Meanwhile, I was happy with the several cameos in the show (even as I secretly hope for a glimpse of Boba Fett).
However, Hera is one of my favorite characters. Moreover, seeing the beginnings of her personal rebellion against the Empire was gratifying. It was also really cool to see Chopper again, too.
But my prose doesn’t do Syndulla’s return justice; let’s “listen” to Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier.
About Hera Syndulla
- Captain of the Ghost. Star of an earlier animated series, Star Wars Rebels. Arguably the best character to come out of Star Wars animation ever.
- And, eventually, a Rebel pilot who survives to fight with the Rebellion from the Battle of Scarif all the way through the Battle of Endor and beyond. But this story takes place way before all that.
- Hera is still a child, complete with her native accent, and she’s off on a mission as the story gets started.
I think that line, “the best character to come out of Star Wars animation, ever,” is proper.
The Bad Batch gave her a terrific introduction to the timeline and Lussier introduces the episode properly.
If you haven’t seen it, go watch it now.
Seeing Syndulla
As a Hera Syndulla origin story, “Devil’s Deal” was excellent. We got to see this beloved character growing up, talking about her dreams, and some of the complex political and emotional conflict she has and will continue to have, with her parents. It was very Hera Syndulla: A New Hope.
With that in mind, Lussier correctly points out that Hera’s origin story plays out during the time most of us expect to watch “The Bad Batch” and not “Hera Syndulla.”
However, I will also give the show the time it needs to tie everything together (and perhaps provide the necessary context for a later storyline).
Here’s hoping the inclusion of the Syndulla family in The Bad Batch continues to pay off.
Please be sure to read Germain Lussier’s full story over at Gizmodo, and if you want an in-depth video review of the episode, check out the video from Star Wars Expained.
Feature Image: Disney+