Credit: LucasfilmThere’s a hidden reference in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 8 you might not have spotted.
The Bad Batch Episode 8 Secrets
It comes in Episode 8 of the latest season of the show, “The Clone Conspiracy“, when the Bad Batch’s young ward Omega (Michelle Ang) is shown the Senate Chamber by Senator Riyu Chuchi (Jennifer Hale).
It’s the second half of the two-parter, which covered the introduction of the stormtroopers into the Imperial Navy, a comparatively dark look into how Palpatine (Iain McDiarmid) manipulated the galaxy’s political machine into providing him an oppressive force.
Related: Recap: ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’ – “The Clone Conspiracy”
Senator Chuchi is showing Omega the galaxy’s political heart, which on the surface, is a moment of discovery and wonder for the young Clone.
But Bad Batch series composers Sean and Dean Kiner revealed that within the wondrous moment, they layered a note of ominous danger.
They tweeted from their @KinerMusic account:
Watching episode 8 of #TheBadBatch the other night and I completely forgot that we hid the Emperor’s theme in the music when Riyo Chuchi is showing Omega the Senate Chamber. It’s so hopeful and Chuchi still believes in it, but there’s a cancer in its bones.
Watching episode 8 of #TheBadBatch the other night and I completely forgot that we hid the Emperor’s theme in the music when Riyo Chuchi is showing Omega the Senate Chamber. It’s so hopeful and Chuchi still believes in it, but there’s a cancer in its bones.
— Kiner Brothers Music 🙂🙂 (@KinerMusic) February 16, 2023
Describing the moment as ‘cancer in [the] bones’ of the scene might seem at odds with the usually more family-friendly fare of The Bad Batch. But it suits the themes and momentous moment the two-parter signifies, with the introduction of the stormtroopers also signalling the retirement of the Clones — and their new found disposability.
The Emperor’s Theme is the perfect way to foreshadow the horror of what is about to unfold, the sinister score referencing the Sith mastermind behind the galaxy’s descent into oppression and darkness.
As we know, it lead to big changes in the Bad Batch’s line-up, too, with Echo (Dee Bradley Baker, who voices all the Clones) choosing to stay on Coruscant with Rex. The pair are dedicated to helping their Clone brothers as much as possible.
Did you recognise this hidden theme in The Bad Batch? Tell us in the comments below.