The Bad Batch returns to a well-known planet in “Devil’s Deal,” bringing with it a lot of connections to other animated series in the saga. Filling in holes from The Clone Wars and Rebels, we found it to be one of the best episodes in the series.
Let’s take a look at all of the references and easter eggs we found in the episode:
Hera Syndulla
We know her, we love her. The little Twi’lek girl in “Devil’s Deal” will grow up to be one of the most recognizable heroes of the Disney canon. Hera stars in Rebels as the pilot and leader of the Ghost crew. Throughout that series she rises in the ranks and is part of the moment the Rebels officially form a unified Alliance against the Empire instead of a loose, hidden network of independent cells.
She goes on to become a general (with a mention in Rogue One) and a leader in the New Republic. In the video game Star Wars Squadrons and the novel series Alphabet Squadron, she serves as commander and mentor for many pilots.
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Hera is consistently kind and loving, believing that people can be good if given the right support and allowed to have time to form strong bonds with those around them.
Her ever-present droid companion is C1-10P, “Chopper,” a grumpy troublemaker who seems relatively tame in his younger days compared to his more chaotic role in Rebels.
Cham Syndulla, Orn Free Taa, and Ryloth
-While Ryloth was part of the Republic, its location in the Outer Rim meant that its people had a strong independent spirit and sometimes clashed with the galactic ruling body. Rebel leader Cham Syndulla (Hera’s dad) opposed the Republic, believing Senator Orn Free Taa was corrupt. However, when the Separatists attempted to blockade and invade the planet, Cham ended up fighting beside the Jedi and helping to strengthen the Republic’s hold. By the time the Republic became the Empire, he was tired of fighting and resigned to working with Taa. He appears for brief but important roles in Rebels and The Clone Wars.
– Freedom fighter and Cham’s wife Eleni Syndulla makes her first appearance in this episode. In Rebels, Hera says her mother died fighting the Empire. Eleni’s first canonical portrayal comes in a stained glass portrait of the family.
– Senator Orn Free Taa first appeared in live action in The Phantom Menace, then stayed throughout the Prequel films as one of the recurring background senators. As well as appearing in The Clone Wars, he and Cham are also major characters in the novel Lords of the Sith.
– Meanwhile, Lenk and Seni appear to be brand-new Twi’lek rebels.
– Some of the Twi’leks ride blurggs, the large animals that also appeared in live action in The Mandalorian. They’re another transplant from animation, first appearing in The Clone Wars. While mostly associated with Ryloth, they’re canonically used as beasts of burden throughout the galaxy.
Clone Captain Howzer
– Clone Captain Howzer, a recurring background character in the episode, is a brand new face. He appears to have been stationed on Ryloth for a while, as he’s familiar with Cham and somewhat sympathetic to the freedom fighters.
Vehicles
– Gobi’s ship is a Rainhawk-class transport, sometimes associated enough with Pantoran species to be known as the Pantoran cruiser. Canonically, it’s a relatively old model, out of date by the time Gobi’s ship appears on screen.
– The Imperials use Nu-class attack/transport shuttles, seen often in The Clone Wars, near the end of the episode, as well as a NAVw A6 Juggernaut tank first seen in Revenge of the Sith.
