Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Bad Batch
A Star Wars theory suggests Anakin Skywalker might have been too successful in his first dark side mission, potentially creating future problems for Palpatine down the line in the established canon. Although the newly christened Darth Vader was told by his new master not to hesitate and show no mercy at the Jedi Temple, his brutal massacre seen during Revenge of the Sith might have been too extreme. This idea comes from new reveals in The Bad Batch season 3 with the notion that Palpatine still needed some Jedi to survive into the Dark Times.
As seen in The Bad Batch season 3’s three-episode premiere, Emperor Palpatine himself visits the secret Imperial black site on the planet Wayland run by Doctor Royce Hemlock. Checking on Hemlock’s progress with his cloning experiments, it’s confirmed that the Advanced Science Division is working on Project Necromancer, seeking to infuse Midi-chlorian counts into clone bodies that either match or are greater than the original donor. As such, the need for Force-sensitive donors could mean that Anakin inadvertently created initial problems for Palpatine’s secret plans to grant himself immortality.
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Here is how to watch all Star Wars movies and TV shows chronologically and in order of release, and how each fits into the Star Wars timeline.
The Emperor Likely Had A Dark Purpose For Younglings
Project Necromancer
Several containment units are shown to Palpatine, though the subjects within are not revealed. However, it’s confirmed that these are the M-count donors whose blood samples are being infused with various clone hosts to find a viable genetic template, one where the M-count isn’t diminished. Due to its connections to The Mandalorian’s Grogu whose high M-count made him valuable to the Imperial Remnant, it’s confirmed that donors had to be living to provide usable samples. The same is likely true for these donors, presumably kept in stasis using a combination of technology and the dark side.
As a result, it’s been theorized that Force-sensitive younglings were abducted by the Imperial Inquisitors during the Dark Times. Rather than being killed like most Jedi who survived the events of Order 66, the Inquisitors would perhaps deliver younglings to Hemlcok’s facility. After all, younglings would tragically be easier to both capture and keep contained as M-count donors, rather than fully-grown and more powerful Jedi Knights.
Anakin’s Youngling Massacre Meant It Was Harder To Find Midi-Chlorians
Palpatine Needed Living Force-Sensitive Donors
Ultimately, using younglings as donors is darkly more ideal for Palpatine’s Project Necromancer. It also ties well with Grogu being experimented by the Empire/Imperial Remnant. To that end, Anakin’s slaughter of multiple Jedi younglings likely made things more challenging for Palaptine to secure donors in the aftermath of the Jedi Purge. While there’s plenty of evidence that Palpatine’s cloning plans were envisioned long before the rise of his Empire, perhaps the need for donors wasn’t something Palpatine saw as a priority during the immediate rise of his Empire in the Star Wars timeline.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
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.
- Cast
- Dee Bradley Baker , Michelle Ang , Noshir Dalal , Liam O’Brien , Rhea Perlman , Sam Riegel , Bob Bergen , Gwendoline Yeo
- Release Date
- May 4, 2021
- Seasons
- 3
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
- Writers
- Jennifer Corbett , Dave Filoni , Matt Michnovetz , Tamara Becher , Amanda Rose Munoz , Gursimran Sandhu , Christian Taylor , Damani Johnson
- Directors
- Brad Rau , Steward Lee , Nathaniel Villanueva , Saul Ruiz
- Showrunner
- Dave Filoni
- Creator(s)
- Dave Filoni , Jennifer Corbett
- Where To Watch
- Disney Plus
