No, Bad Batch’s Mystery Shadow Agent Isn’t Tech (It’s Worse)

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Bad Batch season 3, episode 6-7

A dark new Star Wars theory suggests that the true identity of The Bad Batch season 3’s “Shadow Agent” is far worse than what many fans have assumed. Having debuted in The Bad Batch season 3, episode 5, Imperial Shadow troopers are brand-new additions to the Star Wars canon, confirmed to be incredibly deadly assassins who are effectively sleeper agents. To that end, a handful of teases have hinted at the former identity of Shadow Trooper CX-2, the agent tasked with hunting down Clone Force 99 and retrieving Omega.

The Bad Batch season 3 episodes 6-7 pits two groups of clones against each other. In the episodes, Clone Force 99 rendezvouses with Commander Rex and his group of clones who’ve defected from the Empire, seeking to save their brothers while resisting Imperial rule. However, the pursuit of Trooper CX-2 results in the Empire sending a retrieval team as support, one comprised entirely of clone troopers still serving the Empire and led by none other than Commander Wolffe. As such, this major clash of clones features a handful of clues pointing to CX-2’s true identity in the Star Wars canon.

The Bad Batch’s Mystery Shadow Agent Is A Clone

Created By Doctor Hemlock

First and foremost, it’s been confirmed that the CX Troopers were once clones created for the Grand Army of the Republic. However, those belonging to the X trooper series were those who were brutally reconditioned by the Advanced Science Division’s Doctor Hemlock, having turned these Shadow agents into his obedient living weapons ready to be activated at a moment’s notice. To that end, it’s highly unlikely that the being under CX-2’s dark helmet is anyone but one of the Republic’s many clones.

While this does narrow the pool of candidates to a degree, there are still several clones in the galaxy even after the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. However, the odds that CX-2 will be a known clone character of major significance is rather high considering the voice modulation along with his helmet having yet to be removed. After all, The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch spin-off have more than established that many of the clones have their own distinct voices, personalities, and unique identifying features.

Crosshair Teases The Agent Isn’t A Resurrected Tech

Reconditioning Didn’t Take

Additional comments made by Crosshair (who spent significant time as Hemlocks’ prisoner and test subject) seem to have narrowed down the list even further. In The Bad Batch season 3, episode 6, Crosshair reveals to his brothers in Clone Force 99 and Rex’s clones that Hemlock tried reconditioning the gifted clone sniper as well. However, the Imperial scientist apparently failed due to Crosshair’s enhancements as a “defective” member of The Bad Batch.

If Hemlock’s shadow agent reconditioning didn’t work on Crosshair, the implication is that it wouldn’t work on the other members of Clone Force 99 either. Every member of the Bad Batch possesses their own genetic manipulations that set them apart from the “regs”. To that end, this includes Tech who gave his life to save Omega and his brothers at the end of The Bad Batch season 2. Although there were theories that Tech was saved by the Empire and turned into one of these dark new Imperial shadows, the fact that Crosshair wasn’t affected by the reconditioning suggests otherwise.

Bad Batch Theory: The Shadow Agent Is Actually Commander Cody

Cody Has Been MIA Since Season 2

While Tech could very well be CX-2, the far darker option is that the Shadow agent pursuing Clone Force 99 and Rex’s troopers is none other than Clone Commander Cody himself. Having served General Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Clone Wars, The Bad Batch season 2 saw Cody questioning the Empire’s dark motives and merciless tactics. As such, Cody was last seen having gone AWOL, his fate unknown following his episode shared with Crosshair when the clone sniper was still serving the Empire.

Had Cody’s defection been successful, one would imagine that he would have joined forces with Rex’s clones to help save more of their brothers. Instead, Cody is nowhere to be found, and his name is not even mentioned at any point among Rex’s team of troopers. As such, it’s quite possible that Cody was instead arrested and taken to Doctor Hemlock to have his identity erased and mind reconditioned, a truly dark prospect for one of the most popular and beloved clones in the Star Wars canon.

Cody’s Betrayal Could Explain Why Rex Leaves The Fight

Too Many Brothers Lost And/Or Taken

The potential corruption and loss of Commander Cody would be truly tragic and heartbreaking. Likewise, it would likely be far more impactful on the Star Wars canon overall. The Bad Batch season 3 has already honored Tech’s sacrifice and legacy quite well. As such, one could argue that to bring him back would be a disservice to everything that made the second season’s finale so powerful.

One could imagine that the dark discovery of CX-2 being Cody would massively break Rex, especially if Cody can’t remember his old life and their history together due to Hemlock having erased his identity to turn Cody into a blank-slate assassin, obeying Imperial orders without question. To that end, this possible Cody reveal combined with the many brothers Rex will likely lose in future episodes may explain why he gave up the fight for so many years ahead of his appearance in Star Wars Rebels season 2 where he’s convinced to join the Rebellion.