One Shocking Scene Made Crosshair’s Bad Batch Betrayal Even Worse (& What Does It Mean For Season 3?)

There’s one shocking scene in Star Wars: The Bad Batch that made Crosshair’s betrayal even worse than it already was, and it means something for season 3. While the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show had several episodes that focused solely on the clones, The Bad Batch is the first Star Wars TV show to feature clones as the main characters. Not only that, but its focus on a few liberated clones after Order 66 and the introduction of a female clone in the form of Omega makes The Bad Batch feel unique. This has offered a more intimate look into the life of the clones post-war, but one reveal in The Bad Batch season 1 finale will have big implications going forward into season 3.

Early on in season 1, the members of the Bad Batch become more and more uncomfortable with the Empire, with one glaring exception: Crosshair, the group’s sharpshooter. Unlike his brothers and younger sister, Omega, Crosshair believes strongly that a clone’s place is to follow orders. He turns on the rest of the Bad Batch, betraying the brothers he once fought with. He then becomes an antagonist throughout the show, being sent to hunt down the remainder of the Bad Batch and Omega. Crosshair does this willingly, confronting the Bad Batch at the end of season 1 – leaving viewers and Clone Force 99 alike hoping it’s the inhibitor chip that’s been controlling his actions all along.

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Crosshair Removed His Inhibitor Chip Before Betraying The Bad Batch

In the second to last episode of season 1, it was revealed that Crosshair had already had his inhibitor chip removed. He knew exactly what he was doing the entire time. He wasn’t acting under Imperial mind control, but instead of his own free will. This makes the betrayal so much worse because, up until this point, audiences – and the Bad Batch themselves – had been operating under the assumption that Crosshair was still chipped. The animators did an excellent job of capturing the shock, pain, sadness, and anger on the faces of Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Omega as they realized the truth of Crosshair’s betrayal.

Will Crosshair Get A Redemption Arc In Season 3?

At the end of The Bad Batch season 2, Crosshair kills Imperial Lieutenant Nolan for letting another clone die, and nearly Crosshair himself. This is a culmination of a trend in Crosshair’s story throughout his limited appearances in season 2. As he becomes more aware of the Empire’s hatred for clones, he begins to question his loyalty more – and because of this, there may be a redemption arc for the character in season 3.

Crosshair’s biggest flaw is that he is obsessed with being a “good soldier” to the point of ignoring all sense of morality, since clones were always told they had one purpose: to serve whoever was in power. Up until this point, Crosshair placed his identity in that. Now that he sees how little the Empire cares about him or his brothers, the character could end up rejoining the Bad Batch.

Crosshair felt betrayed by his brothers. When the rest of the Bad Batch ran away even though he wanted to stay, in his mind, they abandoned him. That anger and resentment had been building throughout seasons 1 and 2, although there were moments that suggested he still cared about the Bad Batch. However, since the end of season 2 saw his disillusionment with the Empire and the realization that the Bad Batch was right to leave, it would make sense for Crosshair to try to reunite with his brothers and sister in The Bad Batch season 3.