Star Wars Fans Spot Major Captain Rex Update In The Bad Batch Season 3

Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3 has begun streaming on Disney+, and though Clone Captain Rex has yet to appear, eagle-eyed fans have noticed a major upgrade for the former Captain of the 501st. Rex was introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars as the leader of the 501st Legion which was led by General Anakin Skywalker. Rex was close with both Anakin and his padawan, Ahsoka Tano. During the Clone Wars, Rex proved he was among the bravest of all of the clones and was beyond loyal to those he was close with.

After Ahsoka survived Order 66, she removed Rex’s inhibitor chip. From then on, he set out to rescue other clones and remove their inhibitor chips so they could no longer be brainwashed into whatever the Empire had planned for him. Rex proved a vital ally to Clone Force 99 throughout Star Wars: The Bad Batch seasons 1 and 2, even recruiting Echo to help with the underground network of clones. Trailers have confirmed Rex will appear in The Bad Batch season 3, continuing his mission.

The Bad Batch Season 3 Has Changed Captain Rex’s Helmet Design

X user @CobaltGreen1138 pointed out that for The Bad Batch season 3, Rex’s helmet has an updated design. Rex had previously welded his old Phase I clone helmet with Phase II helmet, giving him a truly unique look. This means the bottom part of his helmet is different from the top half; it also means that while Rex matched none of the other clones, his helmet also had something in common with every clone’s helmet. That, along with Rex’s Jaig Eyes design, makes his helmet instantly recognizable and iconic.

In previous seasons of The Bad Batch and The Clone Wars, Rex’s welding appeared as blue and pinkish lines that went from the visor and cut downwards past the nose area, then connected backward towards the ears. However, in The Bad Batch season 3, Rex’s updated design will see the welding look more like the live-action version seen in Ahsoka‘s Clone Wars flashbacks. The lines will now be grayish and have the illusion of looking raised. This gives the helmet more dimension and makes it look a bit more real. It also emphasizes that Rex’s helmet was something he constructed himself.

There’s A Thrilling Synergy Between Star Wars Animation & Live-Action

This redesign of Rex’s helmet more closely aligns with how Rex appeared in live-action in Ahsoka season 1. It seems that as more Star Wars characters move back and forth between live-action and animation, there will be changes and improvements to character design. The same thing happened with young Ahsoka’s outfit in Ahsoka’s flashbacks. Ahsoka’s outfit from the first few seasons of The Clone Wars has been criticized, but Ahsoka’s outfit was retconned when bringing it to live-action. It’s amazing seeing how Star Wars: The Bad Batch is taking from live-action and improving the designs of iconic characters like Captain Rex.