This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2, episodes 1 & 2.Star Wars: The Bad Batch subtly hinted that Dooku anticipated Palpatine’s betrayal. Matt Stover’s novelization of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith contains a line that perfectly sums up the Force’s darkest cult; “Treachery is the way of the Sith.” Every Sith is expected to put themselves first, and even the most powerful and skilled apprentice is viewed as disposable should a better candidate be discovered. Palpatine certainly modeled this philosophy; he seduced Dooku to the dark side even when Darth Maul was still alive, and then sacrificed Dooku for Anakin Skywalker. Darth Sidious could not resist the raw power and potential of the Chosen One, although he was ultimately frustrated when his new apprentice was so critically injured by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Palpatine had been deceiving Dooku for a long time. There’s actually evidence Dooku never knew Palpatine’s intention to wipe out the Jedi, instead believing they would be reformed under his leadership – presumably anticipating a return to the ancient time when the Jedi served the balance of the Force, rather than exclusively the light side, before the schism that created the Sith. He certainly never understood that so many aspects of the Clone Wars were engineered to push Anakin Skywalker to the brink of the dark side; something of a snob, Dooku was disinterested in the slave boy from Tatooine, who he considered raw and unrefined. And yet, for all that’s the case, Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2, episodes 1 and 2 subtly hint that Dooku may have anticipated some sort of betrayal, and worked to establish a power base of his own should his master betray him.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Reveals Dooku Hid His Dark Side Artifacts
Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 opens with an exciting two-part story in which Clone Force 99 raid Dooku’s fortress on Serenno, interfering with an Imperial mission to secure treasures stored there. Attentive viewers will swiftly recognize the architecture in Dooku’s throne-room; his throne itself is similar in design to Darth Vader’s fortress on Mustafar, created to channel the power of a dark side vergence. Surprisingly, though, neither the Empire nor Clone Force 99 seem to stumble upon any dark side artifacts.
All Sith tend to study the dark side, and Dooku always had an interest in ancient lore – even studying Jedi prophecies that predated the Jedi schism. The absence of Sith relics is all the more remarkable given recent comics have confirmed other Separatist leaders possessed Sith treasures, with Kieron Gillen, Si Spurrier, and Emilio Laiso’s Doctor Aphra #16 revealing Techno Union leader Wat Tambor possessed Sith treasures that dated back to the origin of the Sith. The logical conclusion is that Dooku hid his dark side artifacts, allowing his allies to look after them for him.
Dooku Must Have Hidden His Dark Side Relics From Palpatine
The most likely explanation is that Dooku hid his precious dark side artifacts from Palpatine himself. The Emperor possessed a treasure trove of such relics, and it’s reasonable to assume the Empire’s raid on Serenno was all about ensuring none were left behind on Dooku’s homeworld. But it’s striking that, according to Doctor Aphra #16, Palpatine never realized Wat Tambor possessed similar treasures that dated back to the earliest days of the Sith. They were still there decades after the deaths of both Dooku and Wat Tambor, waiting to be taken by thieves. Presumably Palpatine never realized Dooku had distributed the powerful Sith artifacts he possessed among his allies.
Dooku was a disciple of the dark side, and it has always seemed odd that he was so confident his master would not betray him. Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2, episodes 1 and 2 subtly reframe this; they hint Dooku knew betrayal was the way of the Sith, and prepared himself for such an eventuality. The surprise, however, was that Palpatine should betray Dooku in favor of Anakin Skywalker, who Dooku looked at with a sense of distaste and condescension. He got revenge after a fashion, though, denying Palpatine the treasures he would have loved to get his hands on.
New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch release on Wednesdays on Disney+
