This New Era Star Wars Character Uncovered The Power Of Darth Plageuis Through Science

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Bad Batch season 3, episodes 1, 2, and 3.

As confirmed in the Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3 premiere, one character established in The Mandalorian became the key to completing Darth Plageuis’ resurrection power – and they did so through science. Plageuis was able to “cheat death,” though this was not a secret anyone else knew about, aside from Emperor Palpatine himself. Still, this power needed to be completed with the help of science, leading to years of rigorous experimentation and research fueled by Palpatine’s obsession with living forever – a hunger that eventually led to his surprising resurrection and return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Star Wars has been taking major steps ever since to explain his return, beginning with The Mandalorian and the Force-sensitive cloning it teases throughout its 3 seasons. Project Necromancer is mentioned in particular by the Imperial Shadow Council, and now, this project has been named and even partially explored in The Bad Batch season 3 premiere. This project, meant to complete Darth Plageuis’ resurrection power, is seen early on in the Empire’s reign as a difficult reality to obtain – but one character later in the Star Wars timeline has already made it possible.

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Star Wars Has Revealed Why Cloning Force-Sensitives Is So Difficult

The reason why Force-sensitive cloning is so difficult is because of the inability of most people’s bloodstreams to withstand the absorption of midi-chlorians without degrading the specimen. Also known as an M-count, midi-chlorians are key to connecting a person with the Force, as a higher M-count guarantees a stronger Force wielder. Thus, a successful Force-sensitive clone would have to at least match the same M-count as the original source in order to be rendered a success, or else the entire procedure would be pointless.

This M-count transfer is essential to completing the power of Darth Plageuis’ essence transfer, the Sith Lord’s secret source of success in his own experiments. Of course, Palpatine killed Plageuis before he had a chance to actually use it, as he subtly revealed to Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. This left Palpatine with the secret of essence transfer, but he still needed a scientist to figure out how to make a suitable, Force-sensitive host for his powerful essence who wouldn’t degrade – and many, many years later, someone at last figured it out.

Dr. Pershing’s Experiments Were The First To Succeed

The Mandalorian‘s Doctor Penn Pershing was able to complete Plageuis’ power through science. By the time of The Mandalorian season 3, around 9 ABY – nearly 30 years after the events of The Bad Batch season 3 – Pershing has discovered how to transfer high M-counts without degrading the specimen. This is seen with Moff Gideon’s Force-sensitive clones, who Din Djarin destroys in The Mandalorian season 3 ending. Gideon informs Din that his clones had been successfully Force-sensitive, and that he had intentions of creating his own army with them.

Gideon’s own experiments were based heavily on Pershing’s research, as the doctor worked directly with the Imperial warlord for the majority of The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2. It was, presumably, Grogu’s blood and his M-count that allowed Gideon’s clones to exist, which Pershing studied after they successfully captured Grogu once in season 1 and again in season 2 to researcj the preservation of the specimen. While it was Gideon who saw its success, it was Pershing who truly made this feat possible, though this knowledge is no longer easily accessible after The Mandalorian season 3.

Dr. Pershing’s Knowledge Was Lost – But Only Temporarily

Pershing’s story is deeply explored in The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3, which sees the doctor struggle through his conflicting views between adhering to a new life within the New Republic Amnesty Program and continuing his cloning research to use it for good. Elia Kane, an Imperial spy working on Moff Gideon’s behalf, befriends Pershing and tricks him into getting caught, thus allowing her the chance to use a Mind Flayer on Pershing that has no doubt heavily altered his memory. Pershing’s cloning knowledge, then, has been temporarily lost.

This is something Gideon himself shared with the Imperial Shadow Council in The Mandalorian season 3. What he didn’t mention, however, was his Force-sensitive clone army, proving he intended to keep Pershing’s cloning secrets to himself rather than offer them to Brendol Hux and Project Necromancer. While this moment is key in hinting at what Gideon’s true motivations are, it also shows that Pershing was able to accomplish the one thing that every other scientist working on Project Necromancer failed to: completing Plageuis’ secret power of essence transfer.

Star Wars Has Set Up Pershing As The Key To Palpatine’s Resurrection

It’s become glaringly obvious, then, that Star Wars has now set up Pershing as the key to Palpatine’s resurrection in The Rise of Skywalker. After 30 years of rigorous experimentation and research, all at Palpatine’s full compliance in terms of supplies and resources, no one was able to harness this power in science except for Pershing. It’s clear that, for some unknown reason, Gideon wants to prevent Palpatine and the other Imperial warlords from having this research just yet, but Elia Kane could go on to serve the Empire by presenting them with Pershing and his knowledge.

With this revelation, Pershing is quickly becoming one of Star Wars’ most important characters to the Star Wars sequel era. The Mandalorian and its respective era have been taking the first steps to make the events of The Rise of Skywalker make more sense, and Pershing is now set as a key player in making “Somehow, Palpatine returned” possible. Years and years of failed Force-sensitive cloning research would make this shocking line delivery by Poe Dameron more sensible, something The Bad Batch season 3 is now showing leading up to Pershing’s discoveries in The Mandalorian.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3, episodes 1-3 are available now on Disney+. Future episodes release Wednesdays at 12:00 a.m. PT, 3:00 a.m. ET, and 8:00 a.m. GMT.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Animation

Adventure

Action

Sci-Fi

Release Date

May 4, 2021

Seasons

3

Franchise(s)

Star Wars

Directors

Brad Rau , Steward Lee , Nathaniel Villanueva , Saul Ruiz

Showrunner

Dave Filoni

Creator(s)

Dave Filoni , Jennifer Corbett

Where To Watch

Disney Plus