Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 3 Ending Explained

Contains spoilers for "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" Episode 3

Following an impressive and revelatory debut on May the Fourth, "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" toned things back a bit for its second installment. "Cut and Run" saw the return of the clone deserter Cut Lawquane (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker), who helped out Clone Force 99 — sans-Crosshair (also voiced by Baker) — in making sense of their lives now that the Galactic Empire has replaced the Galactic Republic. Devoid of a purpose and wanted by the new regime, the squad now embarks on a directionless journey to find their new niche among the stars.

Speaking of purpose, "Cut and Run" also put the spotlight on Omega (Michelle Ang) and her experiences in the wider galaxy. Having been born and raised on Kamino, Omega knows nothing other than its stormy skies and artificial land masses — so when she arrives on Saleucami for the first time, it sets in just how out of place she truly is. Despite Hunter's (Baker) best efforts to send her off with Cut and his wife Suu (Cara Pifko), the inquisitive Omega makes it clear that she wants to join the Bad Batch on their quest — no matter the peril.

Now back traveling the vast expanse of space, the Bad Batch and Omega continue to find their way in the ever-changing galaxy. Here's how the third episode of "The Bad Batch" wraps up, what happens to reach that point, and what it all means.

Right off the bat in Episode 3, Clone Force 99 isn't having the best time following their narrow escape from Saleucami. With their ship the Havoc Marauder heavily damaged, rations low, and answers about everything from Crosshair's defection to the Empire to the mystery of the inhibitor chips bouncing around in their heads, the crew flies through hyperspace into an uncertain future. As if their luck couldn't get any worse, the damage to the Havoc Marauder is so extensive that the group drops right out of hyperspace and crash-lands on a seemingly uninhabited moon.

Tech (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) and Echo (Baker) both go outside to assess the damage and replace a fried capacitor — doing so successfully, if only for a moment. A strange creature known as an Ordo Moon Dragon appears and takes the newly replaced part, leaving Hunter to search for it while Tech and Echo repair what they can and Wrecker nurses his migraine back on the ship. Both curious and eager to prove herself as a Bad Batch member, Omega insists on joining Hunter on his mission, to which the leader of the Bad Batch hesitantly obliges.

Overall, these scenes do an excellent job of setting up the episode's story, but they're also a fine way to flesh out how the characters interacts with one another. More specifically, it depicts Hunter's increasing protectiveness and anxiety over Omega and his deep desire to keep her safe. Though his brothers feel the same way, it's clear that Hunter feels obligated to defend Omega in an incomparable way, acting as a legitimate father figure to her as opposed to a mere guardian. It's a touching edge to an otherwise bleak and serious program.

Meanwhile, back on Kamino, Crosshair is becoming increasingly entrenched in the Imperial war machine. Under the supervision of Admiral Tarkin (Stephen Stanton) and Admiral Rampart (Noshir Dalal), he's been selected to lead Project War Mantle, an initiative created to utilize non-clone recruits in the Imperial army trained by the best of the best clones formerly of the Grand Army of the Republic. 

To kick it off, Crosshair and a crew of Elite Squad troopers are sent to Onderon to eliminate Saw Gererra (Andrew Kishino) and his band of rebels. Wily as ever, Gererra and a handful of his companions manage to evade Crosshair and his forces, leaving them with no more than a few civilians. The former member of the Bad Batch cites his stringency when it comes to following orders to the letter, and calls on his Elite Squad to kill their captives at once. One recruit objects to the request, admitting how immoral the idea is, but Crosshair remorselessly guns him down for being disobedient. Likely afraid, the others carry out the order moments later, completing the mission.

Crosshair's fall to unadulterated evil and his brothers' response to it will undoubtedly be a focal point of "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" going forward. It's clear he's devoted to his commands, but there must be some part of Crosshair that misses being a member of Clone Force 99, though he'd never show or admit to it. Even more so, one has to wonder just how much of Crosshair's current decision-making is a result of his inhibitor chip and how much is own free will is factoring in to him committing these atrocities.

Hunter and Omega's search for the Ordo Moon Dragon — and, by extension, the missing capacitor — takes them far away from their shuttle. Thankfully, they track down the part and recover it, but like anything in the "Star Wars" universe, the retrieval can't possibly be that simple. The dragon attacks Hunter, and while he manages to fight off the creature, the scuffle severely damages his breathing mask and causes him to pass out from oxygen deprivation before Omega can put it back together.

While she waits for Hunter to recover, Omega attempts to contact Tech, Echo, and Wrecker to no avail, leaving her to make a decision that will change the course of her life. Armed with nothing but a flashlight and a blaster pistol, she enters the tunnel the Ordo Moon Dragon calls home to get the once-again-lost capacitor. She does so, staring down the angry beast at one point, then uses her flashlight as an offering to the dragon so that she can escape. Omega returns to the surface unharmed, and though he's frantic, Hunter is clearly proud of her.

Once back on the Havoc Marauder, Wrecker reveals to Omega that he whipped her up a makeshift room on the ship to make it feel more like home. Her bravery in facing down the Ordo Moon Dragon to save herself and her brothers was remarkable, and worthy of recognition. This can be seen as Omega's unofficial coronation into Clone Force 99 and her acceptance by the squad as a bonafide member.

Though it's difficult not to focus on Crosshair, Tarkin, and Rampart as they prepare to revolutionize the Imperial army, there's another camp worth noting in this conversation. The Kaminoans, who had supplied the clones for the now-defunct Galactic Republic, are understandably against the move from clones to Stormtrooper recruits. They've consistently prompted the Empire's leaders to reconsider their decision, but they have so far been unsuccessful, leaving them to engage in desperate measures to protect their livelihoods as well as their pocketbooks.

In one of the final scenes of "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" Episode 3, Lama Su (Bob Bergen) and Nala Se (Gwendoline Yeo) discuss what needs to be done to ensure the Empire doesn't leave Kamino out to dry. Lama Su notes that it's imperative they find a way to make the clones absolutely essential to the Imperial regime. He then goes on to greenlight Nala Se's experimentation with the rapidly degrading DNA of Jango Fett to create superior clones. This would require the Bad Batch to return to the planet for testing — something Su is certain they can get at least one of them to do.

If and how they will manage to get either Hunter, Tech, Echo, Wrecker, or Omega back to Kamino is a mystery that only time can solve. All that we know for certain is that time is running out for the Kaminoans, and if they want to keep their contract with the Empire intact, they'll have to make some immense strides in the coming weeks to justify such a change of heart. In the meantime, we'll just have to speculate on this plot point and all others as "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" rolls on.