Where is Darth Vader during the timeline of Star Wars: The Bad Batch? Serving as something of a sequel to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Disney+'s The Bad Batch follows the members of Clone Force 99 - Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair - in the immediate aftermath of Order 66 being executed. This means the show not only dovetails with the end of The Clone Wars, but also gets to show the rise of the Galactic Empire across the Star Wars galaxy.
To that end, Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 1, episode 1, "Aftermath," features Emperor Palpatine, giving a version of his speech declaring the Republic to be the Empire. Similarly, it also features Wilhuff Tarkin in a key supporting role - albeit as an Admiral, not yet Grand Moff - as he looks to stop the production of clone troopers on Kamino, preparing for the Empire's switch to Stormtroopers instead. These characters and events are very much linked to Darth Vader, but the Sith Lord is conspicuous by his absence, so where is he?
"Aftermath" begins with Order 66 being issued, and the clones - apart from those of Clone Force 99, though Crosshair does obey - following it. This means it runs concurrently with the execution of Order 66 in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. At this point in The Bad Batch's timeline, then, Darth Vader is leading the 501st Legion into the Jedi Temple, preparing to slaughter the remaining Jedi and Younglings inside. The Bad Batch then carries on for a little while after that, though likely just a couple of days at most. Revenge of the Sith only takes place over four days, which means that by the end of the episode, it is likely around the time of Vader's duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar.
That could well rule out an appearance from the man once known as Anakin Skywalker in The Bad Batch. Vader sustains several serious injuries from his fight with Obi-Wan, which takes him out of action for at least a little while - he has to have surgery to replace his lost limbs, and be placed in the suit that would sustain his life until its very end. That means it's possible that, as The Bad Batch season 1 progresses, Vader is still under medical supervision on Coruscant. If not - or if The Bad Batch timeline does coincide with his surgery being complete - then he would be off on a separate mission. Following on from his surgery, Palpatine showed Vader the mass burning of Jedi lightsabers that was being conducted. He then informed him about how the Sith have red lightsabers, and sent him off to get one of his own. His quest to take a kyber crystal from a Jedi lightsaber, which he could then bleed, took him to a desert world in the Mid Rim, then on to the river moon of Al'doleem and Am'balaar City, where he finally killed the Jedi Kirak Infil'a and took his lightsaber.
The timeline of just how long that all took is a little unclear, but it's not exactly that kind of job you get done in a day. Afterwards Vader goes to Mustafar, and then back to Coruscant, neither of which are locations Clone Force 99 is likely to be visiting, although it's possible it could breakaway and follow more of Tarkin's story, which would be more likely to bring Vader in. Since Hunter, Tech et al are heading to the J-19 system, which is in the Outer Rim, then there's a considerable distance between themselves and Vader. Of course, there are also plenty of gaps in canon - before considering how much Lucasfilm is willing to retcon its own stories - that could lead to Vader having a run-in with Clone Force 99.
Similarly, Anakin voice actor Matt Lanter has teased a return in an upcoming animated Star Wars project, so it's also possible that there'll be flashbacks of Anakin, or that there will be an encounter with Vader, though that would necessitate his mask being broken if Lanter, not James Earl Jones, is voicing him. There's also the opportunity to play the long game with Vader, like Star Wars Rebels did, which didn't have him properly appear until the end of season 1, while he also appeared as Vader in the very finale scene of The Clone Wars, which itself seemingly takes place after the events of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. There's plenty of story to tell, so Darth Vader could yet make his mark and, even if not in physical form, he's the kind of terrifying villain whose presence can be felt across the galaxy.
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May 05, 2021 at 04:33AM
