Star Wars: The Bad Batch reintroduces Gregor, a Clone Commando who debuted in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and was a recurring character in Star Wars Rebels. Episode 14 of The Bad Batch, “War-Mantle,” bridges the gap between Gregor’s appearances in the two animated shows, establishing how the commando deserted the Empire and raising additional questions in regard to his survival in The Clone Wars and resistance to Imperial brainwashing so soon after Order 66. Like Captain Rex, Gregor has a fascinating Clone Wars-era backstory and an important future in Rebels, making his appearance in The Bad Batch a pleasant surprise.
Gregor’s desertion and escape from the Imperial training facility on Daro is the focus of “War-Mantle.” The episode reveals that Gregor, after surviving his Clone Wars-era skirmish on Abafar, rejoined the Republic military and later became an Imperial Clone Commando after Order 66 and Palpatine’s successful authoritarian coup. As an Imperial, Gregor trained the first generation of recruited Imperial soldiers, TK Troopers, who were the precursors to Imperial Stormtroopers.
In Bad Batch, following his conscience rather than his programming, Gregor escaped Imperial service thanks to Captain Rex and Clone Force 99. Although Gregor’s escape is successful, Hunter is captured in the process, and Gregor may return once more to rescue his ally in a future episode.
Gregor’s single appearance in The Clone Wars was in the season 5 episode, “Missing in Action.” The episode reveals that Gregor survived the devastating Republic defeat on Parrish, but was left an amnesiac in the process. With no memory of his Republic service, Gregor became a dishwasher at an Abafar diner before eventually regaining his memories thanks to D-Squad (a Republic military unit mostly consisting of astromech droids). Gregor singlehandedly defeated an outpost full of Separatist Alliance droids and seemingly died in the process when he detonated the outpost’s rhydonium fuel supply. As a Clone Commando, Gregor likely survived thanks to his elite training and enhanced armor, which may have had a personal deflector shield, as it did in Legends.
Gregor reappears in Rebels, living in a modified AT-TE on Seelos, along with Captain Rex and Commander Wolffe. Like Rex and Wolffe, Gregor’s control chip has been removed, preventing him from becoming brainwashed by the Empire. After meeting the Rebels of Phoenix Cell (and helping to defeat Imperial ground forces), Rex joins the Rebel group while Gregor and Wolffe stay behind, making a new home for themselves in a commandeered AT-AT. At the end of the series, Gregor and Wolffe join Rex in the fledgling Rebel Alliance and help liberate Lothal from Imperial occupation. Finally fighting for what he believes in, Gregor tragically perishes during the uprising, though his noble sacrifice contributes to the Empire’s defeat and Lothal’s liberation.
In his Bad Batch appearance, Gregor notably deserts the Empire before his control chip is removed, as evidenced by his lack of a scar on his head. Gregor’s head injuries in Star Wars: The Clone Wars may have damaged or weakened his control chip, or its effects gradually wore off, like those of Howzer and several Clone Troopers on Ryloth. Whatever way he managed to maintain his free will, Gregor had his chip removed by the time he appears in Rebels, likely as an added precaution against Imperial influence, just like Clone Force 99 did in The Bad Batch. All that remains to connect Gregor’s appearances in Star Wars: The Bad Batch to Star Wars Rebels is to show how and when he removed his control chip and ended up on Seelos with Rex and Wolffe.
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July 31, 2021 at 12:11AM
