Star Wars: The Bad Batch is currently out on Disney+ and, so far, it's been exciting to see Clone Force 99 evade the Empire's forces, commanded by Grand Moff Tarkin. The character is once again in the spotlight for the new Star Wars show, but why him and not an original character or even Emperor Palpatine?
The answer is simple, at least in the eyes of The Bad Batch's producers. Brad Rau talked to Looper about the decision to put Tarkin in the series, as opposed to another character or even someone entirely new:
Yeah, I mean, Tarkin is so bad in the best way. He's so good. And Stephen Stanton, who voices Tarkin, is so awesome. He's so great. Wanting to set the show up with a familiar face of evil makes a lot of sense. He seemed like the right choice for what's happening at the end of the Clone Wars at the beginning, and the rise of the Empire. It's kind of what Jen was saying. He serves a very specific point of view off of other characters. He's not just another action figure that we throw in there, but he is very purposeful when we see him. A lot of thought and talk went into him, along with any of the other characters that we might run across.
Brad Rau and other producers felt Grand Moff Tarkin was the right call for the villain, which is hard to disagree with. The character is one of the key Star Wars characters who rose to prominence in the Empire after the Clone Wars, and he's one with a limited time frame in which he can be used. As many Star Wars fans know, Tarkin died when the Death Star was destroyed in A New Hope.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch producer Jennifer Corbett also spoke on Grand Moff Tarkin's importance within the Empire. Tarkin isn't just a prominent character within the lore of Star Wars but also a notable one with a reputation that fits the story:
I think he's somebody who you immediately know where he's coming from. And when Palpatine takes over as Emperor, he's going to want to send a top general to handle things. So it seemed to make sense to have Tarkin be there for setting things in motion. And then, whether or not when he steps out ... because obviously, we know he goes on to bigger and better things, but it's his transition, too. He's transitioning from the Republic to the Empire and doing things in order to get more power. But it felt like a seamless idea, really, to have him be there for that.
Grand Moff Tarkin is a ruthless tactician, who doesn't tolerate failure, and that's exactly the kind of person needed to act as one of the Emperor's top guys. Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not he'll be able to bring Clone Force 99 down, though he's off to a good start. In the premiere episode, Tarkin ordered that the inhibitor chip in Crosshair's mind be strengthened and, as a result, he's now decidedly against his Clone Force comrades, and even has a new Imperial squad of his own.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch airs new episodes on Disney+ every Friday. For more on the series and some of the decisions made behind the scenes, read up on that exciting, surprise cameo that happened in the premiere and why that character was included.
