After Watching Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3’s Trailer, I Need To Talk About That Returning Clone Wars Fan-Favorite

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is ending with its third season, and fans are likely eager to know what lies ahead for Clone Force 99 during this “batch” of final episodes. While speculation has persisted since Season 2 ended in the spring of 2023, viewers now have an idea of what to expect. An official trailer has been released for the final season, and it’s just as bombastic as one might expect. But, now that I’ve seen the footage and like what I’ve seen, I really need to discuss the fact that a fan-favorite character from The Clone Wars is returning!

Who Is The Bad Batch Season 3 Bringing Back From Clone Wars?

At this point, The Bad Batch has already brought in a number of familiar faces from both animated and live-action shows set within the Star Wars universe (which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription). Captain Rex from The Clone Wars has made frequent appearances throughout both seasons, and the villianous Cad Bane has been in the mix as well. There was also a surprise cameo from Caleb Dume, who fans know as Kanan Jarrus on Rebels, during the series premiere. And another major player who’s gotten in on the action is The Mandalorian’s Fennec Shand, who was somewhat different, from a character standpoint, compared to her live-action counterpart.

So it was probably a given that the producers, including franchise guru Dave Filoni, would’ve wanted to bring in someone big for the show’s send-off. And, to my surprise and likely many others, the person who’s been brought back is none other than Asajj Ventress! That’s right, the Sith who was formerly a pupil of Count Dooku returns, and you can see her updated look down below:

The Bad Batch’s creative team confirmed early on that important Star Wars characters would pop in from time to time, and this is certainly a biggie. While Ventress has not appeared in any of the franchise’s live-action fare, she firmly solidified her place within the mythos via The Clone Wars. I truly can’t wait to see how she figures into TBB Season 3 but, based on the trailer above, she and the titular squad are going to meet under uneasy circumstances. Certainly I’m not the only person who’s excited for what’s to come, and I’d bet plenty of money that I’m also not the only one with questions about her return, given the canon that’s been established.

What Do We Know About Asajj Ventress’ Whereabouts?

Fans are probably aware of the fact that Asajj was a constant presence throughout just about the entirety of Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ run. By the end of her time on that show, the skilled lightsaber wielder found herself on the outs with Dooku and the Sith. Following the series’ cancellation, Ventress appeared in the novel, Dark Disciple, which was based on unfinished episode ideas. The story saw her teaming up with Jedi Quinlan Vos in an attempt to kill Dooku. Ventress ended up falling in love with Vos and saving him after he turned to the dark side. She ultimately appeared to lose her life after her former master used Force lightning on her. Vos then sent her body back to her homeworld of Dathomir.

Clearly, Ventress didn’t actually meet her demise at that point, so one can’t help but wonder what happened there. Well, while we don’t have any specifics yet, Bad Batch EP Brad Rau shared a thoughtful response with StarWars.com ahead of the inevitable speculation:

We love Asajj Ventress. She’s a character that we’ve been wanting to tell more stories about. We don't want to spoil anything, but want fans to know that any new storytelling with Ventress will align with the events of Star Wars: Dark Disciple.

So admirers of that particular book won’t have to worry about it being de-canonized. If anything, those comments have me even more pumped for Ventress’ return. Considering her lightsabers, I wonder if she’s accepted the Force and considers herself a Jedi now. We’ll just have to wait and see, and believe me when I say that this new season can’t come soon enough.

The Bad Batch returns to Disney+ with a three-episode premiere on February 21 as part of the 2024 TV schedule. In addition to this production, you can also keep tabs on other upcoming Star Wars TV shows and movies.