The latest episode of The Bad Batch, “Metamorphosis,” saw the return of Clone Commandos after they first appeared in the series toward the end of season one. One of the Commandos looked familiar, but in the credits of this most recent episode it was confirmed that this clone is, in fact, Scorch.
But if you’re here wondering who Scorch is, and why it’s notable that this is him rather than just another random clone, you’ve come to the right place!
Scorch, in canon, first appeared in The Clone Wars, very briefly. He showed up alongside his fellow commandos of Delta Squad in the season three episode “Witches of the Mist,” where they accompany the bodies of two killed Jedi back to Coruscant. The Jedi then begin an investigation into these mysterious deaths, which they soon learn came at the hands of Savage Oppress, who becomes an apprentice to Maul during the war.
That was the last we saw of Scorch until The Bad Batch, where he appeared near the end of the first season. In the episode “War-Mantle,” Scorch is one of the clone commandos overseeing the training of the first generation of enlisted Imperial recruits on the planet Daro. A fellow clone commando, Gregor, was captured after trying to desert, and the Bad Batch is sent to get him out. That leads them into conflict with Scorch, who tries to stop their escape but is stunned, allowing them to flee – but he does assist in the capture of Hunter in the aftermath.
Then in this episode, “Metamorphosis,” he is seen on Mount Tantiss working for Doctor Hemlock. Scorch and his squad are sent to a planet to re-capture an escaped, cloned Zillo beast, and in the process they briefly encounter the Bad Batch before the heroes escape. The commandos round up the villagers, and in the aftermath, Scorch gives a report to Hemlock, who tasks the clone with finding out who escaped.
That’s his canon history, which might seem a bit limited, but the bigger deal is his Legends history. Scorch, alongside Delta Squad, was the main focus of the Republic Commando game that released in 2005. The game follows their adventures during the Clone Wars, but it was later established in Legends that the surviving members of the squad also worked for the Empire after the regime was established. The game was well-received and has been remembered fondly by fans, so seeing Scorch appear in this role is exciting.
Of course, there’s a noticeable difference between his characterization in The Bad Batch (however briefly) and Republic Commando, and it’s that in the game he was the jokester of the group, and here he’s anything but. Given the very limited time we’ve seen him in this series it’s not enough to gather full conclusions, but I do think it’s another hint at the Empire’s treatment of clones. For those familiar with Scorch and used to his playful personality, seeing him like this shows how the Empire has worked hard to remove any sense of originality and personality from the clones. That’s happening across the regime, not just with Scorch, and it’s a glaring difference from what we saw during The Clone Wars. To the Empire, these clones are just expendable soldiers.
Perhaps that will be something that serves as a turning point of sorts down the road.
Star Wars Thoughts 