Thursday, July 1, 2021

Alpha and Omega: The Bad Batch

I have been thinking a lot about the newest character introduced to the Star Wars galaxy in The Bad Batch, Omega.  We learned in the first half of the season, that Omega is a likable character who is curious, charming and quick to learn the ways of the galaxy.  While she is wise for her age and follows the lead of the members of Clone Force 99, she is still a kid.  Omega comes from Kamino where she was being raised by Nala Se.  She joins Clone Force 99 after one of its members, Crosshair, loses his independence to the inhibitor chip and follows the directive of Order 66.  Tech informs us in an early episode that Omega is indeed a clone just like they are.  What has captured my curiosity is her name.  Does it mean more than we might think?  

Why Omega?  Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet and often referred to as the end of something, commonly paired with Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet.  What kept running through my head was that maybe she was the last clone grown which would explain her young age.  That didn't seem quite right as Lama Su, the Prime Minister of Kamino, continued to promote cloning with Tarkin and Rampart of the Empire, so surely the Kaminoans were still developing clones in hopes that the newly formed Empire would continue purchasing them for troops.  

Episode nine gives a little more insight on who Omega is that may lead to an understanding of why her name may mean more than we might know.  Tech explains that he did more DNA testing, and he discovered that she is a pure, unaltered clone from the original host, Jango Fett.  His research found that there is only one other pure clone named Alpha also known as Boba.  Tech goes on to explain that Boba went missing during the war, so now Omega is highly valuable and sought out because of the purity of her DNA to the original host.  

It seems that this gives a bit more meaning to her name.  Omega is the second and last pure, unaltered clone from Jango Fett. Boba is the first, Alpha, and the last pure clone from Jango Fett is Omega.  It explains why Omega remains a child and did not grow like the rest of the clones.  I still feel that there is more to the name that will be revealed as this story unfolds.  Will Alpha play any kind of role in this story?  There is a heavy sense of bounty hunting going on in regards to Omega, will the team that Boba was with last, get the call?  What would happen if Alpha and Omega came face-to-face?  This is speculation that will likely not happen, but it is interesting to consider. 

What are your thoughts on the meaning of Omega's name?  What clues did I miss?  Comment here or on Twitter and tag me @draftline


No comments: