|
| “ | Any orders? Or shall we do what we do? | „ |
| ~ Hunter. |
| “ | Crosshair: We should've killed that Jedi. You disobeyed orders. Hunter: I did what I thought was right. Crosshair: You never could see the bigger picture. Now surrender. Hunter: Is that an order? Crosshair: Heh. I guess it is. Hunter: Well, I guess I'm disobeying that one too. |
„ |
| ~ Hunter confronts his former comrade now enemy, Crosshair. |
| “ | The galaxy has changed. And so have we. It's time to put being soldiers behind us for good. | „ |
| ~ Hunter, to Omega |
CT-9901 (Nicknamed "Hunter") is one of the four tritagonists of the Bad Batch arc of Season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and one of two titular main protagonists (alongside Omega) of its 2021 spin-off/sequel Disney+ series Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
Hunter was a genetically defective clone of Jango Fett who led Clone Force 99, also known as the Bad Batch, a squad of clone commandos who each bore favorable genetic mutations. Hunter and his team fought for the Galactic Republic on many battlefronts during the Clone Wars, often turning the tide of battle with their unique abilities and unorthodox tactics. When the Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Hunter and his team with the exception of Crosshair defected alongside a mysterious female clone named Omega.
Hunter is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, who also voices every other clone trooper in Star Wars animated media, Perry the Platypus in Phineas and Ferb, Appa and Momo in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Naga in The Legend of Korra.
Background[]
Personality[]
As a team leader, Hunter is the most cool-headed member of the team (along with Tech). Like his deviant comrades, Hunter possesses a less submissive personality than regular clone troopers, which gives him independent freedom of thought and the ability to make his own decisions. Usually, he's never really impressed with the enemy and often lets out a sarcastic remark or two. Despite being more rebellious than most clones, he still often tried to act diplomatically and cooperative with them, mediating conflicts between some of them and Wrecker and Crosshair when they worked together.
As time went on, particularly by the time of the spin-off series, Hunter showed a strong sense of morality and understanding of right and wrong. He was extremely disturbed by Order 66 and quickly rejected the tyrannical and cruel methods of the Empire, especially after being ordered to eliminate "insurgents" that turned out to be innocent civilians and refugees, going on to desert the only army he has ever served under. Subsequently, he slowly accepted that things were no longer the way they used to be, but still had doubts about the new path to take.
While he tends to act somewhat gruff, he's not particularly unfriendly either. His warmer and more protective side is especially evident around Omega; while he initially warned her not to associate with his squad despite her admiration of them since they're "nothing but trouble", he quickly grew fond of her and sought to protect her from the Empire, to the extent he insisted on going back to Kamino to rescue her despite the risk of doing so. He has since acted as a sort of surrogate parental guardian for her and often acts overprotective, trying to keep her out of any dangerous situations, especially in the early going after they've fled the Empire, though he often finds himself relenting when she insists she knows the risks and wants to be an active and helpful part of the team.
Physical Appearance[]
Like the other members of Clone Force 99, Hunter has a very distinct appearance that's quite different from regular clone troopers and his progenitor Jango Fett. The entire left side of his face was tattooed with half of a skull while the right side of his face was completely normal. He has brown eyes, longish dark brown hair, and wears a red bandana with a small white skull symbol most of the time.
Skills & Abilities[]
- Military Training: Trained since his creation to be a soldier, Hunter is an experienced close quarters combatant, outstanding marksman, and is highly skilled in edged weapons combat. He primary uses a vibro-knife, a small knife vibroblade, in combat.
- Strategy Expert: As the leader of Clone Force 99, Hunter is a skilled leader as well as a formidable strategist whose tactics have led his team to victory against the Battle Droids. Since his desertion from the Empire, it took some time for Hunter to change his ways of dealing with the unexpected outside of war since he was mostly used to fighting droids but not living beings.
- Enhanced Senses: Due to his genetic mutations, Hunter possesses the unique ability to sense electromagnetic frequencies, allowing him to locate outposts anywhere on a planet. He is also able to spot hidden organic or robotic life forms around him, such as when he sensed the presence of Gerrera's soldiers encircling his team on Onderon or when he stealthily took out a Probe Droid after noticing it.
History[]
The Clone Wars[]
Called in as reinforcements on Anaxes by Commander Cody after having mastered an insurgency on Yalbec, the Bad Batch made a shattering entry into the base of operations where they are greeted by Cody, Rex, Jesse and Kix. Their transport is subsequently shot down in midair by the Separatist Droids while they were on their way. The Bad Batch then proceeds to take out enemy forces on the spot using their unorthodox method before Wrecker rescues an injured Cody stuck under an Assault Gunship with superhuman strength. After nightfall, Hunter uses his overdeveloped senses to locate the Cyber Center. He then stopped a brawl caused by Crosshair and Wrecker while reminding his comrades that they are all on the same side. The next day, the clones managed to take control of the Cyber Center thanks to teamwork and the Bad Batch's usual methods.
Rex later launched a rescue mission to Skako Minor accompanied by General Anakin Skywalker and the Bad Batch in hopes of finding the Arc trooper Echo, who was believed to have died years earlier, after information from Cyber Center hinted that he could be the famous Separatist Algorithm. Once on Skako Minor, they have a brief altercation with the Poletecs until the natives point out the Techno Union base in Purkoll to them. On a mountainous vantage point, Wrecker stops Rex from hitting Crosshair further when the latter admits that he intentionally left Echo for dead, telling him to go after someone not his size before Anakin approaches them and disperses the argument. The group then entered Purkoll, confronting the D1 Battle Droids as they progressed. After arriving in the Algorithm room, Echo was rescued and the groups manage to flee the fortress to the territory of the Poletects, which they had to protect from an attack by droids.
After escaping from the planet, the group joined the rest of the Republican forces on Anaxes to prepare a new attack against the separatists, now deprived of their Algorithm and with the help of Echo, who was able to keep several enemy plans, although Hunter remained suspicious of him since the former Arc Trooper spent years under the control of the separatists. While Windu and Kenobi take care of the ground forces, Anakin, Rex and the Bad Batch infiltrate Admiral Trench's ship where they manage to retrieve the deactivation code for the bombs Trench to plant on Anaxes, which also results in the death of Trench and the destruction of the separatist fleet.
After the mission's success, the Bad Batch not only abandon their doubt on Echo, but also found that he was not that different from them now, a fact that Hunter points out to Echo before offering him a place among them if he ever feels out of place elsewhere. Encouraged by Rex, Echo joins the squad of clones, and before leaving, each member of the team respectfully greets Rex.
The Bad Batch[]
At the end of the Clone Wars, the Bad Batch traveled to the besieged planet Kaller to lend a hand to Jedi General Depa Billaba. They first met and befriended Billaba's Padawan, Caleb Dume, who soon led them onto the battlefield. On their own, they brought down the entire onslaught of droids as Billaba's forces stood praying in a pincer movement. Hunter then suggested that Billaba start sending the clone troopers on a counterattack before asking if there are any orders or if they can do it their way. Billaba chooses the second option while letting Caleb go with the squad of clones. As they rushed into the approaching battle droids, the Bad Batch halted its progress when the five clones saw Billaba suddenly being attacked by her own troops before finally being killed. Confused as to what just happened, the Bad Batch then learned of the existence of Order 66, but none of them knew the meaning. Worried about Caleb, who fled in shocked panic after his master was killed, Hunter sets out on his trail with Crosshair.
The two clones quickly find Caleb, but Crosshair tries to bring him down to Hunter's confusion. Again on the boy's trail, Hunter receives a warning from Wrecker about the arrival of other clone troopers and Tech informing him that Order 66 is an order to eliminate all Jedi. Crosshair spots Caleb again, later attempting to kill him, but the Padawan manages to knock the sniper out of action. Hunter intentionally throws down his blaster in an attempt to communicate with a frightened Caleb, who continues to flee. Catching up with him at the edge of a cliff, Hunter attempts to reason with the boy again until the other clone troopers can be heard nearby. Caleb then jumped to the other side and escaped. To protect him, Hunter lies by claiming that he shot the little one in the middle of the jump, but Crosshair remains skeptical of his boss's word.
Some time later, the Bad Batch returns to Kamino where they find that all the clones have been behaving strangely since Order 66. When they get back to their quarters, Crosshair reveals that Hunter lied. The sergeant says he doesn't like running his own hierarchy. Crosshair replies that an order is an order, only for Hunter to reply "since when". Quickly changing the subject, Tech reveals that the clones have been programmed from childhood to follow any orders, but the deviant nature of the Bad Batch made them immune to this. The team then proceed to Chancellor Palpatine's speech where Hunter notices a young girl with the Kaminoans before Palpatine declares that the Republic is now The Galactic Empire. Soon after, the girl meets the Bad Batch in person and introduces herself as Omega, whom Nala describes as her overly curious medical assistant. Following a brawl in the dining hall, Admiral Tarkin has the Deviant Team tested with live-fire training droids to see their abilities before sending them out to supposedly eliminate Separatist insurgents on Onderon.
Finding the insurgent camp, Hunter begins to doubt the mission upon learning that there are children in the camp, although Crosshair has no qualms about planning the slaughter. Saw Gerrera's soldiers ambush them, prompting Hunter to order his comrades to surrender. They are then brought before Gerrera in person who tells them that his insurgents are not Separatists, but members of the Republic refusing to submit to the Empire. Gerrera decides to let the Bad Batch go again, advising them to adapt and survive or die with the past. Returning to the ship, Crosshair continues to insist on finishing the mission, which finally prompts Hunter to ask his old friend what's been wrong with him for a while, unaware that Order 66 has affected him. Hunter then destroys a probe droid sent by Tarkin to spy on them. Remembering Omega's warnings on Tarkin and learning from Tech that Omega is an enhanced clone like them, Hunter decides to get the little one back from Kamino.
Upon their arrival, the clones are arrested by Tarkin's shock troopers for treason. Finding Omega in their cell and Crosshair being whisked away, the team manages to escape, but as they retrieve their equipment, they come across a brainwashed Crosshair, now fully submissive to the Empire. Despite this and Wrecker getting shot, the four clones and Omega manage to escape, now becoming fugitives to the Empire.
Relationships[]
Family[]
- Jango Fett - Genetic Template
- Clone Troopers - Fellow Creations and Brothers
- Boba Fett - Fellow Creation and Brother
- Omega - Fellow Creation and Sister
Friends/Allies[]
- Clone Troopers - Brothers
- Clone Force 99 - Teammates
- Wrecker
- Tech - Presumed Deceased
- Crosshair - Former Teammate and Situational Ally
- Echo - Former Teammate
- 501st Legion
- Jesse
- Kix
- Rex
- Cody - Friend
- Grey
- Cut Lawquane
- Howzer - Temporary Enemy
- Gregor
- Clone Force 99 - Teammates
- Jedi Order
- Anakin Skywalker
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Mace Windu
- AZI-3
- Gonky - Droid
- Saw Gerrera
- Cut Lawquane's Family
- Suu Lawquane
- Jek Lawquane
- Shaeeah Lawquane
- Trace and Rafa Martez - Temporary Enemies
- Bolo
- Ketch
- Avi Singh
- GS-8
- Cham Syndulla
- Eleni Syndulla
- Gobi Glie
- Hera Syndulla
- Phee Genoa
- Romar Adell
- Wookiees
- Gungi
- Chewbacca
- Imperial Senate
- Riyo Chuchi
- Bail Organa
- Benni Baro - Former Enemy
- Drake
- Bryce
- Eenta
- Lyana Hazard
- Shep Hazard
Enemies[]
- Separatists
- Admiral Trench
- Battle Droids
- Techno Union
- Wat Tambor
- Depa Billaba - Former Ally
- Kanan Jarrus - Former Ally
- Galactic Empire
- Emperor Palpatine
- Grand Moff Tarkin
- Vice Admiral Rampart - Situational Ally
- Bragg
- Clone Stormtroopers - Brothers and Situational Enemies
- Wilco - Attempted Killer
- Nala Se - Creator and Former Ally
- Lama Su - Former Ally
- Fennec Shand
- Cid - Former Employer
- Zygerrian Slavers
- Scrapper Guild
- Elite Squad
- ES-01
- ES-02
- ES-03
- ES-04
- Cad Bane - Attempted Killer and Attempted Victim
- Todo 360
- Roland Durand
- Pykes
- Mokko - Attempted Killer
- Lanse Crowder
Trivia[]
- His appearance is based on Rambo.
- Dave Filoni admits he was based off Billy from "Predator".
