Project Necromancer is a major plot point in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 – so what exactly is it? And how does it tie in with wider Star Wars canon?
Related: When Does Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 Come Out?
What Is Project Necromancer in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3?
Project Necromancer is a top-secret cloning project conducted by the Galactic Empire at its Mount Tantiss base in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3. Key personnel attached to the project include its boss, Doctor Royce Hemlock, clone scientist Doctor Emerie Karr, and Kaminoan doctor and scientist Nala Se. What’s more, Emperor Palpatine personally backs Project Necromancer, visiting Mount Tantiss to check in on Hemlock’s progress at least once.
Related: Star Wars: The Bad Batch: What Does M-Count Mean, Explained
Project Necromancer’s ultimate goal remains a mystery for now, however, the Emperor has branded it vital to the Empire’s overall longevity. We also know the research project involves transferring high M-counts – or large concentrations of midi-chlorians – between subjects via blood samples. As M-Count levels determine how strongly someone is connected to the Force, the obvious assumption is that the folks behind Project Necromancer are trying to create a Force-sensitive clone.
How Is Project Necromancer Connected to Wider Star Wars Canon?
Either way, Project Necromancer already has explicit and implicit links to wider Star Wars canon. For starters, it’s part of a bigger subplot currently bubbling away across various Star Wars media related to the Imperial Remnant activities after the Empire’s defeat in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Notably, another Disney+ show, The Mandalorian has already confirmed that Project Necromancer remained active prior to Palpatine’s return in Rise of Skywalker.
Related: Star Wars: The Bad Batch Sets Final Season Release Date
The Mandalorian has also established that the Remnant forces conducted experiments involving M-Counts during this period. Together, these bits of info strongly suggest that Project Necromancer is responsible for Palpatine’s resurrection in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – a plot development not fully explained in the film itself. Certainly, it tracks with Project Necromancer’s name, which is the term for someone capable of raising the dead.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season is currently streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Wednesdays.
