We discuss who the new criminal group Vanguard Axis are in The Bad Batch Season 2 Episode 6. Warning – this article will contain spoilers.
The Bad Batch season 2 episode 6 was an entertaining episode, bringing the Jedi youngling Gungi back into the fold and showing the audience Kashyyyk after the Clone Wars. Dave Filoni and the writers of The Bad Batch incorporate elements of an unfinished Star Wars: The Clone Wars arc into the episode, with the Bad Batch aiding the Wookiees against a Trandoshan attack.
At the start of the episode, the audience is introduced to the criminal group called Vanguard Axis, a new group in the Star Wars universe. Very little is currently known about them, but here is what we do know, including if they are related to other crime groups in the galaxy.
Who are Vanguard Axis in The Bad Batch Season 2 Episode 6?
The Bad Batch Season 2 Episode 6 introduced a brand new criminal organization to Star Wars called Vanguard Axis, made up entirely of droids. Their model is unclear, and although the droids share a visual resemblance to L3-37 from Solo: A Story Wars Story, they are completely different from each other.
Vanguard Axis engaged in several illicit activities, such as forgery, slavery, trafficking of aliens, and smuggling. One notable person they were planning to sell to an unknown buyer was the Wookiee Jedi Gungi, a youngling who survived Order 66, but he escaped with help from the Bad Batch.
While their formation date is unknown, it was probably before the end of the Clone Wars. Several criminal factions and interests took advantage of the chaos the Clone Wars caused, and the lack of scrutiny given by the Republic.
The group owned an oval-shaped space station with at least ten hanger bays, and towers rising above and below the main body. They likely dealt with Cid as her mercenaries The Bad Batch arrived to give them forged chain codes. This deal fell through when the droids got wind of Gungi’s escape.
It’s also unknown how long the group continued their operations for. The Bad Batch took out a lot of their personnel during their escape, likely weakening the group.
Why does Vanguard Axis want chain codes?
In the first part of the episode, the Bad Batch attempts to deliver several forged chain codes to the criminal group with a desire for them to fool the Empire. Imperial chain codes were introduced in The Bad Batch Season 1 Episode 2, and they give a set of numbers to everyone in the galaxy to identify them and be used to record other information, such as crimes committed. During the time of the Empire, they were required to book travel on ships and exchange Republic credits for Imperial ones. People might get asked to show their chain code at any point.
Vanguard Axis would want fake chain codes to make sure the Empire remains unaware of their alien smuggling and trafficking activities, so they could move people using fake identification. While the Empire is known to turn a blind eye to some crime in the galaxy and even work with some crime groups, Vanguard Axis are clearly not keen to take any risks.
Are Vanguard Axis related to other criminal groups in Star Wars?
It is possible that Vanguard Axis are related to a couple of other crime groups in the Star Wars galaxy. There are five major criminal syndicates in Star Wars; Crimson Dawn, The Hutt Clan, Black Sun, the Pyke Syndicate, and the Crymorah Syndicate. Under these groups, there existed sub-groups. One that served as the muscle for the Crymorah Syndicate is the Droid Gotra.
The Droid Gotra is a criminal group made up of repurposed battle droids that formed after the Clone Wars, and held a grudge against the Empire for abandoning them. They were a fervent advocate of droid rights and mainly resided in the bowels of Coruscant, but did expand to other planets like Corellia. It’s unclear whether the two groups are related, or Vanguard Axis are related to the Crymorah Syndicate, but it’s possible.
The Droid Gotra would go on to become a major criminal group at the time of the New Republic and First Order, even taking the place of the Crymorah Sydicate on the list of the five criminal syndicates.
