WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 3, "Replacements," streaming now on Disney+.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch gives viewers a look at what the galaxy was like in the days following Order 66. With the Empire slowly tightening its grip around the galaxy, changes were taking place that began to affect the regular clones as well as the enhanced clones of the Bad Batch. The majority of the members felt no effects from the activation of Order 66, but there was one exception. Before long, the group's marksman, Crosshair, was the first to switch sides and join the Empire. Crosshair's brainwashing and betrayal reveal just how far back the Empire's planning went. No longer a member of the Bad Batch, Crosshair had a new outfit and blaster before long. Through his blaster, one of the Empire's earliest trademarks was brought to life.
During the Clone Wars, clone blasters were often outfitted with ionized gas for their blasters. The ionization meant that each bolt of energy had the potential to disrupt the mechanics of most machinery. A blue bolt visually represented the type of energy that emitted from the blaster. This was the main reason why clone blasters often fired blue instead of red. At the beginning of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Crosshair's sniper rifle featured a blue bolt. When hunting the surviving Jedi, Caleb Dume, Crosshair fired one of these ionized blasts to knock him from a tree.
Following his betrayal, in Season 1, Episode 1, "Aftermath," however, Crosshair fired on his old teammates with a brand new rifle. Rather than firing blue bolts, the marksman was firing red. Red blaster bolts were the trademark bolt colors of the Empire and its later incarnation, the First Order. Though this particular energy was the most common in Star Wars and the Empire, he was shown as the only clone in the hangar firing red while the other clone troopers were still firing the ionized blue. This color change signified that the Empire was beginning to phase out the old weapons from the Clone Wars.
The main reason that the Empire's blasters usually emitted red energy bolts boiled down to how affordable it was. Though the blue bolts were just as effective against organic tissue as they were droids, the cost was entirely too high, and it became more cost-effective to use the cheaper gas that fired the red bolts. But since the Empire was still new during the events of The Bad Batch, it likely took some time before more new weapons were distributed amongst the soldiers.
It was revealed in Season 1, Episode 3, "Replacements," that the elite team of stormtroopers that Crosshair now commands were the only Imperial soldiers outfitted with the new blasters for now. Even Saw Guerrera's soldiers still fired the Republic era blasters with the blue bolts. Crosshair also had a change from his Republic era sidearm to a new standard issue. The change was revealed when Crosshair executed a subordinate for disobeying a direct order to execute civilians.
Through Crosshair, the encroaching rule of the Empire is slowly becoming evident. So far, the changes have been small, symbolized by a new blaster bolt color and armor. But as the franchise has shown, this is only the first step to a larger and more oppressive rule. For now, Crosshair's change from blue to red serves as a metaphor for his shift in allegiances, but it won't be long until more of the Empire's blasters begin firing their iconic shade of red alongside him.
Created by Dave Filoni, Star Wars: The Bad Batch stars Dee Bradley Baker, Michelle Ang, Andrew Kishino and Ming-Na Wen. A new episode debuts each Friday on Disney+.