Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel, Chapter 1.Five years after debuting inStar Wars: The Clone Warsseason 7, one large mystery surrounding a key member ofClone Force 99has finally been unveiled. Though named for his tracking enhancement, the true nature of Hunter’s senses in bothThe Clone WarsandStar Wars: The Bad Batchhas been largely elusive.
What we have mostly seen is Hunter using the soil and atmosphere to map routes and track down targets, but outside of that,there hasn’t been much we can understand about what or how exactly he’s detecting things. This has posed questions about his enhanced senses that have been left unanswered for five years.
Now, however, an official preview of the first two chapters of Lamar Giles’Star Wars: Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novelavailable onApple Bookshas shed some light on these enhancements. After years of waiting forStar Warscanon to potentially clarify exactly what Hunter can sense,Sanctuaryhas answered the questions we’ve all been asking.
Sanctuary Reveals How Hunter’s Senses Really Work
It’s Much More Than Just Tracking
InSanctuaryChapter 1, we get to experience the galaxy through Hunter’s perspective, which at one point allows us to fully understand what exactly his senses can do and how they can assist him in various situations. In this particular excerpt, Hunter stretches his senses through Pabu as he discusses plans with Phee.
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Hunter is able to not only avoid obstacles in his path with his eyes closed, but he can also sense more beneath the surface. From the energy generated by Pabu running underground to the smell of fresh catches from the fishing docks,there isn’t anything in the environment Hunter can’t detect.
In fact, he specifically mentionshe could identify the types of fish from their scent aloneif he was more familiar with their names. Something similar goes for his hearing; he could hear other people’s conversations if he tuned out from the one he’s having with Phee. It’s an in-depth look at Hunter’s enhancements that leaves no room for questioning.
This is a much-needed justice for Hunter’s character, as the enhancements of his brothers are much easier to understand at a surface level. A novel likeSanctuaryis trulythe only way to understand how Hunter’s senses work, and it not only accomplishes that here, but also informs us why exactly he’s so capable as their leader.
His Enhancements Are A Massive Threat
Between a mastery of his enhanced senses and a proficiency in brutal, close-quarters combat, Hunter might just be the most dangerous member of Clone Force 99. It’s chilling to think about an alternate universe where Hunter’sinhibitor chipwould have activated;he would have literally been engineered to track down and kill his own family.
Hunter could have been the regime’s most threatening soldier.
There’s no doubt that Hunter’s senses have saved his squad time and time again, and it’s a relief that he’s only been a leader and an ally to them instead of an enemy. Without the strong moral center that led him to disobey orders in the earliest days of the Empire, Hunter could have been the regime’s most threatening soldier.
Given that this is just a small taste of what’s to come inSanctuary, it’s likely thatreaders will get to learn even more about Hunter’s sensesand how they work as the story goes on. For now, however, this is a mystery fromThe Clone Warsera that we can finally consider to be solved.
