Star Wars: The Bad Batch has drawn an interesting parallel between Star Wars villains Count Dooku and Darth Vader. The Bad Batch season 2 recently premiered, continuing its exploration of Order 66’s aftermath and the Empire’s growing power. During this time, the Empire is dealing with loose threads left over from the Clone Wars, including but not limited to rogue Clone Force 99 AKA The Bad Batch. One other such loose thread was Count Dooku’s legacy and vast fortune on the planet Serenno after Palpatine manipulated Anakin Skywalker into killing Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, further solidifying Anakin’s descent into becoming Darth Vader.
Though The Bad Batch hoped to reap a small fortune from Count Dooku’s war spoils, it was not to be, as they were soon pursued by the Clones working for the Empire and forced to abandon the mission. The chase did, however, lead into Count Dooku’s throne room in Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 pilot episode, “Spoils of War.” In The Bad Batch, however, as opposed to its predecessor Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Dooku’s throne room is very clearly visible, and one item of furniture, in particular, draws a parallel between Darth Vader and Dooku’s respective roles as proponents of the dark side of Force.
Dooku’s Throne Has A Very Familiar Sith Design
Count Dooku’s throne in his palace on Serenno is designed very similarly to Darth Vader’s towering fortress on the planet Mustafar. Not only did Vader choose to reside on the planet most closely linked with his fall to the dark side after his confrontation with Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith, but Mustafar is also an important part of the Sith’s history. In a few of Star Wars’ tie-in media ventures, most prominently the comic books, it is explained that the towering and sharp design of Vader’s fortress was a way to amplify the power of the Force found on Mustafar, as Vader built his castle on a dark side nexus.
The source of the dark side nexus on Mustafar was an ancient Sith cave, deep beneath the planet’s fiery surface. As such, with Darth Vader’s arrival on Mustafar and the darkness and hatred already rife on the planet, the dark side of the Force was incredibly strong there. Vader even constructed his infamous red lightsaber on Mustafar, after killing an ex-Jedi for their weapon and the all-important kyber crystal within it. Pouring all of his hatred, pain, and grief into the crystal, he was able to make it bleed and construct his infamous red lightsaber, aided by the all-encompassing and amplified dark side power on Mustafar.
Like Vader, Dooku Must Have Been Based On A Force Vergence
Considering Dooku’s throne is shaped so similarly to Vader’s fortress, it can be interpreted that Dooku’s palace was built on a similar Force vergence to Mustafar. If that particular design is used to amplify the power of the Force, it is no wonder Dooku decided to use it. When he returned to Serenno after rejecting the Jedi Order and reclaimed his inheritance, he might have sensed the power that lurked beneath the palace and researched a way to amplify it for his own personal gain. After all, Dooku was Darth Sidious’ apprentice by then, ready to use any powerful advantage at his disposal to prove himself.
Of course, Dooku and Vader have a lot more in common than just their palaces and the designs they’ve used to amplify the power of the Force. Both were manipulated by Palpatine, to be used and discarded, all in the name of Palpatine’s quest for ultimate power. Both became disillusioned with the Jedi Order, and both were forced to grieve those they once cared for. Vader was merely a stronger replacement for Dooku, but it’s interesting that Star Wars: The Bad Batch would be the show in which a new parallel is drawn between these two villainous yet tragic characters, especially with something as simple as architecture.