The Bad Batch season 3 has notably given tremendous insight into famous Star Wars villains like Emperor Palpatine, but it also secretly finalized the origin story of one of the greatest villains in Revenge of the Sith. The Bad Batch season 3’s focus on elements of Star Wars like Project Necromancer has been one of the most exciting parts of the entire show. The show also secretly introduced another important piece of lore surrounding a major villain from the Star Wars movies.

Some of Star Wars‘ most powerful villains came from the prequel trilogy, and many of them have been explored in recent years. Count Dooku, for example, had his origin story fleshed out in Tales of the Jedi, and audiences got to see his fall to the dark side play out. Now, The Bad Batch has given the same treatment to another villain from Revenge of the Sith, and the show could have introduced the final missing piece of their origin story. The source of that revelation comes from an unlikely source: a minor bounty target with connections to the villain’s very beginning.

Sylar Saris’ General Grievous Connection Explained

Sylar was a Huk, the old enemy of Grievous’ species, the Kaleesh

Sylar Saris, the insectoid criminal Fennec Shand hired Hunter and Wrecker to hunt down, was actually a member of the Huk species. The Huk are best known for engaging in a war against the Kaleesh. One of the most notable Kaleesh in the entire galaxy was General Grievous, and his time fighting in the Huk War directly led to him becoming a cyborg and leading the Separatist droid army. Aside from reintroducing a major part of Grievous’ origin story to a Star Wars show, Sylar and The Bad Batch also gave more insight into the events that created him.

We Finally Know Why The Huk Posed A Threat To The Kaleesh

The Huk were agile, strong, and could spit acidic saliva, making them incredibly dangerous

The Huk were rarely portrayed in both canon and Legends, and were usually only mentioned in the context of the Huk War. Sylar was the first Huk to appear on-screen since A New Hope, and his debut proved exactly why the Huk War was so brutal and why the Kaleesh had such a hard time fighting them. Throughout the episode, Sylar gave Hunter, Wrecker, and Fennec a run for their money, easily dodging their shots, grappling them, and spitting acidic saliva at them. Those three were some of the most highly trained warriors in the galaxy at that point, and Sylar took them all on at once.

The fact that Sylar, a single, unarmed Huk, almost escaped with Fennec, Wrecker, and Hunter after him speaks volumes about the fighting prowess of his species. Sylar could have been an exceptional example of a Huk, but even if they had less impressive abilities, the Huk would still be extremely fearsome warriors. Those natural abilities would explain why the Kaleesh, skilled warriors in their own right, were so evenly matched by the Huk. The Kaleesh were suffering heavily at the hands of the Huk, but the lessons Grievous learned helped him turn the tide while simultaneously preparing him for his next war.

General Grievous’ Conflict With The Huk Prepared Him For The Clone Wars

Battle forged him into a truly fearsome warrior

Grievous wouldn’t have been the warrior he was in Revenge of the Sith without first being pushed to his limits by the Huk.

Not many non-Force-sensitive beings can go toe to toe with fully trained Jedi masters in a lightsaber duel, but Grievous was one of them. Part of the reason he was so skilled in fighting Jedi was because of his training under Count Dooku, but a much bigger reason was because of his experience fighting in the Huk War. During that war, Grievous became a legendary warlord, and many of the skills he learned during that time transferred perfectly to the Clone Wars.

Grievous clearly learned from the Huk, as he integrated several aspects of Sylar’s fighting style. Like Sylar, Grievous constantly used his cybernetic agility to his advantage, jumping across rooms and crawling across walls. The Huk’s fighting skills also forced Grievous to improve his tactics and leadership abilities in order to effectively battle them. That not only gave him the skills he needed to hold his own against Jedi, but also the knowledge and experience necessary for commanding the droid army. Grievous wouldn’t have been the warrior he was in Revenge of the Sith without first being pushed to his limits by the Huk.

The Clone Wars wouldn’t have been nearly as brutal without General Grievous, and the Republic would have had a much easier time fighting the droids without his leadership. His role in the Clone Wars, coupled with his experience in fighting the Huk, proves just how impressive of a warrior and leader he really was. Though he might have been killed in Revenge of the Sith, General Grievous’ backstory and the context added by The Bad Batch has cemented him as one of the most dangerous villains in Star Wars.