Punch/Legends

"No, I was hungry. I went back to the mess."

- Punch states his alibi

"Punch" was the nickname of a clone trooper who served in Clone Sergeant Slick's platoon during the Clone Wars. In 22 BBY, he was dispatched with a Jedi-led contingent of the Grand Army of the Republic to liberate the planet Christophsis from the Confederacy. Punch joined his unit on reconnoitering the planet for a strategical ambush site, but the Confederacy was able to ambush the Republic forces. After the clone troopers returned to the base, Punch and fellow trooper Sketch went to the mess hall. When Clone Captain CT-7567 and Clone Commander CC-2224 interrogated the members of Slick's platoon to locate a possible Confederate spy, Punch and Sketch served as each other's alibis. Sergeant Slick himself was later revealed to be the turncoat and was apprehended.

Biography
The clone trooper nicknamed "Punch" was a clone of bounty hunter Jango Fett, born on the planet Kamino to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic. During the Clone Wars, he became a member of Clone Sergeant Slick's platoon. In 22 BBY, in the seventh week of the war, Punch was dispatched with a contingent of the Republic army&mdash;under the command of High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker&mdash;to liberate the planet Christophsis from the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Slick's unit reconnoitered the planet and located the North and South towers as a suitable site from which to ambush the Confederate droids. While returning to the Republic base, the platoon came across a group of B1 battle droids that were attempting to clear a major boulevard of Christophsians.

When the battle droids discovered a crippled Christophsian and discussed killing the man, the clones intervened and eliminated the droids before returning to the base. Later, Sergeant Slick's platoon was stationed in the South tower with General Kenobi and Clone Commander CC-2224, while Skywalker and Clone Captain CT-7567 were based with their troopers in the parallel North tower. The Republic troops prepared to attack the Confederate droids below, but the approaching droid column unexpectedly split in two, and battle droids arrived in the South tower and ambushed the clones. Skywalker and his men arrived in the South tower to reinforce Kenobi's group, and taking a turbolift to the roof of the tower, the Republic forces escaped in clone pilot Hawk's LAAT/i gunship.

After the Republic forces had returned to their base, Punch and fellow trooper Sketch went to the mess hall. During investigations regarding the possibility of a Confederate spy amongst their ranks, CC-2224 and CT-7567&mdash;nicknamed "Cody" and "Rex," respectively&mdash;traced an irregular wavelength in external communications to Slick's barracks. Suspecting that one of the sergeant's men was the turncoat, the two clone officers called the unit to individually interrogate them in the platoon's quarters. Punch and Sketch served as each other's alibis, and trooper Chopper was initially believed to be the spy, as he lied and claimed that he was in the mess hall with the two troopers. However, Slick was eventually revealed to be the spy, and escaped before severely damaging the Republic's gunships, AT-TE walkers, and weapons depot. The turncoat sergeant was spotted running into the base's command center, and Rex and Cody ordered Slick's platoon to secure the perimeter. The two clone officers later managed to apprehend the traitorous Slick.

Personality and traits
Punch was good friends with Sketch, and they frequented the mess hall at the Christophsis base to the point where it became a habit. They additionally verified each other's claims about being in the mess hall. Later, Punch was visibly shocked when his own sergeant&mdash;Slick&mdash;was revealed to be the Republic traitor. Punch kept his soul patch goatee immaculately tidy. He was talented in combat, and his DC-15S blaster saw a lot of use on Christophsis.

Behind the scenes
Punch first appeared in The Clone Wars webcomic Shadowed, and went on to appear in "The Hidden Enemy," the episode of the television series' 2008–2009 first season that the comic led into. In the episode, he was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, who provided the voice for all of the series' clone characters.

Appearances

 * The Clone Wars: Shadowed