There’s no question that 2019 is a big year for the Star Wars franchise thanks to the success of The Mandalorian and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. And this weekend, arguably the biggest Star Wars release of the decade, Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker, hits theaters and seeks to bring closure to a story that has been 9 films in the making.
But while there has been a debate about the quality of Star Wars Episode 9, the general verdict around those other two properties has been fairly positive. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, in fact, has been considered a Game of the Year contender, despite trying to tell its own story independent of existing canon.
That being said, there could have been a cool way for Star Wars Episode 9 to acknowledge Jedi: Fallen Order and bring the game’s world into the film’s. It would have been a nod that only those who played the game could pick up on, and it would have brought everything full circle.
It’s impossible to discuss how Jedi: Fallen Order could have connected with Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker without spoiling a major moment in the film. So be warned, if you have not seen the film there will be a key moment given away. SPOILERS BELOW!
Rey is All the Jedi
Towards the end of Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker, there is a scene where protagonist Rey finally is able to connect with all of the Jedi to have come before her. Early on in the film, she is seen saying, “Be with me,” but is unsuccessful in her attempt to connect. At the end of the film, though, she finally succeeds and hears the voices of many famous Jedi from throughout Star Wars history. There are obvious voices heard during this sequence, like Hayden Christensen’s Anakin and Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu, but even some lesser known Jedi can be heard as well. Specifically, fans of the Star Wars animated series will recognize some familiar voices.
While this pivotal scene in the film seeks to unite many of the existing Star Wars properties, it oddly leaves out the video games. Of course, after Disney bought Lucasfilm and the rights to Star Wars it wiped out a lot of pre-existing properties as canon, but Jedi: Fallen Order was created under that new regime. The story of Cal Kestis and Co. is part of Star Wars canon, so why not throw the video game Star Wars universe a nod by letting Cal’s voice (Cameron Monaghan) be heard too.
Cal's Role As A New Jedi
In terms of its timeline, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order exists between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, so there was no way for Cal to feature outside of this voice cameo. In the game, it seems like Cal’s role might have been in uniting the remaining Jedi, which could have had a major impact on the narrative of Star Wars as a whole, but that was some misdirection. We still don’t know what Cal’s role is in the overarching narrative of Star Wars, but if nothing else he stands out as a Jedi that faced Darth Vader and lived.
That being said, seeing as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is relatively new and Disney could not have predicted fan response to the game, it makes sense that the creators decided to keep Cal’s voice out. There are plenty of other Jedi who weren’t part of that scene too, so putting a relatively new character in and leaving a more established Jedi out would have been a controversial choice.
Still, it would have been a nice nod to gamers if Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker did include Cal’s voice, even if it was mixed in the background. Now that the Skywalker saga is complete, Jedi: Fallen Order remains one of the few big Star Wars properties that is ongoing and it’s the only story driven video game experience.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.