Spoilers for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Ahead
The Galactic Empire has been the main antagonist of the Star Wars franchise since its inception, but Star Wars Jedi: Survivor chose to do things a little differently. While Fallen Order's main villain came in the form of the Empire's Inquisitors, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has them take a backseat in favor of a brand-new High Republic era villain. The Empire still plays a major role throughout the story, but not having it be the primary antagonist is a nice change of pace.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor takes place during the rise of Star Wars' Galactic Empire, and that means that Inquisitors are a constant threat. While those characters can be interesting, it has also been done repeatedly. The Star Wars franchise loves to play around with its Empire, and that can get old eventually. Luckily, Respawn chose to approach this era very differently, and it led to something that feels unique.
Star Wars' Empire Has Had Its Time in the Spotlight
Over the years, there have been a lot of Star Wars projects involving the Galactic Empire and its agents. It was the primary antagonist of the original trilogy, viewers got to see the beginnings of it during the prequel trilogy, and the First Order was the Empire in all but name. It has also been the antagonist in Star Wars The Bad Batch, Rebels, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Mandalorian, and will play a part Ahsoka. While all these stories have been interesting, it does seem like there is a lot of content surrounding the Empire.
Star Wars video games have also utilized the Galactic Empire for many different stories. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order had its entire story revolve around Inquisitors and rebuilding the Jedi Order under the shadow of the Empire. While the game was a lot of fun, it was also a story that players had seen before. That era has been explored so many times, countless stories about Jedi running from Inquisitors have been written, and there always seems to be someone trying to rebuild the order before things come crashing down again.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Breaks New Ground with Its Villains
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's story still takes place during the rise of the Galactic Empire, and the Empire still plays a key role, especially near the end of the narrative. However, most of the story focuses on a completely different set of villains. Players spend their time fighting back against the Bedlam Raiders, their leader Rayvis, and a High Republic Jedi named Dagan Gera. The only time players fight an Inquisitor is at the beginning of the game, and they have a few run-ins with the Empire throughout their journey.
This new set of characters lets Respawn tell a brand-new story disconnected from the Empire. It feels like a breath of fresh air after so many stories have focused on Inquisitors. It also lets players get a glimpse at Star Wars' High Republic era for the first time and goes a long way in expanding Star Wars in exciting ways. While some of the best parts of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor include the Empire, not making it the primary antagonist for most of the game seems like a smart choice.
Cal Kestis will no doubt have to come face-to-face with the Empire throughout his journey. The likes of Star Wars' Darth Vader and his Inquisitors will never stop pursuing him until he is dead, but throwing new villains into the mix is a welcome change of pace for the franchise. It feels like Star Wars relies too much on the Empire, and Respawn’s departure from that makes Star Wars Jedi: Survivor feel special.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S
