Star Wars Jedi: Survivor doesn’t feign a subtle Star Wars franchise’s subtle darkness, namely the mature tones peppered throughout its predecessor, Fallen Order. Respawn couldn’t duck around such somber content matter since Star Wars Jedi’s protagonist is chiefly and inseparably connected to the slaughter of the Jedi Order and the rise of an oppressive Galactic Empire, which involved Force-sensitive children being cut down, if not psychologically tortured and manipulated—Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s portrayal of the Second and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s portrayal of the Ninth Sister alone reflect that sufficiently.

However, to say that Fallen Order and Survivor are fully cynical and dark would be nonsense. So much of what makes Respawn’s franchise refreshing is how lighthearted it is in its intimate moments and humor is undoubtedly rampant—some beats are more explicit and familiar, like whenever Greez Dritus is around, while some beats catch players when their guard is down, such as when Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Rick the Door Technician appears as a trivial yet hysterical boss. BD-1 is always a source of whimsy and cuteness, too, but Survivor also played heavily into an adorable trope regarding otherwise antagonistic droids.

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Sequel Can’t Take Cal Kestis’ Lightsaber for Granted

The novelty of Cal Kestis' lightsaber was a bit lost in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and needs to be rediscovered if a sequel hopes to be meaningful.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s B1 Battle Droids Have Cute Monologues When Eavesdropped on

BD-1 has always been an extraordinary companion and is arguably one of the cutest droids that have been conceived for the Star Wars mythology; plus, the fact that BD-1 has stuck his neck out for Cal against foes as revered as Darth Vader makes him one of the bravest. That said, it would be preposterous not to sing B1 battle droids’ praises since they contribute so much to semi-open-world shenanigans and laughter in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor ’s B1 battle droids are endearingly inquisitive, talkative, and naive, and while some players may rush to defeat them, they are commonly positioned so players can choose to eavesdrop on them if they’d like and hear a funny bit of dialogue.

This is not unlike how the Batman: Arkham games allow players to constantly overhear enemy dialogue, which can oftentimes grant revealing details about the games’ story or characters. The conversations and asides battle droids lack such narrative gravitas, but they’re nice to listen to anyway and cement B1s as some of the most amusing droids in the galaxy.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Sequel Should Lean More into Endearing NPCs and Enemies

If Respawn has taken anything from its implementation of dynamic tones in both Fallen Order and Survivor, it’s that the next Star Wars Jedi game should continue to masterfully blend the horrific tragedy of the era the series is set in while also instilling it with cheerful joy and wit. Humor in this franchise should never veer too far into a territory where it mocks or satirizes the events going on, especially if Respawn wants to maintain a brooding atmosphere looming over Star Wars Jedi’s key characters.

Yet, the frivolity of B1 battle droids ensures that players aren’t always steeped in a gloomy mood that the story is usually delivering. Characters like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Turgle are another perfect example of how Respawn has inserted comedic relief into Survivor, introducing a character who is wholly loveable, though Turgle could also be perceived as an irritating figure if the sequel’s attempts at humor do nothing for them.

Meeting Turgle for the first time outside of Pyloon’s Saloon, it is important that Turgle’s rescue is layered with a proper introduction to the Bedlam Raiders via a tonally serious tension that’s thick enough for a lightsaber to cut between Rayvis and Cal Kestis. If more NPCs are featured in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s sequel and have a similar comedic role as B1 battle droids or Turgle, they’ll still need to be balanced appropriately so that the game’s overall tone is not in jeopardy but it would not be a Star Wars Jedi entry without that much-needed levity.