Spoilers for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Ahead.While Merrin may have joined the team pretty late into Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor makes her an integral part of the story. Her abilities are on full display throughout the narrative, and players get to even play around with some of them during pivotal moments. This is an exciting addition to this franchise and makes a compelling case for a Nightsister solo game.
The Nightsisters of Dathomir played a key role in The Clone Wars, but Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is one of the first times that fans have gotten to experience their powers first hand. With the amount of attention Respawn gives the Witches of Dathomir, it seems like the perfect time for the studio to go all in on the concept.
The Dathomir Nightsisters Are the Perfect Protagonists
The Nightsisters of Dathomir were first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and they quickly became vital parts of the franchise's mythos. They were powerful dark side users who performed all sorts of arcane magic by tapping into their planet’s magical ichor. They are probably the closest that Star Wars has come to outright magic, and their story is one of the most interesting aspects of The Clone Wars.
The Nightsisters would not often travel off world as their powers thrived on their own planet, but that seemed to change during the Galactic Republic. After Mother Talzin unified them under one clan, she began to work closely with Darth Sidious. However, he would end up betraying her and kidnaping her son Maul. She was unable to rescue him, and would spend the rest of her days plotting revenge and galactic domination.
Throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars, viewers got to see the incredible powers that these dark side users had. An entire arc was dedicated to the Nightsisters trying to create the perfect assassin to take out Count Dooku after he betrayed Asajj Ventress. This resulted in the creation of Savage Opress, but Count Dooku would retaliate and destroy the entire clan. This would leave only a few survivors left to carry on the Nightsisters' legacy like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's Merrin.
Just like with the Jedi, the Nightsisters were destroyed by the Sith to make way for the Galactic Empire. Their impressive power proved to be a major threat to Darth Sidious' plans, and thus had to be stopped. While Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order let players see the aftermath of this destruction, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor finally let them experience the sheer power that Sidious was scared of.
At one point in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's story, Cal Kestis must race to one of the Hidden Path's temples on Jedha to protect it from the Empire. To stop them, Merrin and Cal must destroy a massive squid-like drill. This results in one of the coolest boss fights in the game where players must jump through Merrin's magical portals as they attack the drill's weak points.
Besides cloaking the Mantis, this fight is one of the first times that players actually get to see Merrin's impressive powerset. It is an exciting set piece that would lend itself very well to an entire game. With the help of a Jedi, one Nightsister was able to decimate an entire drill, and she was single-handedly able to take on hordes of stormtroopers. That power is impressive, and giving players control of it seems like a recipe for success.
The Nightsisters are one of the few truly magical beings in Star Wars, and it is time for players to assume control of one of them. There has never been a Star Wars game like that, and their entire story should be explored further. While it may be more niche than a Jedi story is, it could also lead to something unique and special for the franchise.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S
