Spoilers for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor AheadStar Wars Jedi: Survivor tells a very personal story and creates one of the most intriguing franchise villains in the process. Instead of telling the basic Jedi versus Empire storyline, Respawn chose to put the Empire on the backburner in favor of a new set of antagonists. While the Empire still plays a significant role, one brand-new villain is not only a nice breath of fresh air but also the perfect antithesis to Cal Kestis.
The focus of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's story is the race to find the mysterious planet of Tanalorr. The Bedlam Raiders want it, a long-lost High Republic Jedi wants it, Cal Kestis wants to find it, and newcomer Bode desperately wants it. They all have their reasons for hunting Tanalorr, but Bode's journey may be one of the most interesting of them all.
Cal and Bode are Two Sides of the Same Coin
Bode is first introduced at the start of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor as Cal Kestis' friend. In between games, these two characters have forged a strong bond. Cal often considers Bode one of his closest friends, and he proves a valuable ally throughout the entire story. However, things quickly take a turn for the worst once Eno Cordova repairs the compass that leads the heroes to Tanalorr.
After the compass is repaired, Bode attacks Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's heroes and calls the Empire down on Cere's base on Jedha. He flees, and the base gets destroyed by Vader and his army. This betrayal heavily affects Cal, and he begins to teeter towards the dark side as he pursues his former friend across the galaxy to avenge the death of his allies.
As players pursue Bode, they begin to learn more about him. He was a former Jedi who abandoned his Jedi teachings during the Great Jedi Purge. He became a mercenary and would eventually settle down on the planet Birren with his wife. They would have a daughter together, but the Inquisitors would end up finding them. After they killed his wife, he escaped with his daughter and went on the run again. Eventually, Bode would strike a deal with Lank Denvik, a chief supervisor of the Imperial Security Bureau. In exchange for protection, Bode would work as an agent for the ISB, and that would put him on a path to join the Mantis' crew. While his primary purpose was to gather Intel on them, his mission would drastically change with the discovery of Tanalorr. He saw the planet as the only true way to protect his daughter and would stop at nothing to get her there.
Bode and Cal went through similar experiences during the fall of the Republic. They were forced to flee after the Great Jedi Purge and abandon their teachings so that they could hide away. They would eventually end up finding new families to protect during the rise of the Galactic Empire, but would go about it in vastly different ways.
Cal would end up seeing the crew of the Mantis as his way to fight back against the Empire. He would stick with his Jedi teachings and ensure that he did his part to protect those in need. On the other hand, Bode would end up forging attachments and creating his own family. This would go against the core Jedi teachings, and result in him doing whatever it takes to protect his daughter, even if that meant dooming the galaxy.
Cal and Bode went through similar situations at first, but the families they found drastically changed their trajectory. Bode feels like what Cal could have been if he had gone a different route after Order 66, and his dabbling in the dark side during Jedi: Survivor hints at this. These similarities helped Respawn tell a more personal story, and the third game may make these similarities even more prevalent as Cal forges his own attachments.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S
