It's been 20 years since Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was published, and players are eagerly awaiting the remake that was teased several years ago. Despite several delays, the KOTOR Remake still happening, and it remains as anticipated as ever despite having little more than a teaser trailer to go on. The project promises to be a faithful remake of the original classic with updated graphics, character models, world designs, and it will be using a completely different engine from the original.
One of the most beloved characters from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic who entered the Expanded Universe hall of fame is Bastila Shan, the deuteragonist of the game and first Jedi that players encounter. With Revan's involvement being obfuscated for most of the game, Bastila serves as the face of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic alongside Malak; as such, she's heavily featured on promotional material, she's on the game covers, and she narrates the teaser trailer for the remake. However, she could be changing in a big way with this updated version.
Bastila in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Bastila's role in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is as a mentor; she guides the player character as they walk the path of a Jedi. Before she appears in-game, she's mentioned several times by other characters and in the game's title crawl as a Jedi prodigy, she's already famous as the Jedi who defeated Darth Revan, and she's one of the key Jedi needed to win the war against Darth Malak and the Sith. Everything paints a picture of the perfect Jedi: calm, patient, in perfect control of her emotions. The illusion is broken when the player meets her; instead of calm, she's angry. She's endlessly frustrated at the slow pace of their mission, constantly doubts herself and her abilities, and continually expresses her emotions.
It isn't so surprising, then, that when she falls to the Dark Side, the best way to save her for both a romanced and unromanced Bastila is to appeal to her connections to people; to the bonds she's formed with Revan and the crew of the Ebon Hawk during their mission. It's these bonds that she was dissuaded from having by the Jedi that saves her from the Dark Side in the end, rather than an adherence to the Jedi Code. Through this, Bastila embodies the main theme of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, providing a mirror for the player character.
Bastila's Chance to Change in the KOTOR Remake
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Despite this, Bastila doesn't have a distinct or iconic "look"; unlike Malak or Revan, she doesn't get a cool mask or cape, and the only thing iconic about her character design is her yellow double-bladed lightsaber. Her bodysuit is often ditched as soon as possible in favor of better equipment and, once that happens, she's the most generic character in the party. The remake is a chance to give her design a much-needed upgrade and, while she doesn't need to be unrecognizable, there is space to give her look something iconic, whether it be as a part of her gear or hairstyle.
Doing so would also not make her unrecognizable to long-time fans, many of whom have understandably grown attached to her original look that has endured over the past 20 years. Dramatically changing her physical appearance would alienate a large portion of the core players expected to play the remake. Rather, drawing from her role as a mentor and later as a mirror for the player character would be better. Incorporating character traits into her appearance through what she wears would be ideal, as this could reflect her beliefs and personality, how she feels stifled and controlled by the Jedi, and the pressure she feels in having to guide Revan. While leaving her look the same would be a missed opportunity, changing it too much could cause controversy, so a good balance between the two will be key.
The Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake is in development.
