Star Wars Outlaws will be whisking players away on a new sci-fi journey between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and that means pre-established characters could be anywhere. While the main story will follow the brand-new Kay Vess, the likes of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa may also appear. They were off doing their own things during this turbulent time, and likely had a few encounters with scoundrels on their journey. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but fans may soon be fighting alongside some of their favorite characters.
It makes sense that Star Wars Outlaws would include pre-established characters, but it does not need to. These characters have had their time in the spotlight, especially in modern Star Wars games, and some fans may want to explore new original characters instead. While their inclusion would likely not detract from the game, Ubisoft will need to tread carefully with how it handles these characters and may want to avoid them altogether if it can.
Star Wars Outlaws Should Forge Its Own Path
Star Wars Outlaws will take place when the rebellion is at one of its lowest points. Luke Skywalker had been badly beaten by Darth Vader, Han Solo had been frozen in carbonite and sold to the Hutts, and the rebels were on the run. It seemed like the Galactic Empire would prevail and reign supreme across the galaxy. While Return of the Jedi changed all that, Star Wars Outlaws is firmly set between the two films, and Kay Vess is trapped under a powerful Empire throughout her journey.
While Kay Vess is an original character, she will likely encounter some fan-favorite characters during her journey. The various planets she will be able to explore could feature iconic locales, and she may end up aiding some popular characters during their own journeys. The reveal trailer already had a brief shot that looked like Han Solo frozen in carbonite, and Tatooine will play a key role in Vess' adventure. This could hint at her helping Leia discover Han's location, or it could simply be an Easter egg for fans to enjoy.
Even if Kay Vess will not encounter Han, her story will be filled with Easter eggs and iconic characters. While this could be fun for fans of the series, it may also feel like a bit much. All these characters and settings have been thoroughly explored by the Star Wars franchise, and it almost feels like the franchise cannot move on from them. Luke has appeared in six movies and multiple TV shows, Leia has been in seven and the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, and Han got his own standalone prequel movie on top of the five he was already in. That is not even counting the many video games they have all appeared in over the years.
Ubisoft needs to focus on original Star Wars characters more than pre-established ones. The galaxy feels like a ridiculously small place if the same characters crop up in everything, but original characters help breathe new life into the franchise. They let the studio tell new stories with new personalities not tied down by what came before and give fans a way to experience this galaxy with a new set of eyes. The gameplay trailer seemed filled with new unique characters, and hopefully that is just a slice of what Ubisoft has in store.
If Star Wars Outlaws includes pre-established characters, then it should handle them as Respawn did in the Star Wars Jedi series. Darth Vader was a major looming force throughout both games, but he only made brief appearances that were lore-accurate and pivotal. Saw Gerrera also made a brief appearance, but he did not steal the spotlight. The story is instead focused on original characters trying to find their place, and that leads to a much stronger adventure in the Star Wars galaxy.
Star Wars Outlaws releases in 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
