Highlights
- Star Wars Outlaws , set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi , has the potential to include numerous cameos from characters in the expanded universe.
- One character that should be included is Hondo Ohnaka, a Weequay pirate who became a household name among the Outer Rim outlaws during the Clone Wars.
- Hondo's appearance in Star Wars Outlaws could add depth to the game by capturing his selfish but charming nature, making him a tentative ally to the player with the potential to betray them at any moment.
Over the last 46 years, the Star Wars universe has only continued to grow bigger and more complex, with movies, live-action shows, animated shows, comic books, novels, and video games all telling their own individual stories, with their own sets of characters. While the mainline Star Wars movie series is fairly easy to understand, the expanded universe is a much harder beast to get to grips with for newcomers, which can make any cameo feel a tad confusing. But there are certain cameos that are worth the risk, and Star Wars Outlaws has the perfect potential to add a few of those.
Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws is perfectly primed to include just about any cameo fans could think of. From characters that crop up in the original trilogy, to those hiding in the background of comics and novels set in this era, Star Wars Outlaws has the potential to bring back a vast number of characters. However, there's one Clone Wars-era character that should make the cut first and foremost.
Star Wars Outlaws Could Bring Hondo Ohnaka Back
First introduced in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars show, Hondo Ohnaka is a Weequay pirate that escaped from slavery when he was just a young boy. Desperate to seek his own fortune and glory, Hondo started his own pirate gang and traveled the Outer Rim, building up his reputation over the next few years. During the Clone Wars, Hondo became infamous for his capture of Count Dooku, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker, and though his attempt to ransom all three failed, it did make him a household name among the other Outer Rim outlaws.
After this kidnapping, Hondo became somewhat of an ally to the Republic, occasionally selling information to the Jedi on the whereabouts and movements of the Separatists. Despite working with the Jedi, Hondo certainly wasn't on their side, and at a moment's notice he would betray the Republic if he thought it was in his best interest. With the rise of the Galactic Empire, Hondo's gang was forced into hiding, and eventually disbanded, leaving him to restart his life anew once again, this time as just a lowly smuggler trying to avoid the gaze of the Empire. Hondo also briefly worked with Ezra Bridger and the rest of Phoenix Squadron to liberate Lothal.
Appearing in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and now even having a life-size animatronic in Disney's Galaxy's Edge, Hondo Ohnaka has easily become the most iconic pirate in the Star Wars canon, and his glad-handing personality would make him the perfect choice for a Star Wars Outlaws cameo. From what fans have seen so far, Star Wars Outlaws appears to be showing the seedy underside of the galaxy during the Galactic Civil War period, putting players in the scuffed-up boots of smuggler Kay Vess, and tasking them with putting together a monumental galactic heist. Along the way, it only makes sense that Kay Vess would run into some fellow smugglers.
If Hondo Ohnaka does appear in Star Wars Outlaws, then the game should try its very best to capture the character's selfish, but charming nature. The best role for Hondo in Star Wars Outlaws would be as a tentative ally to the player. Hondo could pass on some secret information to players, and send them on covert smuggling missions across the galaxy, but the entire time, players should have the feeling that he could betray them at any moment. Star Wars Outlaws needs to show that the Star Wars galaxy at this time period is a cutthroat one for smugglers, and the best way to do that is by bringing back Hondo Ohnaka.
Star Wars Outlaws is expected to release in 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
