Highlights

  • Star Wars Outlaws will focus on criminal syndicates like Zerek Besh and Hutts, rarely explored in past media.
  • The game is set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, featuring Mandalorians and Empire tensions.
  • Outlaws presents a unique glimpse at Mandalorian culture, showcasing individuals from different factions.

The Star Wars universe is home to a plethora of different factions, and it seems as though Star Wars Outlaws is going to be diving head-first into a good number of them. Front and center of Star Wars Outlaws are the five syndicates that rule the galaxy's criminal underworld: the Zerek Besh, the Pykes, Crimson Dawn, the Ashiga Clan, and the Hutts.

Despite playing a prominent role in the origins of many Star Wars characters, the criminal syndicates have rarely been explored in big-budget Star Wars media, only really appearing in Solo: A Star Wars Story and a handful of comics over the years. But each of the criminal syndicates will get plenty of time to shine in Star Wars Outlaws, and with the Empire still being the dominant force in the galaxy at this point in the timeline, players are sure to see plenty of that faction as well. But there's one more Star Wars faction that Outlaws should include.

star wars outlaws kay vess playing sabacc
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Star Wars Outlaws Should Shed More Light on The Mandalorians

Star Wars Outlaws Could Show The Mandalorians' Different Ways of Life

Set between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws technically takes place between the years of 3ABY and 4ABY, with ABY meaning "After the Battle of Yavin." At this point in the timeline, Mandalorians are still a fairly common sight in the galaxy. Many Mandalorians still live on their home planet of Mandalore, though the never-ending civil wars between the different Mandalorian sub-factions have led some Mandalorians to seek their own path elsewhere, resulting in the formation of Tribes spread across the galaxy, and lone wolves who turn to professions like bounty hunting or smuggling.

Star Wars Outlaws is perfectly primed to give fans a brief look at the Mandalorian faction during this period, something only a few pieces of Star Wars media have done so far. Star Wars Outlaws could have protagonist Kay Vess meet one or two different Mandalorians along her planet-hopping journey, potentially having two different outlooks on Mandalorian culture. For instance, players could meet a former soldier who's fled the fighting on Mandalore and a Mandalorian who's grown up in the highly religious Children of the Watch. While Mandalorians have always been a fan-favorite faction, their unique ways of life have become even more intriguing after the release of Disney+'s The Mandalorian, and it'd be great to see that further fleshed out in Star Wars Outlaws.

Star Wars Outlaws Should Show The Rising Tensions Between The Empire and Mandalorians

Unfortunately, any chance meeting with a Mandalorian in Star Wars Outlaws would come with a fairly ominous, tragic undertone, at least for those aware of the faction's lore. Just around a year after Star Wars Outlaws' events, the Empire conducts its Purge of Mandalore, where the vast majority of the planet's citizens are eradicated, and the few Mandalorians left are scattered across the galaxy.

At this point in the Star Wars timeline, tensions between the Mandalorians and the Empire would be at an all-time high. Though the Mandalorian faction is constantly warring with itself for control over its home planet, it unites under one banner to fight back against the Empire whenever it rears its head. But this hasn't stopped the Empire from wanting to control the Mandalorian people. It would be interesting to see this tension appear in some form in Star Wars Outlaws, though, of course, it shouldn't take away from Kay Vess' story.