Highlights

  • Star Wars Outlaws, set to release in 2024, will be an open-world game in the Star Wars universe, allowing players to explore multiple scum and villainy-filled locations.
  • The game takes place during the Imperial Era, between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, offering exciting opportunities and story possibilities.
  • There is speculation that the fan-favorite character Dash Rendar, known for his appearance in Shadows of the Empire, could make a cameo or be part of a larger questline in Star Wars Outlaws.

Star Wars Outlaws is currently in development by Massive Entertainment, scheduled to release in 2024. As an AAA entry in one of the most popular IPs on the planet, expectations for it are naturally sky-high. Though fans received an excellent Star Wars game earlier this year in the form of Jedi Survivor, unlike its focus on the smaller-scale tale of Jedi Cal Kestis, Star Wars Outlaws will see players take on the role of professional thief Kay Vess in a truly open world. Outlaws will let players explore multiple hives of scum and villainy across a range of iconic and new locales.

One of the most promising aspects about it is Star Wars Outlaws' place in the timeline. Set during a lesser-used period, especially in games, Outlaws will thrust players into the Imperial era, between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The possibilities this period presents are rife with prospects. As such, Outlaws has an excellent opportunity to include a fan-favorite character whose history stretches back to the earlier days of gaming.

Star Wars Outlaws Kay and Nix
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Star Wars Outlaws Could Include This Fan-Favorite Character From an Early Game

Shadows of the Empire and Dash Rendar

Released in 1996, Shadows of the Empire was one of the first titles in the Nintendo 64 lineup. Players took on the role of mercenary Dash Rendar, who was essentially an exaggerated version of Han Solo; leaning more towards the self-serving anti-hero end of the scale, but still eventually showing sympathy for the rebels. Among the various known Star Wars scoundrels, Dash has achieved fan-favorite status due to his bravado and all-around cool factor, especially compared to some of the other characters introduced to the franchise since.

Shadows of the Empire is also a highly regarded entry in the overwhelming library of Star Wars content. There are certainly more than a few Star Wars products that were forgettable at best, and extremely disappointing and/or confusing in the worst cases. Shadows, though, is praised as a well-designed game, and offered a variety of scenarios and mechanics that were impressive for the time. Dash's adventures were memorable, and Shadows' story was compelling in its own right.

Shadows of the Empire was a multimedia project, and Dash appeared in various other material within it.

How Dash Rendar Could Fit into Star Wars Outlaws

Although he hasn't made an appearance in any production in quite some time, given the Star Wars Oulaws story setup, Dash would fit well into the tone of what has been shown about it so far. With its focus on the underworld crime scene, versus the more widely used framework of Jedi against the Empire, Outlaws presents the perfect platform to surprise and please fans by including Dash in some manner. He could be just a one-off Easter egg, or perhaps part of a larger questline, as Kay crosses paths with the dashing rogue on her journey. Star Wars is no stranger to cameos and fan service, and Dash showing up would be in keeping with that practice.

Star Wars games have been flourishing recently, and everything seen about Outlaws gives fans good reason to expect it to continue this streak. With both Shadows and Outlaws set during the same timeline, as well as focusing on the grittier elements that Dash inherently represents in his character, it would provide the ideal avenue for him to return in a modern title. Along with the wealth of possibilities that visiting various planets in Outlaws will allow, Dash Rendar appearing along the way would be a welcome inclusion, and add another layer to its already engaging vision.