EveryStar Warsfan has their own favorite movie in the franchise, whether it’s the original for its revolutionary concepts and filmmaking techniques,Revenge of the Sithfor its nostalgia and over-the-top action, orReturn of the Jedifor its thrilling final act. But by far the most popular choice isStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, widely considered to be one of the best sequels of all time and a surprisingly dark entry in the otherwise lighthearted space-faring franchise. And the closer to release it gets, it seems as thoughStar Wars Jedi: Survivormight just be channelingThe Empire Strikes Backin a few ways.
Just a few days ago, IGN hosted an interview withStar Wars Jedi: Survivor’s director, Stig Asmussen. During the interview, Asmussen mentioned that the team at Respawn is really hoping thatJedi: Survivorperforms well so that they can make a third game, as the plan has always been tomake Cal Kestis' journey a trilogy. This could potentially setStar Wars Jedi: Survivorup to be theEmpire Strikes Backof this series, and there are a few ways it could be doing this.
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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Could Be This Series' Empire Strikes Back
From all the trailers fans have seen so far, it seems as thoughStar Wars Jedi: Survivorwill have a bit of a darker tone when compared to its predecessor. Even the game’s title alone suggests that this journey is going to put Cal through the wringer and force him to adapt against all odds if he wants to merely survive. The upcoming prequel novel,Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scarslooks to be setting up this darker tone quite naturally, revolving around Cal and the crew of the Stinger Mantis being actively hunted by the Empire andthe Fifth Brother, one of Vader’s ruthless Inquisitors.
Based purely on just what we’ve seen so far, it seems as though the next step in Cal Kestis' journey is going to be a foreboding, ominous one. Cal is presumably still on the run from the Empire, and it seems as though at least some of the Mantis' crew have left him to pursue their own goals, leaving him practically alone, aside from hisfaithful droid companion BD-1. This darker tone is very reminiscent ofStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, another sequel that put its heroes on the backfoot.
Along with a darker shift in tone,Star Wars Jedi: Survivormay even follow the same general plot beats asEmpire Strikes Back. For instance, at the start ofEmpire, the Rebels are forced to makea daring escape from Hoth, and their fleet is left scattered across the galaxy.Jedi: Survivormay start in a similar way, as recent gameplay trailers have confirmed that Cal’s journey this time round starts with a failed mission, with the Mantis crash-landing on a new planet called Koboh where Cal is forced to survive against hordes of bounty hunters and resurrected Battle Droids.
The rest ofStar Wars Jedi: Survivormight then follow Cal as he desperately attempts to develop his Force abilities enough to face the Empire, just like Luke does inThe Empire Strikes Back. And ifJedi: Survivorcontinues to follow the same general plot beats asEmpire, then it could all end in disaster for the young Jedi Knight, leaving him at his lowest point and paving the way for a triumphant comeback in the trilogy’s concluding chapter, just likeStar Wars: Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivorreleases April 28 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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