Each time Respawn Entertainment gives more backstory to the Apex Legends universe, it seems to connect even deeper with their past series Titanfall. With the introduction of the newest Legend, Valkyrie, Apex Legends is starting to feel like a full-on Titanfall sequel.
While there have certainly been references to Titanfall in previous pieces of lore, there hasn't been anything as concrete and overt as the most recent "Stories from the Outlands." Based on comics, animations and in-game items, there's plenty of connections between the two games. This includes facts like Wraith being a former titan pilot, Pathfinder being a MRVN unit, Bangalore fighting for the IMC, and more. With Valkyrie, those connections are reinforced now more than ever.
Valkyrie and the Apex Predators
Blisk is the strongest tie that Apex Legends has to Titanfall and, fortunately, he makes another appearance with Valkyrie in the "Stories from the Outlands - Northstar" animated short. In his previous Apex appearances, he met with various other legends or appeared in the background, but it's clearly more direct here.
Valkyrie enters the short looking for a spot in the Apex Games from Blisk. Unbeknownst to him, they have history. Valkyrie is the daughter of Viper, a titan pilot who was a part of the Apex Predators during the events of Titanfall 2. Fans of the game will remember Viper as the titan boss fight that takes place on the top of a moving cruiser that had been teased throughout the entire game. Viper was ultimately killed by protagonist Jack Cooper, but Valkyrie blames Blisk instead.
Northstar
Throughout "Stories from the Outlands - Northstar," fans see flashbacks of what Viper and Valkyrie's life was like before his death. Valkyrie seems to have always had an interest in flight, particularly with her father's Northstar class titan. The Northstar titans are known for their flight and maneuverability. Valkyrie tries to pilot the titan her father keeps in the barn but accidentally flies it into an airborne dog fight and crashes it into the ground.
The name of the subhead in the most recent "Stories from the Outlands" is clearly a reference to the titan class her father piloted. At the end of the short, after taking her invitation to the Apex Games from Blisk at gunpoint, Valkyrie repurposed the Northstar titan into smaller, personalized flight gear keeping only her father's helmet intact.
It's unclear if she'll be wearing the pilot helmet during gameplay once she's officially introduced as a playable character in Apex Legends. During the Apex Legends Legacy launch trailer, she's seen wearing the helmet briefly before taking it off. Additionally, all of her promotional images don't have her wearing it. That said, it might end up being one of her in-game abilities, but that won't be confirmed until Respawn releases her official loadout.
In addition to borrowing and reworking her father's gear, Valkyrie also borrows one of his most memorable lines from Titanfall 2. Just before the fight between BT, Jack Cooper and Viper, Viper says, "your journey ends here, Pilot. The skies belong to me. " The recent Apex Legends Legacy trailer has Valkryie say, "you can have the ground, I own the sky."
The Future of Apex Legends
Valkyrie as a character is clearly a love letter to the Titanfall series but raises plenty of questions about where Apex Legends is going next. This most likely isn't the last fans going to see of the Titanfall universe but just how soon is still up in the air. The upcoming Apex Legends Arena mode might add more to the game's lore in the form of providing more backstory to what exactly the Apex Predators are up to now. There also might be no new Titanfall connections when the game mode launches May 4 as "Stories from the Outlands - Northstar" provided plenty for fans to chew on.
Wherever Apex Legends goes from here, one thing is for certain: Respawn Entertainment doesn't seem eager to drop the Titanfall connections. With Titanfall being as popular as it is and Apex Legends capitalizing off of that, it seems like the two are set to be paired for seasons to come.
Apex Legends is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.