Star Wars is a huge franchise full of memorable characters, and Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order met most fans' expectations with stories old and new. Lightsabers and Force powers are two pillars of the game's combat, letting players loose across several planets while progressively becoming more attuned to Respawn's narrative-driven action. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a strong outcome of the collaboration between Lucasfilm and Respawn Entertainment, so it makes sense to see a sequel on the way.
Taking place between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and the original trilogy of films, Fallen Order explores a period in the timeline also being tackled by Disney+ series such as The Bad Batch and Andor, but Respawn endeavored to capture the dramatic fate of the Jedi Order. Following the formation of the Empire, secretly led by the villainous Sith Lords, the Jedi are marked for death and hunted down. This premise provides a chilling backstory for the survivor Cal Kestis and his crew, but it also opens up plenty of opportunities to connect with relevant elements of the Star Wars universe.
Droids That Appear in Jedi: Fallen Order
The newly formed Galactic Empire sometimes depends on droids to carry out routine functions from maintenance to security. These robotic characters feature heavily in Jedi: Fallen Order, some as foes and others as worldbuilding props. The KX-series security droids from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story return as a challenging enemy type that brawls with the strength of an industrial crane - proving to be a great challenge even for the Jedi protagonist.
While the KX units are challenging enough for most players, other - albeit less intimidating - Imperial assistants include Viper probe droids and Astromechs, which can both be thrown toward hostiles in the heat of battle. More droid-related content in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor suggests that the Fallen Order sequel will not stray far from these quirky beings, several of which can still be adapted from existing Star Wars projects.
Star Wars Comics and Prequel-Era Characters
Although Cal's story is fairly self-contained, Respawn's action-adventure title reflects on the aftermath of conflicts that unfolded during the prequel trilogy. Remnants of the Clone Wars are bound under a new, sinister order after years of interplanetary turmoil. One such figure from this era is Saw Gerrera, a resistance leader from Onderon who was first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series before becoming an important figure in Rogue One. Players meet with Gerrera on Kashyyyk, who points them to Tarfful - a Wookiee leader from Revenge of the Sith.
Yaddle and Yoda are mentioned in passing, and players can find a holocron message from Obi-Wan Kenobi warning the Jedi about Order 66. On the darker side, the Nightsisters of Dathomir is a witch tribe from The Clone Wars who are accompanied by the allied Nightbrothers, and there are subtle references within Force echoes to Mother Talzin and General Grievous. Additionally, the Inquisitors in Fallen Order play a major role in pursuing Cal, and the Second and Ninth Sisters from the 2017 Darth Vader comics operate as major boss battles.
Jedi: Fallen Order's Original Trilogy Reveal
Despite the game taking place years before the Galactic Civil War, Jedi: Fallen Order still taps into the events of the original trilogy to show how the Galaxy evolved under Imperial rule. The 2019 release puts forth interesting questions about the moral duality of the Jedi and Sith, with one of the most memorable encounters being a horrific confrontation with Darth Vader himself. Out of the shadows, the tortured Sith Lord gives chase as players attempt to escape the Fortress Inquisitorius. Cal and company barely make it out alive, leaving open whether Darth Vader will return in Jedi: Survivor.
The cameos in Fallen Order largely symbolize archetypes in a time before the Rebellion properly organizes against the Empire. Respawn utilizes the source material well by developing a plot that does not rely too heavily on callbacks, instead celebrating the Star Wars setting as a whole. Its 2023 sequel might include more recognizable characters in service of meaningful storytelling, but players should also expect to discover never-before-seen secrets within Jedi: Survivor's new planets.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.