While EA may have dropped the ball when it came to Star Wars game releases, it seems as though the beloved Sci-Fi franchise is finally getting all of the love it deserves in the gaming space, with a slew of new titles currently on the horizon. And by far one of the most anticipated upcoming releases is Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the long-awaited sequel to the 2019 game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Much like its predecessor, Jedi: Survivor looks as though it'll continue to tie together the franchise with Easter eggs, references, and plenty of crossover characters, and the Fifth Brother is one such character.
Having first appeared in the animated show Star Wars: Rebels, the Fifth Brother has quickly become one of the most prominent Inquisitors in Star Wars lore, having appeared in last year's Obi-Wan Kenobi show. Now, the Fifth Brother is set to make yet another appearance in the canon, this time in a canon novel set in between the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor titled Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars.
Star Wars' Fifth Brother Explained
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First introduced in Star Wars: Rebels, the Inquisitors are a group of Force-sensitive warriors that work for the Empire in its early years. Mostly formed from abducted and converted Jedi padawans following Order 66, the Inquisitorius' main goal is to rid the galaxy of other Force-sensitive beings, whether that's former Jedi who have gone into hiding, or children who are born with inherent Force abilities. Of all of Star Wars' elite forces, none are more dangerous or frightening as the Inquisitorius.
The Fifth Brother is one of the Inquisitorius' highest ranking members, often seen working right alongside the Grand Inquisitor himself. Most recently, the Fifth Brother has appeared on Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, where he joins the Grand Inquisitor and the Third Sister in a mission to Tatooine. After flushing out the Jedi hiding there, the Fifth Brother and the rest of the Inquisitorius begin hunting down Obi-Wan Kenobi, though they are unsuccessful. In Star Wars: Rebels, Darth Vader personally sends the Fifth Brother to Lothal to hunt down the growing rebel force, led by Phoenix Squadron. This hunt eventually ends in the Fifth Brother's death at the hands of Darth Maul in an underground Sith temple on Malachor.
The Fifth Brother Could Play a Role in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
On March 7, 2023, a new Star Wars novel is set to release, with the Fifth Brother starring as its primary antagonist. Titled Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars, this book takes place sometime after Jedi: Fallen Order, and seemingly quite sometime before the events of Jedi: Survivor. In Battle Scars, the crew of the Stinger Mantis, including Cal Kestis, Cere, Greez, and Merrin, are still actively seeking ways to disrupt the Empire's regime. They receive word from a turncoat Stormtrooper that he has a weapon that could bring the Empire down, and the crew rushes to his aid. However, the Fifth Brother has been tasked with hunting down the Mantis crew, and he's fast approaching their trail.
According to the pre-release material, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be set five years after the events of Jedi: Fallen Order in the in-universe year 9 BBY, which means nine years before the Battle of Yavin and the events of New Hope. This is also around the same time as Obi-Wan Kenobi, which is also set in 9 BBY. In the show, the Fifth Brother is one of the highest-ranking Inquisitors at that time, which means that it's more than possible that players will be able to face off against the Fifth Brother at some point during Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. However, Cal wouldn't be able to kill off the Fifth Brother during the game, as he won't die for another six in-universe years.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases on March 17, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.