Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is special for a number of reasons, including how original it is within a franchise that chiefly regurgitates the same characters or motifs. It is true that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has cameos of iconic characters and locations, but they are narratively purposeful, make sense for the era, and are short enough to be an impactful footnote rather than subsuming the player’s attention entirely. For a long time, Star Wars seemed to rely upon popular iconography, but Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order challenged that. Seeing the newest trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, that same premise seems to be honored once more.
Cal Kestis will continue to attract the attention of the Empire and meet new characters, opening Survivor to another fresh narrative. However, the originality that this franchise brings to the IP may not be as lenient as it was in the predecessor, if its marketing material seems to suggest anything. Pre-order bonuses and one interview with Cal’s voice actor Cameron Monaghan have teased that more popular iconography may seep into Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Cosmetic Bonuses Refer Too Much to Popular Iconography
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s pre-order bonuses leaked before it appeared at The Game Awards 2022, including skins that many fans will surely be excited about. There is a standard edition, a Deluxe Edition, and a Collector’s Edition, with the Deluxe offering players an exclusive pair of skins. One skin will fashion Cal in a Han Solo outfit, including his iconic DL-44 blaster pistol as part of the Galactic Hero Cosmetic Pack. Another will fashion Cal in a Luke Skywalker outfit with his father’s iconic lightsaber hilt as part of the New Hero Cosmetic Pack.
However, there is also a Jedi Survival Cosmetic Pack players can receive for pre-ordering any edition of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, offering Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber, as well as an outfit he wears and a blaster pistol he wields in his Disney+ series. This is great for fans of the classic iconography in the Star Wars IP, but also pulls Star Wars Jedi: Survivor further away from the originality that made Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order special.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Can’t Rely on Cool Character Cameos
It was also revealed in an interview with Monaghan that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor may feature iconic character cameos. This could be done well if the cameos are for other characters who are survivors of the Empire’s oppression, but it should not be done to the extent that it becomes the only talking point about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Darth Vader appeared at the end of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and could have easily become the game’s largest talking point, but the rest of the adventure and its characters are equally impactful. Vader's appearance is alarming and suspenseful, but thankfully does not eclipse antagonists such as Trilla Suduri who are equally worthy of the player’s attention.
If iconic characters do appear in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, they need to be included similarly to maintain originality while connecting to a larger universe. If Darth Maul was to become a main antagonist in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, for example, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor may be loved for that decision, but it would abandon any attempt at establishing fresh iconography in its own franchise.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases on March 17, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.