Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, as expected, has finally been revealed to the world as part of Star Wars Celebration. Players will once again step into the shoes of Cal Kestis as he continues his journey, Mantis Crew in tow. This Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order sequel is set 5 years after the original, meaning Cal has likely grown in strength as a Jedi Knight.
Of course, despite confirming a few details like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s release window, this trailer only really serves as a teaser. The Inquisitor with a red lightsaber who Cal fights remains a mystery, but perhaps the biggest is the bacta tank. Immediately after the trailer, many began to question who this character was—who is in the Bacta tank?
Bacta tanks are nothing new in the Star Wars universe, but the character being in one suggests a few things. Book of Boba Fett fans know that Fett had to constantly revisit one to heal his body’s injuries, and so does characters like Darth Vader. It doesn’t seem this character frequently leaves this bacta tank, however; it seems they’ve been there for some time, following some unknown injury.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Trailer
Sharp-eyed fans are able to notice a few details that may flesh out who this character is. The scene cuts immediately to the bacta tank, and Cal looking in, after the line “what is your next move, Jedi?” is uttered. Whoever this is, they are implied to be a Jedi. He has long white hair, almost akin to Sephiroth, and a few markings on his skin. He is first teased early in the trailer, so whoever he is, he’s clearly important to the story of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Return of Taron Malicos?
One leading theory, although with a few holes, is that this is Taron Malicos. Players encounter this former Jedi on Dathomir in the original game, and while he is severely injured and presumed dead, that doesn’t mean much in the Star Wars universe. It could be that Taron was placed into a Bacta tank sometime after, while spending 5 years in there would explain the hair growth. On the other hand, the markings on this Jedi’s body don’t really line up with Taron’s.
Furthermore, while Taron could be redeemed, it seems odd to put so much focus on this relatively minor character in the first game. So while physically there’s an argument that could be made, it’s not likely Taron in full.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – A New Character or a Legend Brought to Life?
In fact, he doesn’t really look like any known Star Wars character—but he could be one renewed. The most likely scenario is that this is a new character in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. He may be a character out of time, seemingly having been in the bacta tank for a while, and he may be an older Jedi. He could be from the Clone Wars, if not before, really depending on a lot of factors. It’s not known how long someone can survive in a bacta tank, so this could be a truly old Jedi Cal discovers.
There are some rumors that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will feature two playable characters, and if not Merrin, then it seems that this Jedi would likely be a contender. It’s even plausible that this is the “Survivor” better referenced by the subtitle than Cal—although the trailer has set up that particular angle to focus on Cal. Either way, the most likely scenario is that this is a new character.
On the other hand, it would be interesting if this was Respawn’s way of introducing an old legend into Star Wars canon. Several shows have done this, and it would only be right for a game to do so as well. This would give Respawn a lot of freedom, while also giving fans some familiarity—as long as Respawn didn’t venture too far from the character’s roots.
Perhaps, while this may be too much to ask for, this character could be a new version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed’s Starkiller to serve as Cal’s new rival. It could tie Starkiller into the Inquisitors, and Vader deciding against rebelling against the emperor would explain why he was confined to a bacta tank. However, the looks don’t fit and that would be a big change on Respawn’s part. If it is an old legend reborn, he bears a ton of similarities to Joruus C’baoth. He was a Force user who wielded the dark side but wasn’t really evil, instead suffering from a mental disorder. The bacta tank would make sense in this context, and it would be an interesting introduction.
Nonetheless, for those wondering who is in the bacta tank in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the safest bet is a brand new character. And fans will likely learn more about him come new trailers and its eventual release.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases in 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox One Series X.