Summary
Star Wars, rather infamously, has some pretty expansive, complex lore. While the originalStar Warstrilogy’s excellent world-building hinted at major in-universe events like the Clone Wars andan ancient Jedi-Sith war, its own plot stayed relatively straightforward, focusing primarily on the fight between the Rebellion and the Empire though the lens of just a handful of main characters. But over the last few decades, theStar Warsuniverse has continued to grow, and it’s all thanks to projects likeStar Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Over the last four plus decades, theStar Warsfranchise has continued to receive countless books, comics, TV shows, movies, and video games, and each one adds its own heap of lore to the universe.Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris no different. A story set nine years beforeA New Hope,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorbuilds off many otherStar Warsstories, and there’s one lore development in particular that it shouldn’t leave behind in the sequel.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s High Republic Connection Can’t Be One-And-Done
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Acted as a Great Jumping-On Point for The High Republic
Officially launching in 2021, theStar WarsHigh Republic era is still in its infancy, especially when compared tootherStar Warseras, but it’s already been at the forefront of many novels and comics, while also finding its way into a handful of TV shows, and more recently, video games. Set around 500-100 years beforeA New Hope,Star Wars' High Republic era sees the Galactic Republic at the height of its power, and sees the Jedi Order stretching across the entire galaxy. Though it still has a lot of gaps left to fill, the High Republic era is home to some of the best pieces of recentStar Warsmedia, andStar Wars Jedi: Survivoracted as the perfect introduction to the time period for those uninitiated.
While the vast majority ofStar Wars Jedi:Survivortakes place nearly a decade before the start of the original trilogy, Cal Kestis' second video game journey sees him cross paths with the High Republic era a few times. The game’s primary antagonist, Dagan Gera, was a High Republic Jedi kept in stasis for hundreds of years, and his plot to reach the hidden planet of Tanalorr acts asthe crux ofJedi: Survivor’s story. Along the way, players receive several flashbacks that take them back to the High Republic era, where they’re gradually given a bit more information on the era, such as the status of the Jedi Order at the time, and teases of major threats like the Nihil marauders.
Though the game’s central plot revolves around a High Republic character, information about the era itself is mainly surface-level, with players learning about the era at the same time asprotagonist Cal Kestis, and thus being introduced to the time period gradually. This light crossover with the High Republic era allowedStar Wars Jedi: Survivorto get pretty creative with its narrative, environments, and enemy types, while still mostly taking place in the familiar Reign of the Empire setting.
How The High Republic Could Return in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Sequel
Though it doesn’t dive too deep into the era’s lore,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorstill laid a lot of groundwork for the High Republic era for new fans, and tied it in nicely with the game’s core cast and story. It would be a real shame to see that get dropped completely inJedi: Survivor’s potential sequel. Thankfully, there are a few ways thatthe nextStar Wars Jedigamecould bring the High Republic back.
Now residing on Tanalorr, an ancient Jedi temple and training ground for High Republic-era students, Cal Kestis could use his Force Echo ability to see glimpses of the past. This could impact both the sequel’s narrative and gameplay, with Cal being able to learn new techniques and abilities from long-deadHigh Republic Jedi Masters, such as new lightsaber stances and Force powers.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
WHERE TO PLAY
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor™, a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narratively-driven, single player title picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness. Pushed to the edges of the galaxy by the Empire, Cal will find himself surrounded by threats new and familiar. As one of the last surviving Jedi Knights, Cal is driven to make a stand during the galaxy’s darkest times - but how far is he willing to go to protect himself, his crew, and the legacy of the Jedi Order?Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies. Master new skills, equipment, and abilities that will augment the ways you explore, fight, and roam. With larger areas to explore and more to discover off the beaten path, players who adventure beyond the horizon will find hidden rewards.
