While Kyle Katarn and Cal Kestis are among Star Wars’ greatest gaming protagonists, there have been plenty of other notable playable characters in the galaxy far, far away. As to be expected for a franchise that has lasted for nearly five decades, Star Wars has spawned countless video games. While many of these titles are merely retellings of the mainline Skywalker Saga films that put players in the roles of Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, or other familiar faces from the silver screen, others have instead charted their own path and built on the lore by introducing new characters and plotlines.
One of the most famous examples of a Star Wars gaming character is Kyle Katarn, the rugged Stormtrooper-turned-hero of the Star Wars Jedi Knight series. Players saw Kyle evolve from a mere Rebel agent in Star Wars: Dark Forces to a capable Jedi Knight in his own right, and it's likely only a matter of time before Kyle Katarn becomes Star Wars canon. Years later, Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order introduced players to another unlikely Jedi in the form of Cal Kestis - a survivor of Order 66 who is forced to go on the run from the dreaded Inquisitors while trying to locate the lost remnants of the old Jedi Order.
There Have Been Plenty Of Great Star Wars Gaming Protagonists
With these two legendary figures being ranked among the best Star Wars gaming heroes, it can be easy to forget the many other great characters to come from the franchise’s interactive adventures. From elite Clone Troopers fighting on the front lines of the Clone Wars to Imperial pilots who find themselves questioning their loyalty to the oppressive Galactic Empire, there has been no shortage of noteworthy playable characters in both Star Wars’ old Legends game caonon and the modern, continuing Expanded Universe. Whether they carried a larger series or only headlined a single game, these Star Wars characters have proven themselves to be worthy additions to the galaxy.
Boss Leads The Squad In Star Wars: Republic Commando
Released shortly before the theatrical premiere of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in 2005, Star Wars: Republic Commando was an FPS that highlighted the grittier side of the galaxy-spanning Clone Wars conflict. Players took command of an elite team of Clone Troopers, issuing orders to their squad mates while controlling their leader directly. That leader is RC-1138 (aka “Boss”), a straight-laced trooper voiced by Temuera Morrison - who famously portrayed the Clone Troopers and their genetic source Jango Fett. As Boss, players got to experience what it’s like to lead a close-knit and battle-hardened team of soldiers into battle in one of the best Star Wars games where players aren't Jedi.
Iden Versio Rebels In Star Wars: Battlefront 2
In contrast to the bare-bones presentation of 2015’s Star Wars: Battlefront reboot, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 featured a single-player story campaign that put players in the role of an elite TIE Fighter pilot squad after the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. At the center of this storyline is Iden Versio, the commander of Inferno Squad. Versio starts the game steadfastly loyal to the Empire, but as the story of Star Wars: Battlefront 2's single-player campaign goes on she finds herself growing disillusioned with the tactics displayed by her comrades.
Eventually, she defects to the New Republic’s army and even participates in the Battle of Jakku, which marks the end of the long-standing war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. In Star Wars Battlefront 2’s important post-launch story DLC, Versio becomes a major figure in the Resistance, ultimately giving her life to ensure that her daughter Zay could escape with vital intel to be used in the fight against the First Order in a plot that leads directly into 2017’s Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.
The Force Unleashed’s Starkiller Is A Fan Favorite
2008 was an eventful year for Star Wars fans. In addition to the theatrical Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and the first season of the corresponding TV series, players were introduced to a brand-new legend in the action-packed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game. Set in the Dark Times between the Prequel Trilogy and classic films, The Force Unleashed told the story of Galen Marek, a powerful Force who was trained as Darth Vader’s secret apprentice.
Now known as “Starkiller,” Marek was sent on a clandestine mission to gather the Empire’s enemies as part of The Force Unleashed's suprising Rebel origin story. However, Starkiller would soon grow genuinely attached to his newfound allies and eventually turned against his master. Dueling both Sith Lords aboard the Death Star, Starkiller ultimately sacrificed himself to ensure the future of the newly formed Rebel Alliance.
Starkiller’s journey would not end there, as 2010’s Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 would see Vader create a clone of his late apprentice in hopes of resuming Starkiller’s training and destroying the growing Rebellion. However, this clone would also rebel against the Dark Lord, driven by the memories of the original Starkiller. Unfortunately, the poor reception of The Force Unleashed 2 and Disney’s reboot of the Star Wars Expanded Universe in 2014 would leave Starkiller’s story from this point onward unresolved.
This hasn’t stopped The Force Unleashed’s secret apprentice from becoming a popular character thanks to his immense power and memorable storyline, and even The Force Unleashed voice actor, Sam Witwer, has expressed hope that Starkiller will become part of the main Star Wars canon someday. His Sith Stalker armor, which is obtained in The Force Unleashed’s grim alternate ending, can be seen on display in the recent Andor series.
Revan Is Star Wars: KOTOR’s Greatest Twist
In 2003, Star Wars fans were introduced to a brand-new era thanks to the seminal RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. This sprawling classic took players to a time long before the movies, with the ancient Jedi Order at the height of its power and caught in a dangerous war against a growing Sith Army under the command of KOTOR's infamous and cosplay-friendly Darth Revan. In true BioWare RPG fashion, players could customize their playable character and a small band of memorable squad mates, shaping both the narrative and their character’s personality and skill set along the way.
Whether the player chooses to be a paragon of virtue or a jaded anti-hero, the midway point of Knights of the Old Republic features a shocking twist that radically changes the course of the story going forward. Having been captured by Darth Malak aboard his personal starship, the player discovers that they are in fact Darth Revan, having been captured and mind-wiped by Bastila Shan to help the Jedi locate the ancient Star Forge. From here, Revan can continue their redemption path as a Jedi and destroy the Star Forge or re-embrace the dark side of Star Wars games.
Either way, this journey left a considerable impression on fans. The notorious Darth Revan has even made their way into Disney’s official Star Wars canon thanks to a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference in 2019’s Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker, and players will be able to re-experience Revan’s story in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake.
Source: EA Star Wars/Youtube
