At long last, the highly anticipated Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has launched, and despite some technical issues, the game is largely being praised by critics and Star Wars fans alike. Survivor has worked some old lore into the storyline, and we can’t help but feel it all goes hand-in-hand with Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy’s plan for expanding the ‘verse. Even Mark Hamill is in on the Survivor fun — the actor made some time in his busy schedule to brush Cameron Monaghan up on some classic Jedi moves for one wholesome promo.
With such expansive new additions coming in the near future, it’s easy to overlook one of the best Star Wars entries in recent years, but don’t worry, we’ve been keeping an eye on Andor. The series’ second season is finally shooting, and the returning cast — as well as the Rogue One cameos — are shaping up to be very exciting. While fans are doubtless ready for the next installment of the spy thriller, they’re still trying to lambast the studio’s decision to continue Rey’s story. We’d like to remind fans that not so long ago, they were sharpening their pitchforks for Hayden Christensen, so maybe hold off on all that Ridley hate.
‘By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, Cal Kestis. Rise, Jedi Knight’
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is available to the public today, and with it comes a slew of new Star Wars canon. Cal Kestis returns in the much-anticipated sequel to the 2019 Respawn Entertainment title. I’m not going to go into very much detail in this round-up, but if you want all the ins and outs of the new title, you can read about the story here. The game takes place right around the same time as Obi-Wan Kenobi and follows the now fully-fledged Jedi Knight, Cal Kestis. The game does a lot of digging into the remnants of the High Republic, perfectly tying into the upcoming series, Acolyte, that is set to take place in the same era. Several big-name Star Wars characters make their appearance in the title, officially confirming that Cal Kestis does have a place in the expansive lore the creatives behind the ‘verse are busy building.
Even iconic locations and baddies from Andor, Rogue One, The Phantom Menace, and Star Wars: Rebels have been tied into Cal’s story this time around. Some people may long for more tie-ins and callbacks, but we think Jedi: Survivor perfectly balanced fan service with new content. Hopefully, the artfully struck equilibrium will help fans forgive the influx of outrage over the game’s massive download size and the reports that early players are suffering from consistent crashes.
‘You can either profit by this or be destroyed. It’s your choice…’
Mark Hamill is getting in on the Survivor action in a wonderful promo released for the game. The Star Wars legend appears on set to coach Cameron Monaghan in the ways of the Jedi. Just before you thought it couldn’t be any more wholesome, Monaghan flips the script to teach Hamill a thing or two about what it’s like to be Cal Kestis.
‘Feel the Force flowing through you, Rey. Let it fill you. Rise, Rey. We stand behind you’
With the announcement of a currently unnamed series set to follow Rey as she rebuilds the Jedi Order, fans are yet again rehashing their love-hate relationship with the somehow controversial character. Over on Reddit, fans gathered to debate the decision, comparing the backlash to Rey’s claim on the Skywalker name to the controversy around the OG Skywalker himself, Hayden Christensen.
It took nearly two decades for fans to forgive Christensen for the sins of George Lucas, with fans roasting the actor for years over Anakin’s terrible dialogue, sullen attitude, and his perceived mishandling of the character. Daisy Ridley has suffered the same attacks surrounding the sequel trilogy’s botched handling, with the trilogy changing hands multiple times and failing to deliver a cohesive experience. Hopefully, the upcoming series will give Ridley the same chance for acceptance Christensen received for his role in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and fans will finally forgive the actress for the sins of the directors, executives, and brain-dead lunatics that allowed the sequel trilogy to fall into such disarray.
‘Soon enough, these days will end’
It seems we can’t go a single day without some kind of update from the top execs over at Disney. We aren’t complaining, mind you; it certainly seems we are in a golden era for Star Wars content. In another win for fans, Andor season two is set to air sometime in August 2024, and filming has already begun. The first season took the fandom by storm, by toppling the idea of what it meant to be a Star Wars entry on its head. In the first glimpses, several new characters from Rogue One are making their appearance, and the location of filming all but confirms Forrest Whittaker’s return as Saw Gerrera. If you want all the deets, we’ve got them right here.