Why Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Sequel Should Avoid Palpatine like the Plague

Highlights

• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s sequel may need a new villain to avoid overusing iconic characters like Palpatine and Vader.
• A fresh antagonist would provide a more personal conflict and prevent the story from feeling small within the vast Star Wars galaxy.
• Introducing new lore and unexplored enemies would enrich the game’s immersion and risk-taking, making Cal’s story more meaningful.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is likely to receive a sequel, and the question of who its main villain will be is already on the minds of many of its fans. Star Wars villains often become icons, from Darth Vader to Grand Admiral Thrawn, so it’s essential that Star Wars: Jedi Survivor‘s sequel gets it right. The villains in the previous games were memorable in their own right, and it’s very likely that the sequel will follow suit.

Much of the current Star Wars property is set within the same 60-year period and has a tendency to reuse the same characters and villains over different stories. With the Sith’s Rule of Two, this means that Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine tend to appear as villains incredibly often, but this also happens even years after their deaths, such as in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The Setting of Star Wars: Jedi Doesn’t Mean Palpatine is Essential

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor takes place during the reign of the Empire, making Darth Vader or the Emperor the perfect candidates as the end boss. Darth Vader has appeared in both Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and a third appearance would be overkill. Emperor Palpatine is another character who has been overused in other Star Wars media, with The Rise of Skywalker‘s infamous line, “Somehow, Palpatine returned” still fresh in the collective memory of the Star Wars fandom.

Like all good mysteries, Emperor Palpatine’s power and mystique would be ruined by knowing too much about him. He’s best served in small bits, which is why Palpatine’s single battle in The Clone Wars against Maul and Savage on Mandalore had so much impact. Palpatine isn’t the final boss in a story for every Jedi in Star Wars. It’s a big galaxy, and there are plenty of other threats that either already exist, can be drawn from the Expanded Universe, or can be created for the Jedi: Survivor sequel.

A villain created specifically for Cal and his companions would be far better narratively and thematically than one that already exists, no matter how expected or iconic they are. The villain or antagonist of the story needs to stand in opposition to the protagonist, and Palpatine is too mythical a figure, and too far away, to work as a boss in Jedi: Survivor‘s sequel. A more personal antagonist, such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order‘s Trilla and Jedi: Survivor’s Bode, would be far more appropriate for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor‘s sequel than Palpatine.

New Lore is Essential for Star Wars

Another problem that arises with reusing the same villains is that it makes a story world feel smaller. The Star Wars galaxy is a massive place, and there are many opportunities to expand Star Wars‘ lore in new and exciting ways that haven’t been explored yet. Instead of leaning on the Sith and Jedi, Mandalorians, or bounty hunter outlaws, which have all been depicted at length, the Jedi: Survivor sequel and a video game would be the perfect time and medium to bring in new ways of using the Force, or new enemies from unexplored places in the galaxy who could challenge the Jedi in combat.

This would also go far in making Cal’s story feel meaningful, especially as gamers know that he is ultimately unsuccessful in overthrowing the Empire thanks to the movies and Star WarsRebels. Star Wars is in desperate need of more lore to make the galaxy feel more immersive and rich thanks to its recent fixation on the same themes and factions, and bringing in new enemies and new groups would go a long way. Star Wars needs to return to taking risks, rather than playing it safe with factions and characters that studios know audiences are familiar with.