This article contains major end-game story spoilers for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.Star Wars Zero Companywas unveiled at Star Wars Celebration Japan. Developed by Bit Reactor and Respawn, it’s the first turn-based tacticsStar Warsgame to be announced in years.Star Wars Zero Companywill take place during the Clone Wars, a tumultuous time period inStar Wars' timeline and during the waning days of the Jedi Order and Galactic Republic.
There’s a chance thatcharacters from other RespawnStar Warsgamescould appear. Bode Akuna fromStar Wars Jedi: Survivorwould be the perfect candidate to reappear. During the Clone Wars, Bode was a Jedi spy and worked undercover. An undercover Jedi would be a great connection forZero Company, and it would give players a chance to see Bode when he was a Jedi, before he was gripped by fear of the Empire.
Bode Akuna’s Controversial Role in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Respawn is the developer behind the popularStar Wars Jediseries, which tells the story of Cal Kestis, a Jedi survivor of Order 66. As the second game in the series,Star Wars Jedi: Survivortakes a dark turn for Cal; the game grapples with themes of betrayal and fear, and the story even ends on a sinister note. One ofJedi: Survivor’s reasons for being so dark is its new character, Bode Akuna, who is introduced as Cal’s ally and grows close to Cal over the course of the game’s story. While many saw Bode’s betrayal coming, few predicted he was also secretly a Jedi survivor of Order 66.
Bode takes over from Dagon Gera as the primary antagonist ofJedi: Survivor. Instead of merely being an obstacle in Cal’s way towards his goal, he pushes Cal physically, emotionally, and mentally in a number of ways. Bode betrayed Cal in the worst possible way, is responsible for the deaths of Cal’s closest friends, is a Jedi who manipulates Cal to achieve his own goals, and takes the compass to Tanalorr. All of thispushes Cal Kestis towards the dark side, which nothing else he’s experienced has forced him to do, and changes Cal more than any other character. Players had mixed reactions to Bode, with some sympathizing with him, while others felt he wasn’t justified.
Why Bode Should Appear in Star Wars Zero Company
Not much is known about Bode’s past as a Jedi. He tells Cal that he was assigned to Republic Intelligence during the Clone Wars. Republic Intelligence was the Republic’s spy branch, and it’s implied that Bode went undercover as a part of his job. AsStar Wars Zero Companyis centered on a group of covert operatives during the Clone Wars, it would be the perfect setting to bring Bode back during his time as a Jedi Knight. Bode isn’t a part ofZero Company’s main group, but could easily slip into the role of an informer or ally.
Zero Company’s role has been described by EA as “A war you don’t see, the one fought in the shadows. The war beneath the war”. This perfectly fits Bode’s role as a Jedi spy. As Bode largely showed a persona for most of his role inJedi: Survivor, and used a borrowed lightsaber instead of his own, it would be insightful to see him before the fear of the Galactic Empire as well as trauma from Order 66 and being hunted by the Inquisitors took hold. Seeing the Jedi who became spies during the Clone Wars and how they worked would also be interesting to see, as this isa side to the Jedi that hasn’t been shown before.
