Some of the best Jedi characters in Star Wars have been those introduced in video games. Of this group, some have reached a similar status and popularity within the fandom as the likes of Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano. Star Wars video games, especially the older ones, were allowed a great deal of creative freedom and support from LucasArts. This paved the way for the development of what would become some of the best Star Wars gaming moments, and some fascinating characters who probably could only have thrived in the video game medium.
Unfortunately, when Disney acquired Star Wars, it decided to limit what was considered canon in the universe. Any video game, book, or comic released before the Disney acquisition is now labeled Legends, denoting that it doesn’t belong to the Star Wars continuity that Disney is constructing. This decision impacted video games in a big way, effectively removing many beloved characters such as Starkiller and Darth Revan from the official Star Wars timeline. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has been the only game so far to take place in the Disney canon that introduced a new playable Jedi character.
However, not all hope is lost for the video game Jedi in the Legends continuity. References and Easter eggs found across the new Disney Star Wars continuity hint at the company’s plans to reintroduce these characters to canon at some point. Notable characters subject to these Easter eggs will be expounded upon in their respective section. It’s good to note that players looking to experience these characters in the games they originally appeared in can find them on many of the biggest game storefront libraries. Below is a list of nine of the most notable Jedi that debuted in Star Wars video games.
#9 - Kreia
Kreia first appeared in Star Wars: KOTOR 2, recently remastered for the Nintendo Switch. She was a Jedi master and historian. Kreia spent much of her time locating ancient Jedi relics and studying the mysteries of the order. She tutored many Jedi in her time, challenging their perspective on the Force, but others wrote off her teachings as quirky riddles. One of her most notable students was Revan, who often relied on Kreia when they felt the usually Jedi teachings weren’t satisfactory. Her lessons led to Revan’s open defiance of the Jedi council.
Many of her students left to join Revan’s cause, which put her teachings in further question. She was eventually exiled from the Jedi Order. In her exile, she traced Revan’s path to discover more answers about the nature of the Force. She found Revan’s old base on the planet Malachor V, which had a strong lure to Star Wars' dark side. She took the mantle of Darth Traya, Lord of Betrayal.
#8 - Jolee Bindo
Jolee Bindo first appeared in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He served with the Jedi in several conflicts of the Old Republic era, including the Exar Kun War. He was one of the rare Jedi that was married; Bindo’s wife was also a Jedi, whom he trained. During the war, his wife fell to the dark side, and he could not strike her down or persuade her to return to the light.
He regretted his actions so much that he went into a self-imposed exile on Kashyyyk. Jolee Bindo is notable in that he is often the go-to example of the concept of the Gray Jedi - former Jedi who rejected the Jedi Code and removed themselves of ties to the Jedi Council. Similar to the Luke Skywalker portrayed in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Jolee Bindo is currently only a character in the Star Wars Legends continuity, and it is unknown whether or not he will make an appearance in the KOTOR remake.
#7 - Meetra Surik
Meetra Surik first appeared as the player character in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords. Although she was unnamed until mentioned in the novel The Old Republic: Revan. Otherwise, she is known as the Jedi Exile. She fought in Revan’s Jedi faction during the Mandalorian Wars of the Old Republic era. During one intense battle, she authorized the use of a superweapon that resulted in the deaths of many, friends and foe alike. Her instinctive reaction to cut herself off from the force was the only reason she survived. After the events of KOTOR 2, whose depiction of Mandalore was great, and several books, Surik appeared again in Star Wars: The Old Republic as a force ghost whose sole purpose is to help guide Revan in destroying the Sith. Currently, Meetra Surik is only a character in the Legends continuity.
#6 - Rahm Kota
Rahm Kota first appeared in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Kota was a notable Jedi master and general during the Clone Wars. He refused to serve with clone troopers, thinking they weren’t real soldiers, so he formed his own militia instead. This is how Kota was able to survive Order 66. He and his militia hid in the Outer Rim for a time, opposing the Empire however they could. Kota later found an ally in Bail Organa who helped him find key Imperial targets across the galaxy.
Kota was left blinded by a duel with Starkiller, but later trains him on his path on the light side. He and Starkiller were part of the Rebel origin story in Force Unleashed. Rahm Kota exists mainly in the Legends continuity. However, in “Part Three” of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Kota’s name was etched into the wall of the safe house for Jedi fugitives, so there is potential for the Jedi master to make an official appearance in the Disney continuity.
#5 - Bastila Shan
Bastila Shan first appeared in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. She played a critical role in the game's events, partly due to her unique force power: Battle Meditation. This ability allowed her to inspire her allies and weaken the will of her enemies. Bastila led the strike team that captured Darth Revan, but to keep them alive she used the Force to enter his mind. It has been speculated that Bastila and Revan could be Star Wars' first Force dyad.
During the events of Knights of the Old Republic, she is captured by Darth Malak, who successfully turns her to the dark side. She briefly served as Malak’s apprentice but was brought back to the light by Revan after a confrontation. After, she uses her Battle Meditation to help defeat Malak and his Sith army. Bastila Shan is currently only a character in the Legends continuity. However, she will likely appear in the KOTOR Remake if it ever comes out, as her voice is featured prominently in the teaser trailer.
#4 - Galen Marek (Starkiller)
Galen Marek, also known as Starkiller, first appeared in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Sadly, while Rahm Kota is now a canon Star Wars Jedi, Marek is yet to make the same kind of leap. He is the son of two Jedi who abandoned the Jedi Order before the Great Jedi Purge. After some time on the run, Galen and his father, Kento, lived on Kashyyyk. Eventually, Darth Vader led a force to the planet to eliminate Kento. Vader ultimately proved victorious but decided to spare Galen’s life and make him his secret apprentice.
Vader trained Galen for many years, eventually taking on missions to hunt down and defeat any remaining Jedi. Galen claimed the lives of a couple of Jedi, but this gruesome quest put him in contact with people who led him toward the light side of the force, such as Rahm Kota. While he was never officially made a Jedi, Galen’s actions definitely set him on the path of one. In the sequel, Galen’s status as a clone is in question, which may have also fueled theories of Jedi: Survivor revealing Cal is a clone too.
#3 - Kyle Katarn
Kyle Katarn first appeared in Star Wars: Dark Forces and has had the most subsequent video game appearances than any other character on this list. He notably also appeared in the Star Wars: Jedi Knight series. Katarn attended an Imperial Academy and served with the Empire for a time before defecting to work as a mercenary for the Rebel Alliance.
After the Battle of Endor, Katarn learned of his family’s connection to the Jedi and began his journey to become one himself. Katarn has a long history of joining, leaving, and re-joining Luke’s Jedi Academy. Kyle Katarn is only canon in the Legends continuity.
#2 - Revan
Revan first appeared in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and is one of the most important characters to come from Star Wars video games and the Legends continuity. Revan was a Jedi during the Old Republic era and fought in many conflicts on behalf of the Republic. Eventually, Revan had a falling out with the Jedi Council and led a faction of their Jedi followers to fight in the Mandalorian Wars. After the conflicts, Revan and Malak discovered the Star Forge, a massive space station capable of constructing all manner of weapons of war.
Revan and Malak eventually fell to the dark side and became Sith Lords. Together, they fought the Republic and Jedi forces in a new war of conquest across the galaxy. In an encounter with Bastila Shan, the Sith Lord was incapacitated, and the Jedi wiped Revan’s memory. Over the course of KOTOR, Revan leaves the Sith and rejoins the path of the Jedi. Revan’s story is often cited as one of the most exciting stories in Star Wars, so it’s easy to understand why Disney reintroduced the character into canon with the novel Shadows of the Sith, in which a group of Sith cultists chants his name repeatedly.
#1 - Cal Kestis
Cal Kestis first appeared in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and is the only Jedi on this list that appears solely in the Disney Star Wars continuity. Cal was a Jedi Padawan during the Clone Wars and narrowly escaped death during Order 66. His master, Jaro Tapal, sacrificed himself so Cal could flee. He also entrusted his double-bladed lightsaber to Cal. Cal hid for several years on the planet Bracca, working for the Scrapper Guild. Eventually, the Inquisitors located him and chased him out of hiding. Another survivor of the Great Jedi Purge, Cere Junda, rescues Cal and encourages him to join her in rebuilding the Jedi Order.
Over the course of Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal forms alliances and builds a crew to help locate a Holocron that contains the names of all the force-sensitive children in the galaxy. In the process, Cal comes to terms with his past and learns to embrace the life of a true Jedi. This new perspective leads Cal to choose to destroy the Holocron, entrusting the children’s fate to the force.
Cal Kestis differs from other Jedi introduced in Star Wars video games. The depth and trajectory of his character arc resonate so well with the established themes of Star Wars. His popularity among fans is already high, and after a few more appearances, his status as a Jedi icon will be undeniable. Cal’s journey will continue in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which will be released sometime in 2023.