Outside of a rocky launch, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor delivered on fans' expectations, but there's one area where the game's protagonist Cal Kestis still fails to innovate - and the anticipated Knights of the Old Republic remake will fall into the same trap. First established as the protagonist in the prior game Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal Kestis is a Jedi living in the age of the Galactic Empire who has to face all the danger and weight that the situation carries. In many respects, Cal makes for an engaging protagonist, and fans largely have taken to him as a strong Star Wars video game character. However, Cal Kestis also continues a boring trend that has persisted throughout Star Wars media for decades.
Although Cal Kestis has made the biggest splash among the small selection of video game protagonists since Disney's takeover of Star Wars, the prior era of LucasArts-published games had some major figures of its own. Chief among these was Revan, the central figure of BioWare's acclaimed 2003 RPG Knights of the Old Republic. Characters from the LucasArts era are now considered Legends, although the upcoming Knights of the Old Republic remake should return Revan to the ranks of official canon. It also has the opportunity to shake things up a bit with Star Wars protagonists, although it's unlikely to actually take the chance.
Cal Kestis Is Another Human Star Wars Protagonist
Cal Kestis adds another entry to the long list of human Star Wars protagonists, a roster that is starting to feel a little played out. There's nothing wrong with human characters in Star Wars, but in a galaxy full of creative species, returning to the same one over and over constricts the possibilities of the franchise. The video game space would make it particularly easy to render a non-human protagonist, as CGI and motion capture are used even for a character like Cal. Human characters may be easy to design and market, but at this point, any other option would no doubt stand out to fans and newcomers alike.
The KOTOR Remake Is Unlikely To Fix This Star Wars Trend
So far, Revan has only been confirmed in the modern canon by name, with their appearance and other details of their character remaining Legends for now. In the tradition of BioWare RPGs, the Legends version of Revan was customizable in Knights of the Old Republic, with fans able to tailor the gender and appearance of the character to suit their wishes. All options for customization remained within the human sphere, but that doesn't necessarily have to stay the same in the remake. Allowing players to select between a number of Star Wars species could expand on the game's freedoms without removing the marketability or familiarity of a human option.
Considering the beloved status of Knights of the Old Republic, however, its unlikely that the remake makes many radical changes. Revan's iconic status among players is sure to make many fans protective of their presentation in the original game, even with the flexibility that was already allowed. Those who would like to see nonhuman protagonists might have more luck holding out hope for a surprise among the other upcoming Star Wars games, most of which have revealed few details to date. Cal Kestis and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor remain the face of Star Wars gaming for now, but the future could always bring a major character that bucks this trend.
Source: PlayStation/YouTube