Now that Star Wars: Squadrons has officially released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, people are finding all sorts of connections between some of the game's characters and the Disney-era Star Wars canon. While some of these characters were shown previously in trailers for the game, others weren't revealed until after Star Wars: Squadrons released. Through more than one of these characters, Squadrons sneakily sets up the First Order seen in the sequel movie trilogy.
The single-player story campaign of Star Wars: Squadrons has players splitting their time between a pilot in the New Republic and an Imperial in the remnants of the Galactic Empire. The story follows the events of Return of the Jedi, which means several characters from the original trilogy make appearances. However, like most of the new Star Wars content, it also ties together the sequel trilogy of films that started with The Force Awakens.
Thanks to the Gamescom trailer for Star Wars: Squadrons, fans were already treated to one character with close ties to the First Order. Rae Sloane appears as an Imperial Admiral, and although it's the first time the character has appeared onscreen, she's had major roles in several Star Wars novels as well as appearances in the comics. Rae Sloane is featured prominently in the Aftermath trilogy of books, which also takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi. She goes on to become one of the founding members of the First Order.
Other Squadrons Characters With First Order Connections
Admiral Rae Sloane isn't the only character to help bridge the gap between Star Wars: Squadrons and the First Order. When playing through the Galactic Empire side of Squadrons's story, one of the Imperial pilots is named Havina Vonreg. She shares the surname of a popular Imperial pilot in the Star Wars: Resistance animated show: Baron Elrik Vonreg.
Although the relationship isn't clear, because of the time differences, Havina Vonreg could realistically be Elrik Vonreg's mother. This could explain why Elrik Vonreg is such an ace pilot for the First Order during the time of Star Wars: Resistance. It's a trait he inherited from his mother, Havina, who flew for Rae Sloane, a founding member of the First Order.
So far, Disney has done a fairly decent job of interweaving all aspects of Star Wars media into one, concise narrative. The latest connections between the First Order in Star Wars: Squadrons shows how well the game takes the best of the old and blends it with the new Disney-era canon.