Star Wars Jedi 3 can’t be far away at this stage now. We’ve had Fallen Order (2019) and Survivor (2023). Both of these games symbolized hope and resistance, but the one thing we’ve never seen Cal do is heal.
In both of those games, he’s had to fight for survival. Whether he’s fighting the Empire head-on or via indirect means (i.e., Bode for the compass to Tanalorr) to escape the Empire, it’s always been about survival for himself and the people he cares for.
The issue he has is that these aren’t just small-scale fights. These fights often result in something catastrophic. He’s lost so many people, including everything he knew when it came to Order 66. In a nutshell, the point I’m trying to make here is that Cal needs to look inward now. It needs to be personal. It needs to be a story truly symbolizing hope and growth.
In Survivor, we see Cal embrace aspects of the Dark Side. He has no qualms about truly going to the places he needs to go to be victorious, to survive.
It doesn’t feel a million miles away that Cal could be tempted by the Dark Side. We’ve seen so many Jedi corrupted by that anger. Cal has already shown to being on that pathway if he’s not extremely careful.
Cal Kestis, for me, needs to survive the events of the third game. I’ve written about this before, which you can read here if you wish to do so.
I want to see Cal be on the brink, truly so close to heading in that direction for him to be pulled back. Whether it’s by Merrin or by someone else he cares about. This is where we can see Cal go in for that last fight in order to heal himself and the scars he has.
In this version of events, it’ll allow Cal to go down a redemption story. This would provide closure, forgiveness, and more. It’s all a powerful set of emotions that makes a fantastic story. Think of Red Dead Redemption 2 or God of War Ragnarok as examples.
At the end of the day, every Star Wars story has been about hope. Cal Kestis’s story can redefine what that hope truly means. Not just for the galaxy, but for himself.
If Respawn can deliver a story that trades galactic chaos for personal catharsis, Jedi 3 could be the most powerful Star Wars story told in years.
