Theory: Who Is In That Bacta Tank In The 'Jedi: Survivor' Trailer?
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS: JEDI: FALLEN ORDER
This weekend has been quite a ride for Star Wars fans. Over the last few days, we have gotten the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with a teaser for Andor, and a trailer for season 2 of The Bad Batch. These are only a few of the gifts that have been given to us by Lucasfilm in honor of Star Wars Celebration 2022. Among the numerous things released over the weekend was a trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, Jedi: Fallen Order followed Cal Kestis, a young Jedi survivor who joined a ragtag crew of rebels led by fellow surviving Jedi Cere Junda. Together, Cal and his new team set out on a mission to recover a holocron containing the names of Force-sensitive children hidden throughout the galaxy to prevent the Empire from finding them. All the while, they were pursued by Trilla Sundari, Cere's former Padawan-turned-Inquisitor, who sought to bring the children into the Inquisitorius and also get revenge on her mentor for abandoning her. The story ultimately ended with Cal and his crew barely escaping from Darth Vader and destroying the holocron, thus preventing the children's names from getting in the Sith’s hands.
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Jedi: Survivor takes place five years after the events of Jedi: Fallen Order and follows Cal as he continues to make his way in the galaxy as one of the last surviving Jedi alongside his crew and his droid companion BD-1. A few weeks after the game's official announcement, Electronic Arts releases the official trailer for the game on Friday, May 27 as Star Wars Celebration was happening. The trailer showcases mostly what we expect to see: lightsabers, stormtroopers, and our favorite Jedi and his droid going on another adventure. However, there are also a few new intriguing additions in regards to the game's story. One of the most unique new elements is a Pau'an senator who appears to be invested in Cal's capture. We also see a new lightsaber wielder who seems to be quite a match for Cal. However, by far the most interesting part of the trailer is the presence of a mysterious silver-haired figure within what is most likely a bacta tank in an unknown location.
As one would expect from this fandom, speculation about this mysterious new character has been intense. Therefore, I think it would only be appropriate for me to go through a few of the popular theories that I've seen floating around (no pun intended), as well as throw in my own theory at the very end.
1. A New Jedi Survivor
I would say this theory is the most plausible one. Given the game's title Jedi: Survivor and the running theme of Cal being one of the last living Jedi, I would say there is a high likelihood of this being a brand new Jedi character who also survived Order 66. This new character could potentially be a kind of mentor or role model to Cal, steering him in a different direction from the one Cere has been guiding him towards.
2. Taron Malicos
One of the antagonists from Fallen Order, Taron Malicos was a Jedi survivor who turned to the dark side and manipulated the people of Dathomir to do his bidding. His reign of power came to an end when Cal confronted him alongside surviving Nightsister Merrin and defeated him in battle before imprisoning him beneath the ground on Dathomir. The mysterious character in the trailer does share a few of Malicos's physical attributes. It is possible that he could have been found by a fellow dark side acolyte and put in a bacta tank to recover. However, the character’s face and missing arm do not match Malicos’ features.
3. Starkiller
A fan-favorite from Legends whose game series laid the groundwork for Fallen Order and Survivor, Starkiller would be a formidable match for Cal and a good contrast to his character and Force abilities. Starkiller was also cloned and stored by Darth Vader within cloning tanks, which this character could very well be in (as opposed to a bacta tank). On the other hand, this character does not seem to resemble Sam Witwer, who is the voice actor and model for Starkiller. This person also seems to be much older than Starkiller with long, graying hair as if they have been inside the tank for years.
4. Sifo-Dyas
An enigma from the prequel trilogy whose story was given further explanation in The Clone Wars and the audio drama Dooku: Jedi Lost, Sifo-Dyas was the Jedi Master who secretly commissioned the clone army for the Republic before being assassinated by the Pyke Syndicate at the behest of Count Dooku. While this theory is admittedly out there, I believe there is precedence for Sifo-Dyas playing a role in Jedi: Survivor.
Not much is known about Sifo-Dyas, and a story focusing on him alongside Cal Kestis would be a good way to wrap up that remaining thread from the prequel era. The figure in the tank appears to have aged quite a bit during the healing process. His fellow Jedi could have kept him in stasis for years or even decades on Coruscant. Now, of course, this is purely speculation and probably just my fan brain talking. However, considering Star Wars' track record of resurrecting deceased characters, I don't think Sifo-Dyas returning is completely off the table.
Who do you think this mysterious new character could be? Feel free to share your own theories in regards to their possible identity.
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