‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’: Cal Faces Off With a Gen’dai, the Near-Immortal Alien Species From Legends

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is still a couple of months away, but IGN has kept fans satiated with several tidbits, including nine minutes of gameplay. Now, the outlet has confirmed speculation regarding one of the adversaries Cal Kestis could be up against. The near-immortal species from Legends, known as the Gen’dai, are back. First appearing on-screen in Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2D Clone Wars series, many fans will know the name Durge, but now their ranks will expand.

 

Before we go any further on that, ILMxLAB has released a new trailer for Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced Edition, a launch title for PlayStation VR2. Check it out below:

 

 

This “enhanced edition” is a remastered version of the original 2020 VR release and will be released digitally on February 15th.

 

From StarWars.com:

 

Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced Edition is an action-adventure virtual reality experience that follows the story of a droid repair technician who gets swept up into a grand adventure after crash landing on the planet Batuu. This kicks off a series of extraordinary events, proving that anyone in the galaxy can become a hero.

 

In the official trailer, fans learn of multiple, growing threats that lurk in the wilds of Batuu with new villains like Guavian Death Gang cell leader Tara Rashin (Debra Wilson), tyrant Baron Attsmun (Mark Rolston), and First Order commanding officer Lt. Gauge (Daman Mills). With the help of new characters developed for the experience, like Seezelslak (Bobby Moynihan) and Lens Kamo (Karla Crome), and fan-favorites including R2-D2, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), Dok-Ondar (Cory Rouse), Hondo Ohnaka (Jim Cummings), and Mubo (Matthew Wood), players will save Batuu as they embark on their own Star Wars adventure.

 

An alien in High Republic Jedi robes holding a device in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

 

Working over back to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, in a conversation with Respawn’s cinematic director Dori Arazi and writer Danny Homan, we meet Rayvis. As the newest Gen’dai on the block, his introduction to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor isn’t without purpose. Narratively, Rayvis will serve as a foil to Cal throughout the game. The duo said:

 

Arazi: “What makes the Gen’dai so interesting, in my own opinion at least, is that in their own mind and their own world, they’re very chivalrous. They have a code they adhere to. It binds them to a certain code of honor for their conduct. It also binds them to their history and what’s left of their people. So Rayvis is not just this ‘gruff grunt #7’ who can take an army down. He’s got a long past. He’s seen a lot of history. He could be a thousand years old. He’s seen empires rise and fall, he’s seen the Jedi rise and fall, he’s seen the rise of the actual Empire itself. So he’s got a lot of tragic history and a lot of depth that we try to explore.”

Homan: “There’s a perspective to this species that’s so long-lasting. Seeing the Republic turn into the Empire, and you know, when we’re thinking about Cal’s journey and his own experience, any character he meets provides a new perspective on the Jedi and the republic. And Rayvis has seen it all. And so he knows, as any adversary might, the weaknesses of his enemies and how to exploit them.”

 

 

The parallels between the two will be further explored with their mindset during this time in the galaxy. Their species have been largely wiped out, but they go about life radically differently. Arazi said:

 

“There’s something really charming about the juxtaposition between how Cal as a Jedi takes his struggle with his history and the history of his people, or let’s say his kind, versus how Rayvis takes his history versus his kind. Cal has struggles and questions, and he tries to find his place while Rayvis comes in very confident with who he is and what he is and why he’s doing what he’s doing. And that conflict is very sparky. It allows both of them to have a lot of reflection on who they are and where they’re at and what they’re doing.”

 

Durge, the most notable member of the Gen’dai species, in Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars.

 

The Gen’dai are considered nearly unkillable due to their body, composed of regenerative tentacles. With a body devoid of bones, they wear armor to resemble a humanoid shape. They can live thousands of years, as already hinted at above. The one most notable to Star Wars fans, Durge, was only killed when Anakin Skywalker had to Force-push him into a star. That, of course, is a Legends story set during the Clone Wars. In canon, the Gen’dai are limited to Durge’s cameo in the pages of Doctor Aphra. The only way the rogue archaeologist could stop him was to force him out of an airlock.

 

If all that sounds like great potential for a standout boss fight in Survivor, Rayvis might be the guy. Arazi and Homan had this to say about his character:

 

Homan: “They almost have this vampiric sense of time and place. And I think for Jedi Survivor, that’s really important, because this game takes place during these dark times. The rebellion is years and years away and people feel lost. And so, other than the empire, to find a character that feels sure of himself and his place in the galaxy is like a really interesting opportunity. And it’s by virtue of his species attributes, being long living and his fortitude, but also kind of his… I think his survival mentality. You know, it takes a lot to remain true to yourself through the ebb and fall of a civilization, in the rise of an empire, and he’s been able to do that. And I think that’s such a cool opportunity to be able to play with a character whose species are such survivors.”

Arazi: “From a visual perspective, and a character to character perspective, Gen’dai are just fun because… what do you do to them, right? ‘Oh, I’m a powerful Jedi, I have a lightsaber, I’m going to slash you…’ it does nothing. The dialogue of the violent construct of this galaxy is completely different with this character.”

 

There is a “blink, and you miss it” moment in this interview with some concept art of Rayvis’ team, known as the Bedlam Raiders. We’ve already seen one of the raiders in the trailers. While it’s unlikely that the other members will be Gen’dai, the sneak peek gives players an idea of what they will be up against at some point on April 28th. Check it out below:

 

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor concept art
Rayvis and the Bedlam Raiders concept art. Courtesy: IGN

 

IGN will have a full Star Wars Jedi: Survivor showcase during their Fan Fest event this Friday, February 17th, at 1pm ET. Stay tuned here at Star Wars News Net for coverage of whatever new nuggets are dropped.

 

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Nate uses his love for Star Wars and movies in general as a way to cope with the pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. When he's not at the theater, you can usually find Nate reading a comic, listening to an audiobook, or playing a Mario video game for the 1,000th time.

Nate Manning

Nate uses his love for Star Wars and movies in general as a way to cope with the pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. When he's not at the theater, you can usually find Nate reading a comic, listening to an audiobook, or playing a Mario video game for the 1,000th time.

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