With the mounting anticipation for the release ofStar Wars Outlawssometime next year, there are many different questions surrounding the game’s protagonist, Kay Vess. As a skilled and capable thief, Kay Vess and her outlaw lifestyle are set to make for a greatstory set in theStar Warsuniverse, but her outlaw status has some already comparing her to the iconic Han Solo. ManyStar Warsfans are familiar with the years long debate about whether Han Solo shot first or not in the Mos Eisley cantina, and Kay Vess needs to be a character who wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
Originally inA New Hope, Han Solo did indeed shoot Greedo first before the bounty hunter was able to kill him. However, later cuts of the film showed Greedo shooting first, causing Solo to kill Greedo in self-defense. This change was made due to George Lucas not wanting Han Solo to come off as cold-blooded, but many diehard fans of the films believe that the original cut of Han shooting first is more in line with the character’s personality. Han shooting first is definitely a more compelling narrative that shows the true gray areas of an outlaw lifestyle, and this is somethingStar Wars Outlawsneeds to embrace with Kay Vess.
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Why Star Wars Needs to Embrace the Scoundrel
In the world ofStar Wars, the Jedi can be seen as morally superior in a lot of aspects, but sinceStar Wars Outlawsis focusing on a thieving scoundrel, this provides a far more interesting narrative for an open-world RPG. Between the Sith and the Jedi, the world is viewed through a very black-and-white lens with the dark side and light side of the Force constantly playing tug-of-war against each other. As compelling as the Jedi vs. Sith story is,the world ofStar Warshas much more to offer, and that leavesStar Wars Outlawsthe opportunity to explore the moral gray areas in the universe.
If Kay Vess is truly going to be a believable outlaw then she needs to be morally questionable. In a situation similar to Han Solo and Greedo in the cantina, Kay Vess shouldn’t be afraid to shoot first. When it comes to living an outlaw lifestyle, survival and self-preservation are the most important things, and allowing Kay Vess to protect herself by any means necessary only makes sense. Although little is known about the game,Star Wars Outlawstakes place during a dangerous periodin the galaxy, and Kay should do whatever it takes to stay alive.
Moral gray areas would serve as a way to make the world ofStar Warsmore complex, showing how a choice isn’t always as simple as it seems. Not everyone is a clear hero or villain. Sometimes there are true antiheroes walking around who are just trying to get by the best way they know how, and that would ultimately make Kay Vess more relatable, as well. As Kay works with the variouscriminal syndicates inStar Wars Outlaws, players should be faced with difficult choices that make them weigh the moral impacts of their decisions. There are already many open-world RPGs that do this, but Kay’s character grants the opportunity to explore this within theStar Warsuniverse, which is sometimes an untapped source for these kinds of dilemmas.
Recently,Jedi: Survivorexperimented with presenting choices to players, butStar Wars Outlawscould take this much further, sinceJedi: Survivoronly showed the tip of the iceberg. With the different factions and groups that will likely be presented inOutlaws, weighing the pros and cons of identifying with specific groups should have major implications like similar open-world RPGs. Kay Vess is an all-new character in this world, and a true antihero would provide an incredible story that could allow many fans to see the deep layers that theStar Warsuniverse actually contains.
Star Wars Outlawslaunches in 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
