The official trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor featured a character that was recently confirmed to be connected to a notable villain from Genndy Tartakovsky's 2003 Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series.
The release of Jedi: Survivor is just around the corner, and many fans are excited to dive back into the story of Cameron Monaghan's Cal Kestis as he continues his journey of getting stronger with the Force.
Marketing for the game picked up with some gameplay being revealed recently and additional TV spots airing some brief footage. However, some fans aren't terribly pleased with some technical aspects of what they have seen, specifically criticizing Cal's movement.
Still, there is still plenty of time until the game's release following its delay, and more recently, a major question from fans was answered regarding a certain character species from Star Wars' past having a role in the upcoming sequel.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Features a Gen'dai
IGN recently confirmed that a certain character that was featured in the reveal trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is part of the Gen'dai species. This character's name is Rayvis, and he will be one of the main antagonists pitted against Cal Kestis throughout the game.
Some fans will be familiar with one other member of the Gen'dai race. Durge, the almost indestructible character that Obi-Wan Kenobi couldn't seem to kill from Genndy Tartakovsky's Star Wars: Clone Wars series, is also a Gen'dai.
Many speculated that this character in Jedi: Survivor was a Gen'dai, and some even went as far as to wonder if Durge was being officially brought into live-action. However, as previously mentioned, this character is known as Rayvis, and he is not at all the same as Durge.
Gen'dai are known for their long lifespans and the fact that they are almost indestructible. They were forced off of their home planet a long time ago in the timeline as it was being destroyed by the Sith Empire. At this point, whatever is left of the species is scattered across the galaxy.
Respawn Cinematic Director Dori Arazi spoke with IGN regarding Rayvis and the choice to bring a Gen'dai into the fold, as well as how a character from that species adds to the nature of the game and further explores Cal Kestis' character.
Arazi went into detail about the thought process of a Gen'dai and how he believes it is "so interesting" how "they have a code they adhere to," despite their extremely violent nature.
He also added that this makes Rayvis more interesting from a character standpoint and gives him depth. In Arazi's eyes, "he's got a long past" and has "seen a lot of history:"
"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."
Arazi also discussed the dynamic between Cal and Rayvis in the upcoming game and almost described them as being two sides of the same coin. In Arazi's words, their troubled pasts and experiences "allows both of them to have a lot of reflection:"
"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."
Arazi then talked about the physical properties of Gen'dai. While they may look like a humanoid species with their giant suit of armor and relatively normal-looking alien-like face, they do not closely resemble anything else in the rest of the galaxy.
Arazi briefly mentioned this while teasing that the game would feature a number of unique moments between Cal and Rayvis, specifically when it comes to combat due to the fact that Gen'dai are so difficult to kill:
"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."
What Exactly Is a Gen'dai?
Gen'dai are one of the deadliest species in the galaxy far, far away. They have been seen but a handful of times throughout canon and Legends, but their reputation is known across the galaxy. They have yet to appear in any live-action content up to this point, though perhaps a Cal Kestis crossover in a movie or show could be just the trick that brings the Gen'dai across from their animated forms.
Fans familiar with Tartakovsky's Clone Wars series will remember that Obi-Wan and the clones fought and fought against Durge, but it seemed like they could never quite kill him. Even when one trooper blasted a rocket straight into him, he came back stronger than ever to get revenge and finish his mission.
This is because Gen'dai have incredible self-regeneration abilities. They contain no heart or lungs, so there are no vital organs inside their bodies to be weaknesses when in combat. If they are injured or even have limbs cut off, they can regrow them in a matter of mere moments.
There are only two ways that a Gen'dai can actually be killed. One way is by burning or vaporizing the entire body of said Gen'dai; meaning that every single inch of their muscle-like body has to be incinerated. This was put on display by Anakin Skywalker in a Star Wars Legends comic when he trapped Durge in an escape pod and Force-pushed him into a burning star, ending the threat of the bounty hunter once and for all.
The only other way to kill a Gen'dai is to destroy its brain, literally. The brain is the only part of a Gen'dai's body that has no regenerative properties, so if the brain is destroyed, the body can no longer live.
The fact that Jedi: Survivor is going to feature a Gen'dai means that Cal Kestis has his work cut out for him. Even Obi-Wan and Anakin, two highly skilled Jedi Knights, had a lot of trouble with Durge when they were forced to face off against him.
However, Cal's power is ever-growing, and as one of the galaxy's best survivors, he will try to find a way to bring the intimidating brute down.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be released on all platforms on April 28.
