Star Wars: Jedi Survivor unveils new villain ahead of release

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor revealed the identity of the antagonist we spotted in the trailer from several months ago, and suffice to say, this is not someone you would like to meet in a dark alley. Or maybe you would. I fear for the fanfiction that might arise out of Survivor.

Although it was delayed to late April, the hype for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor remains high. Fans commended the choice to move the launch of the game in order to polish and finalise as much as possible before it fell into the grubby grasp of gamers, and there's a lot to look forward to. Director Stig Asmussen has described a much meatier "Metroidvania approach" to the sequel as well as five new combat stances, with one inspired by the inimitable rage of Kylo Ren from the newest trilogy. And now, an interview with IGN has shed a little light on one of the most fearsome foes that Cal Kestis will face.

Check out the trailer below:

That big purple boy in the trailer is Rayvis, a member of the Gen'dai race. Fans of Star Wars Legends will definitely remember them from the comic Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War with the bounty hunter Durge. As a result of the eradication of their homeworld, the previously peaceful Gen'dai became nomadic militia, and their biology means they are nearly indestructible, made up of a mass of regenerative tentacles.

“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,” said cinematic director Dori Arazi. “They have a code they adhere to. It binds them to a certain code of honour 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.”

Consequently, Rayvis is a foil to Cal, in that they've experienced trauma on being what remains of their people. “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,” continued Arazi.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S on 28 April. And you've already opened Archive of our Own, haven't you.