Cal Kestis is the leading hero in the Star Wars Jedi franchise, but as far as main characters in the galaxy far, far away go, he isn't that interesting. Portrayed by Cameron Monaghan, Cal is a popular and well-liked Star Wars video game Jedi who has grown a dedicated following in the wake of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. However, while there are great elements to the character (Monaghan's portrayal being one of them), there's little that makes him unique when compared to the franchise's expanding list of Jedi survivors.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was the first single-player-only Star Wars game to be published following Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012. Before then the franchise had cultivated a compelling list of Jedi protagonists in the gaming medium, most famously Kyle Katarn and Darth Revan, the latter of which is set to return with the release of the long-gestating Knights of the Old Republic remake.
Cal is a well-liked addition to the Star Wars games universe, but there were more interesting options developers could have gone with for a protagonist. Cameron Monaghan is brilliant in the role of a young man traumatized by the fall of the Jedi Order and the death of his master, Jaro Tapal. However, Cal's backstory and journey isn't so unique, and neither is his appearance. It doesn't help that Jedi: Fallen Order spotlighted more interesting characters around Cal, or that the process behind his creation was fraught with controversy.
Nightsister Merrin Could've Been A Cooler Protagonist Than Cal Kestis
Merrin is the most obvious choice as a replacement protagonist for Cal Kestis. Although when she is first encountered, she is not a Jedi, it is possible that could change. There have already been rumors that Merrin will be a playable character in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which would be a step in the right direction for a shift in focus away from Cal. For such a wonderfully complex character, Merrin is woefully underused in Fallen Order and is arguably much more interesting than Cal.
Merrin witnessed the slaughter of the rest of the Nightsisters during the Clone Wars, which led to her being more susceptible to the lies of fallen Jedi Master Taron Malicos. For years, she had believed that Jedi were thieves and killers who murdered others out of greed. Using her tragic past, she could have made for a much stronger lead for the series, and having Merrin as the protagonist would open up more creative gameplay mechanics with her Dathomirian Nightsister magick. By introducing a second Nightsister Jedi to Star Wars, Merrin could follow in the footsteps of Asajj Ventress - although hopefully not too closely considering Ventress’ fall to the dark side.
Trilla & Cere's Tragic Backstory Was More Compelling Than Cal's
Other protagonist candidates could have been Trilla Suduri and Cere Junda, as both women have complicated and compelling backstories. Trilla and Cere undoubtedly come as a pair as their shared history links them throughout Fallen Order. This could have been used to great effect if they had been used as t protagonists in the series. One option could have been to have gameplay shift from one to the other as the story progressed or have the player choose which of them to play as at the start of Fallen Order.
Trilla’s death rules her out as a protagonist in future Star Wars games like Jedi: Survivor, and sadly underlines the missed potential of having a more compelling protagonist. Cal and Trilla are similar in that they both suffered terribly during Order 66, with the former going on the run out of fear and the latter succumbing to anger and hate after being let down by her master. However, Trilla is more unique in that she was turned to the dark side and became an Inquisitor. Star Wars games have traditionally lacked female protagonists, which would've also made her stand out if she was the franchise's lead.
Equally as interesting as Trilla is Cere Junda, Cal's Jedi Master. Cere's backstory was briefly expanded upon in the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Dark Temple, which went into her relationship with her teacher, Jedi Master Eno Cordova. Cere, like Trilla, stands out when compared to other Jedi, whereas Cal blends into the roster of white male leads the franchise has produced over the years.
Jedi: Fallen Order - Cal Kestis' Creation Was Marred With Controversy
The process behind Cal Kestis' creation was also marred with controversy. While some Fallen Order devs pushed for a black lead, they were reportedly met with opposition from higher-ups within Respawn, who cited the presence of Trilla and Cere in the game for not following that route. Calls for a female lead were also ostensibly resisted due to Rey headlining the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In 2019, Fallen Order’s game director Stig Asmussen spoke to Game Informer on their video podcast and answered fan questions. Towards the end of the interview, he also itted that an alien main character would be cool, but that Respawn didn’t go in that direction as they felt players would connect more to a human character.
“We arrived where we were because at the time, Rey was the thing for Star Wars, and so it made a lot more sense for us to have a male protagonist.”
When the question of an alien protagonist was raised, Asmussen also briefly touched on gender. Asmussen referenced the sequel Star Wars movies and Rey’s popularity as the reason for Fallen Order’s male hero. This is unfortunate as a female lead would have really made the series stand out as there is definitely a lack of female heroes in Star Wars games. Outside of character customization seen in games such as Knight of the Old Republic, there has only been one modern Star Wars game with a solo female protagonist: Star Wars Battlefront 2’s Iden Versio.
The future of the Star Wars Jedi games could see the focus shift away from Cal once his story has reached a satisfying conclusion. Certainly, Survivor will still center on Cal, but perhaps if the series continues, he could share or even the spotlight to another protagonist. Perhaps Cal could meet a younger, Force-sensitive character who he could mentor and train, which would be a good and effective way to change the series lead.
Another option would be to introduce a time jump to move the timeline forward. It would be great to explore the canon Star Wars timeline post-Empire, as has been done excellently in The Mandalorian. For now, though, it seems more likely that Star Wars Jedi sticks with Cal as a lead, and for Cal to have an expanded presence in related Star Wars media.
Ultimately Cal Kestis is no different from any other bland white male who already has a blue lightsaber in Star Wars. When the hero of a Jedi game has already been seen hundreds of times, it becomes hard to get excited about it. At least Cal has a compelling cast of ing characters.
Source: Game Informer
