Throughout Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, gamers control the titular Jedi Cal Kestis on his quest to take down the Empire, watching him become increasingly powerful as the game progresses. Star Wars has seen many Jedi rise through the ranks from Padawan to Jedi Master, such as Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who strictly live their lives in accordance with the Jedi Order.
Unlike other Jedi, Cal Kestis has accepted the destruction of the Jedi Order. He's decided to stop faithfully following it, leading to a more confident Cal who allows himself to fall in love. Furthermore, dismissing the Jedi Order allowed Cal to connect with the dark side of the Force -- a bold and potentially devastating action which has made Cal stronger than he has even been. This teases a potentially dire fate for Jedi: Survivor's hero.
How Powerful Is Cal Kestis Compared to Luke Skywalker?
Throughout Jedi: Survivor, Cal learns how to use multiple different lightsaber stance combos and force abilities, such as Darth Maul's dual-wield and Kylo Ren's crossguard. The player can master their favorite lightsaber stances to help Cal swiftly defeat deadly enemies in a multitude of combat scenarios. This immediately puts him ahead of many Jedi who only adhere to a single stance. On top of his lightsaber skills, Cal's impressive range of force abilities help him hugely during combat and exploration, showcasing how easily he can evade the Empire and resist against them.
Throughout the Star Wars Jedi series, players see Cal strengthening his connection to the Force by remembering his training from Jedi Master Jaro Tapal during the Clone Wars. More recently, he was trained by Cere Junda, showing that he's been consistently training to improve as a Jedi warrior throughout his life. Luke Skywalker only trained with Master Yoda for a short time, meaning that Cal has had much longer to learn and master many useful abilities which Luke may not have. This includes being able to lift large obstacles and use Force Stasis.
Furthermore, Cal's mastery of multiple lightsaber stances is far superior to Luke's mastery of one. This allows Cal to use a combination of fighting techniques to deal with difficult situations, especially where there are lots of enemies. In these situations, Luke could easily be overwhelmed and fall. Additionally, despite Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda's recommendations, Luke attempted to fight Sith Lord Darth Vader, where he was easily bested and lost his hand. By contrast, Cal not only puts up a fight, but is also smart enough to run from Vader. This saves tactic both himself and his crew while also damaging the Emperor's apprentice.
Cal Kestis Tapped Into the Dark Side of the Force
After Order 66, the majority of Jedi across the galaxy were either captured or killed, as the Jedi Order was destroyed. The trauma endured by Jedi Knights led to those surviving to flee into hiding. However, Cal Kestis chose to lead a battle against the Empire instead and even distanced himself from the rules of the Jedi Order. After losing Cere to Vader, and rejecting the traditional Jedi Order, Cal's anger took a toll on him, and the peace-keeping Jedi turned into a violent killer.
With gamers prompted to "Embrace the Darkness," Cal tips into the dark side of the force, unleashing waves of powerful and aggressive attacks against entire squadrons of Stormtroopers. Gamers control this rage-filled version of Cal to easily destroy hundreds of stormtroopers and droids, with his rampage finally relaxing after Merrin stops him from taking an officer's life. Although tempted by the dark side multiple times, Luke Skywalker never crossed this line. Cal's path seems to have taken a surprising turn within Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. While originating from the dark side, this newfound power could finally give Cal the advantage over the Empire he desires.
Now that Cal has recognized the power of the dark side, the doors are wide open for his power to rapidly increase if he is to learn darker abilities. Even more so after actively using it to help take down Bode Akuna and other enemies. This could lead to some exciting new gameplay mechanics in a potential Jedi: Survivor sequel, allowing gamers to experience what it feels like to wield dark side abilities. Luke's powers were limited by strictly following the Jedi Order, leaving room for Cal to potentially become one of the strongest Jedi by embracing the dark side.
The Future Looks Dark For Cal Kestis
Avid Star Wars fans will be familiar with Darth Vader's tragic origin story, and Cal seems to be following the same path Anakin Skywalker took to the dark side. Although Luke's rejection of the dark side limited his abilities, his father, Anakin, slowly became obsessed with the power that the dark side could give him. This dark turn of events led the once-admirable Jedi Knight to become Darth Sidious' apprentice. This cased him to be feared across the galaxy, which helped the Empire conqueror it. Cal indulging in the dark side and growing his power could lead him to face a similar fate if left unchecked. His good intentions could quickly become corrupted, and an obsession with power can overtake him.
Throughout Star Wars, a higher level of power brings a higher level of danger, and Cal is now vulnerable to that danger. Although his power has drastically increased, dipping into the dark side could have completely altered Cal's fate. This could bring dire consequences that could cause devastation and horror. Nevertheless, gamers will have to wait for Jedi: Survivor's sequel to see where Cal's terrifying new power will consume him.