Starkiller, born Galen Marek and also known as The Apprentice, is the fictional
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
of the ''
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' video games and literature, part of the now non-canonical
''Star Wars Legends'' expanded universe; however, his first appearance was as a guest character, alongside
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
and
Yoda
Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until ...
, in the fighting video game ''
Soulcalibur IV
is the sixth installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. It features greatly improved graphics over the previous title, and includes three guest characters from the ''Star War ...
''. He is voiced by and modeled after actor
Sam Witwer
Sam Witwer (born October 20, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Crashdown in ''Battlestar Galactica'', Davis Bloome in ''Smallville'', Aidan Waite in '' Being Human'', Mr. Hyde in ''Once Upon a Time'', Ben Lockwood in '' ...
,
who would go on to voice other characters in ''Star Wars'' expanded media, most notably
Darth Maul
Darth Maul, also known simply as Maul, is a character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. He first appeared as the secondary antagonist of the 1999 film '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (portrayed by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Se ...
and
Emperor Palpatine
Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, ''The Empire Strikes ...
.
Within the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe, Galen Marek was born as the son of a fugitive
Jedi
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
during the early reign of the
Galactic Empire
Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fantasy and science fiction, particularly in works known as 'space operas'. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background or written about the growth and/or decline of s ...
. When his father is tracked down and killed by Darth Vader as part of the Empire's "
Great Jedi Purge
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
", the latter discovers Galen and, recognizing his potential as a powerful
Force
In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a p ...
user, takes him to be raised and trained as his secret apprentice, giving him the codename "Starkiller". Years later, Vader uses Starkiller as his personal
assassin
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or VIP, important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not ha ...
, sending him on missions to benefit the Empire, as well as his own plans to overthrow Palpatine. Once Starkiller outlives his usefulness for Vader, he is betrayed and left for dead, prompting him to become a
Jedi and join the recently-formed
Rebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic (colloquial: Rebel Alliance; the Rebellion; the Alliance; or the Rebels) is a fictional stateless interstellar coalition of republican dissidents, imperial defectors, revolutionary factions and anti-imperial ...
. Although the first ''
The Force Unleashed
''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' is an action-adventure game developed by LucasArts and part of ''The Force Unleashed'' multimedia project. It was initially developed for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles and on ...
'' game ends with Starkiller sacrificing himself for the Rebellion, the sequel reveals that Vader later
cloned
Cloning is the process of producing individual organisms with identical or virtually identical DNA, either by natural or artificial means. In nature, some organisms produce clones through asexual reproduction. In the field of biotechnology, c ...
him in an attempt to create the perfect, obedient apprentice. ''
The Force Unleashed II
''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II'' is an action-adventure game, action-adventure platform game, platform video game developed and published by LucasArts. It is the second installment of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (project), ''The Force U ...
'' follows a clone of the original Starkiller who escapes Vader's restraints and goes on to join the Rebellion in the fight against the Empire.
The first game's
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
follows a different incarnation of Starkiller, continuing from the events of the game's
non-canonical
The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean "according to the canon" the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, "canonical example ...
ending. In this
alternate timeline
Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...
, rather than giving his life for the Rebellion, Starkiller murders Vader and is severely injured during a confrontation with Palpatine. The latter saves his life by putting him in a suit similar to Vader's, but only so that he could serve as his new apprentice. Now known as Lord Starkiller, he becomes instrumental in helping the Empire eliminate the Rebellion over the following years, during alternate depictions of the events from the
original ''Star Wars'' trilogy. Similarly, the second game features an
expansion
Expansion may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''L'Expansion'', a French monthly business magazine
* ''Expansion'' (album), by American jazz pianist Dave Burrell, released in 2004
* ''Expansions'' (McCoy Tyner album), 1970
* ''Expansio ...
in which an evil Starkiller clone loyal to Vader and dubbed "the Dark Apprentice" hunts down the Rebellion's leaders during an alternate depiction of ''
Return of the Jedi
''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...
''.
Starkiller's character was conceived as a powerful Force user, with abilities that far exceed those seen in the ''Star Wars'' films. His annihilative nature has earned him the description of a "Force wrecking ball".
The character's name is taken from
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The ...
's original name, "Luke Starkiller".
Starkiller has had a mostly positive reception from fans and critics.
Concept and creation
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
motivated the team working on ''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' to make a brand-new character.
Before deciding on Starkiller's character, other ideas for the main character included a
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
-like smuggler, a superheroic
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; s ...
Wookiee
Wookiees () are fictional humanoid aliens in the ''Star Wars'' universe, native to the forest planet Kashyyyk. They are distinguished from humans by their gigantism, hirsutism, and physical strength. The most prominent Wookiee is Chewbacca, c ...
, "the last Skywalker" and a gadget-wielding mercenary.
The developers used feedback from focus test respondents and executives at
LucasArts
Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game brand licensing, licensor that is part of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as ...
in order to make Starkiller.
The developers consciously decided not to give him a name in the game, but as the novel's author
Sean Williams said he needed a name, "Galen Marek" was given in the novel.
Starkiller was designed as Luke Skywalker's photo-negative,
and is named after "Annikin Starkiller" (Luke or Anakin Skywalker's original name in the early ''Star Wars'' scripts).
The developers tried to avoid making Starkiller too rigidly defined while keeping the character developed. The developers also wanted to avoid making Starkiller seem irredeemably evil, and used elements of his backstory and his relationships with other characters to balance it, while trying not to explain too much of his backstory. In order to avoid the character being over emotional, they tried to let short pieces of dialogue and looks carry scenes so that the player could interpret how Starkiller felt.
They attempted to make Starkiller feel like he would belong in the
classic ''Star Wars'' trilogy by making his actions faster and more intense.
During an interview to
Haden Blackman
William Haden Blackman is an American video game designer and writer.
Early life
Blackman grew up in Seal Beach, California. As a child, he read comic books during long road trips, which created his love for fantastical creatures.
Career
Black ...
by ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', he claimed that most of the testing players wanted the character to be ultimately redeemed by the end of the game.
Starkiller was voiced by and given the likeness of
Samuel Witwer
Sam Witwer (born October 20, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Crashdown in ''Battlestar Galactica'', Davis Bloome in ''Smallville'', Aidan Waite in '' Being Human'', Mr. Hyde in '' Once Upon a Time'', Ben Lockwood in '' ...
. According to Blackman, the staff were very hard on Witwer when casting him, but claimed he was far above the other candidates and that "he was already inhabiting the mind of this character". Starkiller's expressions are based on Witwer's, which Blackman described as "a new approach for LucasArts", noting that it "affected the way we handled casting for ''The Force Unleashed''" and comparing it to how people see
Bill Nighy
William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Nighy started his career with the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre starting with ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy, The Illuminatu ...
as
Davy Jones in the ''
Pirates of the Caribbean
''Pirates of the Caribbean'' is a Disney media franchise encompassing numerous theme park rides, a series of films, and spin-off novels, as well as a number of related video games and other media publications. The franchise originated with th ...
'' movies.
Blackman noted that Witwer brought new ideas and a sense of humanity to Starkiller.
Sam Witwer has said that Starkiller would be a character he wouldn't mind revisiting.
During the concept stages of ''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II'', the developers considered replacing the character with either a new
Force
In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a p ...
wielder or a previously named ''Star Wars'' character; however, they decided to keep Starkiller as the player character as they were fond of and attached to him. Also, the development team felt that there was more story that he could supply, and that a franchise could be built around him.
Blackman commented that after deciding how to have Starkiller return, he felt "it all made sense and fell into place".
Developers tried to make ''The Force Unleashed'' more personal to Starkiller,
with the game focusing on Starkiller's search for the truth of his identity.
Characterization
Witwer compared him as being "two parts
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
, one part
Darth Maul
Darth Maul, also known simply as Maul, is a character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. He first appeared as the secondary antagonist of the 1999 film '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (portrayed by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Se ...
, one part
Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology, that began in 1981 with the film '' Raiders of the Lost Ark''. In 1984, a prequel, '' Th ...
..and then one essential part
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The ...
", noting that in the character's development "behind it all, there had to be this wide-eyed kid who was trying to figure out what the hell to do". According to Witwer, Starkiller's characteristics and personality depended on who he was talking to and what circumstances he is in. Witwer called him "a really interesting guy, speaking of layered characters".
Although acting as a villain in the beginning of the
first game, Blackman has commented how Starkiller is "really just this damaged kid."
Haden Blackman
William Haden Blackman is an American video game designer and writer.
Early life
Blackman grew up in Seal Beach, California. As a child, he read comic books during long road trips, which created his love for fantastical creatures.
Career
Black ...
noted that in the first Starkiller was a hunter, while in the second Starkiller is more a fugitive.
Matt Filbrandt, one of the producers of ''The Force Unleashed II'', said that the Starkiller in the second game is trying to find out "who he is" and "what it means to be human".
Fictional history
In the ''Star Wars'' series
''The Force Unleashed''
In the ''
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' video game,
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
dispatches Starkiller to kill a number of
Jedi
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
who have survived the
Great Jedi Purge
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
.
Starkiller is initially kept in secret,
but he is discovered by
Emperor Palpatine
Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, ''The Empire Strikes ...
, he is seemingly betrayed and killed by Vader. His master later resurrects him, and assigns him a new mission: to find and unite the
Galactic Empire
Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fantasy and science fiction, particularly in works known as 'space operas'. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background or written about the growth and/or decline of s ...
's enemies.
Vader later betrays Starkiller a second time and attempts to kill those he united, but Starkiller sacrifices himself for the
Rebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic (colloquial: Rebel Alliance; the Rebellion; the Alliance; or the Rebels) is a fictional stateless interstellar coalition of republican dissidents, imperial defectors, revolutionary factions and anti-imperial ...
, becoming a
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
to inspire the rebels.
During the game, he falls in love with Captain
Juno Eclipse, an ex-Imperial Shuttle Pilot and his own ship's pilot. If Starkiller chooses to kill Vader rather than the Emperor at the end of the game, Starkiller becomes a minion of the Emperor and is put into a suit similar to Vader's. Starkiller reappears in this suit in the game's ''Ultimate Sith Edition'', which continues the dark-side path as a "what if" story.
However, the light-side ending is the
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
ending, and is used in the novel adaption and sequels.
''The Force Unleashed II''
In the ''
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II'' video game and comic, as well as the novel, Starkiller is
cloned
Cloning is the process of producing individual organisms with identical or virtually identical DNA, either by natural or artificial means. In nature, some organisms produce clones through asexual reproduction. In the field of biotechnology, c ...
by Darth Vader. Starkiller's clone is haunted by visions of the original Starkiller's life.
After escaping
Kamino, Starkiller goes on a quest to find out who he is and to find Juno Eclipse who has been kidnapped by Vader.
At the end of the game, if the player chooses the light-side ending, Starkiller spares Vader, capturing him, and rescues Juno.
But in the dark side ending, Starkiller is stabbed just before he can kill Vader by the Dark Apprentice (another successful clone) trained by Vader.
Starkiller's dark side clone reappeared in
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
for the video game, which takes place on
Endor Endor or Ein Dor may refer to:
Places
* Endor (village), from the Hebrew Bible, a Canaanite village where the Witch of Endor lived
* Indur, a Palestinian village depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
* Ein Dor, a Kibbutz in modern Israel
F ...
, during an alternate depiction of ''
Return of the Jedi
''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...
''.
The light side ending is also used in the novel adaptation, though the dark side ending is used as a vision Starkiller sees on Juno's ship, the Salvation.
Attempted canon reintroduction
After the ''Unleashed'' franchise was discontinued following Disney's decision to
reboot
In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
the ''Star Wars'' canon in favor of producing a sequel trilogy, Sam Witwer, Marek's voice actor, revealed that
Dave Filoni
David Filoni (born June 7, 1974) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor. He has worked on ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''The Mandalorian'', and on the theatrical film and television series of '' Star Wars: The Clone ...
, the creator of the ''
Star Wars Rebels
''Star Wars Rebels'' is an American 3D animation, 3D animated science fiction on television, science fiction television series produced by Lucasfilm Animation and set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. It takes place over a decade after ''Episode ...
'' animated series, considered bringing Marek back into the new canon and having him appear in that series as a member of the
Sith Inquisitorius, but ultimately decided against it because he could not find a way to do so without compromising either the new canon's quality or the character's unique distinctions.
In novels
Sean Williams' novelization was released in the United States on 19 August 2008. It spent one week as #1 on both ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
''s and ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' hardcover fiction bestsellers lists, slipping to #7 and #9, respectively, the following week. It also reached #15 on ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''s bestsellers list.
Williams took on the writing project in part because of the "catchy description" of ''The Force Unleashed'' being "Episode 3.5" of the ''Star Wars'' saga.
The novel focuses on the dark side of the Force and its practitioners; Williams found it "interesting" to portray the Jedi as "bad guys."
The author most enjoyed developing the character of
Juno Eclipse, exploring the "feminine" side of ''The Force Unleashed'' in a way the video game does not.
Williams also said that while the game allows the player to "do" Starkiller's actions, the novel allows readers to experience Starkiller's thoughts about those actions, adding another dimension to the story.
Dark Horse's ''The Force Unleashed''
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
was published 18 August 2008. ''
Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS.
History
N ...
'' called the graphic novel a "solid story" that matches the video game source material in both structure and plot. ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' gave the graphic novel a score of 6.9/10 (6.4/10 for art, 7.5/10 for the writing), praising the overall story but faulting inconsistency in the art and questioning whether the comic medium was the best way to convey the story.
Other appearances
Outside of ''Star Wars'', Starkiller made his debut as a fighter in ''
Soulcalibur IV
is the sixth installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. It features greatly improved graphics over the previous title, and includes three guest characters from the ''Star War ...
'', alongside Darth Vader and
Yoda
Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until ...
.
In this game, he is known as "The Apprentice". After Vader sends him to investigate a dimensional rift that seems to be growing, he passes through to the ''
Soulcalibur
is a weapon-based fighting video game franchise by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
There are seven main installments of video games and various media spin-offs, including music albums and a series of manga books. The first game in the series, '' ...
'' universe. The Apprentice defeats Algol and returns to Vader without either the Soul Edge or the Soul Calibur, due to perceiving them as worthless.
Vader Force Chokes the Apprentice for disobeying him,
causing the Apprentice to draw his lightsaber and prepare to fight Vader.
Starkiller also appears in ''Star Wars: Visions of the Blade'', an Infinities comic focusing on the ''Soulcalibur'' and ''Star Wars'' crossover.
Starkiller was also added as a playable character in
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
'
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
mobile
Mobile may refer to:
Places
* Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city
* Mobile County, Alabama
* Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S.
* Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Mobile ( ...
turn-based
In video and other games, the passage of time must be handled in a way that players find fair and easy to understand. This is usually done in one of the two ways: real-time and turn-based.
Real-time
Real-time games have game time progress cont ...
role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
''
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes'', along with several other memorable characters from the now non-canon ''Star Wars'' expanded universe, to celebrate Lucasfilm's 50th anniversary in 2021. He also appears as a secret playable character in ''
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars'', and can only be obtained by collecting all ten Minikits in the level “Defenders of Peace”. He is classified as a “Classic” character, despite not originating from the ''Star Wars'' films.
Reception
Promotion
Various types of merchandising have been released based on Starkiller.
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...
has made multiple
action figures
An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually market ...
of Starkiller, along with the rest of the characters in ''
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed''. A
Lego
Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocking ...
version of Starkiller was released as one of the three figures in the ''Rogue Shadow'' Lego set.
At
Toy Fair
The North American International Toy Fair (formerly the American International Toy Fair and also known as Toy Fair New York) is an annual toy industry trade show held in mid-February in New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and at to ...
2007, Hasbro also showed seven figures from their
action figure
An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...
line based on the game. Lego released a model of the main character's ship, the ''Rogue Shadow''.
[
]
Critical response
Overall, critics and fans have generally praised the character. ''
GamesRadar
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
'' staff ranked Starkiller 60th place in a list of the 100 best heroes in video games, published in 2013. ''
UGO Networks
UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States.
History
The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...
'' chose the character as the 50th top ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe character.
''IGN''s Jesse Schedeen called Starkiller's appearance in ''
Soulcalibur IV
is the sixth installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. It features greatly improved graphics over the previous title, and includes three guest characters from the ''Star War ...
'' the second best bonus character in the series, complementing his inclusion from a story standpoint as "
'Soulcalibur IV''is about the dichotomy between good and evil, corruption and redemption,
..Starkiller is a Dark Jedi who finds himself at a crossroads. He can either follow his master and take control of the galaxy, or break away and seek out his own destiny",
with Schedeen later including Starkiller in a list of characters that would make up their idea of the ultimate fighting game.
Chris Buffa also put the character as the 24th top gaming hunk, saying that "nothing compares to a bad boy".
Jesse Schedeen called Starkiller one of the most promising player characters to be released during fall 2008.
After the release of ''The Force Unleashed'', Robert Workman, also from ''
GameDaily
GameDaily (GD) was a video game journalism website based in the United States.
It was launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads. The site changed its business model from a flat fee ...
'', put the character as one of his favorite ''Star Wars'' video game characters.
Buffa chose Starkiller as one of the top double-crossing characters.
Jesse Schedeen of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' has listed Starkiller as one of the best video game entertainers of 2008, commenting that "Starkiller unleashed the Force in ways the movies never showed us".
Some publications and critics have labelled Starkiller as "comically" and "ridiculously" overpowered due to his extraordinary prowess as a Force wielder. ''TheGamer'' wrote how the character was able to achieve "crushing
AT-ST
All Terrain Walkers are armoured fighting vehicles from the ''Star Wars'' universe that traverse the landscape on mechanical legs. They are used by the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire, and the First Order for ground assault, reconnaissance ...
s into balls like tin foil", while ''
Polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
'' highlighted that he "survives a Vader stab-wound and being hurled into the vacuum of space before pulling a
Star Destroyer
Star Destroyers are capital ships in the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe. Star Destroyers were produced by Kuat Drive Yards, later Kuat-Entralla Engineering, and serve as "the signature vessel of the fleet" for the Galactic Republic, Galactic Em ...
to the ground with his Force mojo."
''UGO Networks'' listed Sam Witwer's performance as Starkiller as one of their top 11 celebrity voice actors in video games.
Chris Buffa put Starkiller as the 19th top anti-hero, commenting that "the thought of cutting through good guys as a Sith filled us with murderous joy", also praising his eventual turn to good.
Jesse Schedeen also thought that it would be best if the character was not revisited in the upcoming
live-action TV series after the first ''The Force Unleashed'' as "his story arc was nice and complete".
Starkiller was voted the top 10th ''Star Wars'' character by ''IGN''s readers.
''IGN'' later claimed Starkiller as the 34th top ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' character.
''
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' listed Starkiller, as "The Apprentice", in a vote for the all-time greatest video game character. Starkiller was eliminated in the first round after being put against
Niko Bellic
Niko Bellic is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of Rockstar North's 2008 video game ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', the sixth main instalment in Rockstar Games' ''Grand Theft Auto'' series. He also makes non-playable appearances i ...
, the main character of ''
Grand Theft Auto IV
''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the ...
'', with Starkiller garnering 44.9% of the votes.
Starkiller was also voted as the 17th top video game character by Game Informer's readers.
''
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
'' listed him sixth on their list of the "Top 10 Dorks", saying "The words "
jedi
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
" and "dork" rarely go together, but Starkiller is the Chosen One to unite them".
References
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{{Soul characters
Fictional assassins in video games
Action-adventure game characters
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Star Wars characters who are Force-sensitive
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