The Jedi Knight Series Is Worth A Reboot

After Return of the Jedi in 1983, Star Wars would not return to the big screen until The Phantom Menace in 1999, which marked the beginning of the prequel trilogy. As Star Wars found itself without a major feature film release in the late 80s and early 1990s, it was video games that began to take off.

During this unusual time period, a new side of Star Wars was being explored in the Expanded Universe, as the 90s saw George Lucas’ space fantasy franchise change its focus. The dark, criminal underworld of Star Wars first identified the franchise in the 1990s. During this time, it was not unusual to see someone other than a traditional Jedi wielding a lightsaber and the force.

A key part of this Star Wars transition was led by Jedi Knight, a series of games focused on the ongoing adventures of Kyle Katarn. His complex relationship with the Force and the Jedi Order spanned five video games, each showing a different side of Star Wars that fit seamlessly into the Skywalker saga while carving out its own compelling piece of the universe.

After Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars in 2012, Kyle and his works were relegated to the non-canon Legends line. Although there have been rumors that new Lucasfilm president Dave Filoni has brought Katarn back into the fold, the Jedi Knight games are still lost in the pre-Disney era. The disappointing aspect of that is not just the loss of Kyle Katarn, but the loss of a compelling Star Wars flavor that is still sadly lacking.

The Force is strong with Katarn

In the Legends canon, Kyle Katarn was introduced in Star Wars: The Dark Forces as a former member of the Galactic Empire who defected to the Rebel Alliance. His backstory also places him as a key influencer throughout the Star Wars saga, as Kyle and his partner Jan Ors were responsible for stealing the Death Star plans prior to the events of A New Hope. That began a tragic story that ran from 1995’s Dark Forces to 2003’s Jedi Academy.

Over eight years and five games, the Jedi Knight series has managed to do something that felt good about Star Wars, but had a great sense of who he is for many other spin off games. Most Star Wars games at the time focused on reenacting events from the films or adapting them, which was fun and a source of hours of entertainment for me, but Jedi Knight was making its own way within the boundaries of the universe as opposed to copying what they saw.

Dark Force came out at a time when the Star Wars canon was very fluid. It was the Wild West, because it didn’t really matter what crazy nonsense someone came up with, as creator George Lucas would shut down anything he didn’t like, but kept the things he enjoyed. It was a simple, clean system that produced some of the most amazing Star Wars games of all time.

Darth Vader from Dark Forces was normal, not some extraordinary event. This philosophy would continue to influence all Jedi Knight games, as well as all other titles released during this time. The canon was important, but it was not as restrictive as it would later become. Because as selectively as Lucas allowed them to be part of the canon, off-the-wall stuff was still allowed to not only exist, but thrive.

A More Civilized Age

Each Jedi Knight game feels like its own unique, meaty game that you can enjoy without worry. Full disclaimer, I’m not a Disney Star Wars hater, and in fact, I can say I enjoy almost all of it. What I do miss, though, is how the Jedi Knight games could work independently of the films, but I also feel like they were connected within their every breath.

Kyle’s story was very much in the back of the Return of the Jedi era of Star Wars at the time, and while I had a deep love for Dark Forces, the series found its voice starting next. That will start a game like never before, where each game feels like its own Star Wars feature. That’s not to say that Star Wars games today aren’t a big deal, as Outlaws and Respawn’s Jedi games are more immersive and cinematic.

What the Jedi Knight series offered, however, was a game world that felt less like a spin-off and more like a tangible next chapter in the Star Wars saga. The adventures that Kyle and Jan went on had a huge impact on the entire Expanded Universe, as well as legitimate innovation in terms of their technology.

The aptly named Sith Engine, which powered Dark Forces II, was incredibly impressive for its speed and ability to push high-quality polygons. The sheer scale of the levels is still amazing today, as its ability to create a sense of scope is so amazing. The ins and outs of the engine fascinated me so much that it became a lifelong obsession with PC design.

Like Sweet Wine

By the time the curtain fell on the series with 2003’s Jedi Academy, it had found its own sense of identity. It has developed into an unforgettable, confident action-adventure series that combines first- and third-person perspectives. Starting with Dark Forces II, the series perfectly mixed both gameplay styles, creating something that had an appealing sense of chaos to it. Being able to switch between looking at things, and using a lightsaber, was already outstanding.

Dark Forces II was the first game to let you swing a lightsaber around in 3D, and it’s hard to describe what kind of feeling it was back in the day. This design would carry over to all other installments of the series, culminating in 2002’s Jedi Outcast. The way these games prioritized the exchange between the blaster and the lightsaber was great, and it’s the kind of gameplay that would be welcome in a current Disney Star Wars game. There are elements of that in Respawn’s Jedi series, which feels as close to a modern version of what we might get.

What I think is really missing, though, is that sense of being simultaneously seen in the canon as if it were gospel, but also being violent enough to tell a very consistent Star Wars story. That’s what the Jedi Knight series did so well. There was a strange sense of familiarity to the characters, where the metaphysical nature of the Force almost felt familiar. It made the Force and the lightsaber feel approachable, as they showed what anyone with a will to fight could look like swinging a laser sword around.

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Released

March 8, 1995

The ESRB

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