Star Wars Outlawsfeatures an original story starring criminal upstart Kay Vess, a would-be scoundrel whose big, lucrative dreams are complicated by the difficulties of her transition from pickpocket to intergalactic thief. On theStar Warstimeline, it’s set somewhere betweenEpisode VandEpisode VI- the Death Star has been destroyed, and the Galactic Civil War rages on. But Kay Vess' concerns, at the beginning of the narrative, are far less consequential. Raised by her mother Riko, a fellow small-time scoundrel, on the crime syndicate-run planet of Cantonica, petty thievery is the only life Kay has ever known.
[Warning: This article contains majorspoilers for Star Wars Outlaws, including the game’s ending.]
Kay and her pet merqaal Nix live above the Broken Hoof, a seedy cantina on the wrong side of Canto Bight. Frustrated by the proliferation of powerful syndicates on Canto, Kay resolves to steal a set of identicards from upstart gang Zerek Besh, and use them to get off-world. But the job goes wrong; Kay sets off an alarm, and is pursued all the way home by security forces, who attack her friend and Broken Hoof proprietor Bram. Destitute and marked for death,Kay takes a job with a group of strangers in order to earn the credits she’ll need to start her criminal enterprise.
Star Wars Outlaws Review: Dazzling Hives Of Scum & Villainy
Star Wars Outlaws focuses on a grimier, seedier side of the universe with a rich, detailed open world that features both new and legacy characters.
Star Wars Outlaws, Part One: Marked For Death
Escape From Canto, Crash Landing On Toshara, & Meeting Vail
Kay’s contact for her final job on Canto is Dennion, who’s reluctant to share much about herself or her allies. All she’ll tell is that Kay’s mission is to drop into Zerek Besh leader Sliro’s mansion, crack open his vault, and steal the innumerable riches inside. Despite being a relatively new syndicate, Zerek Besh has quickly gained a reputation for brutality - not to mention a ton of money.
Cantonica appears inEpisode VIII - The Last Jedi- it’s the gambler’s paradise Poe and Finn visit to track down hacker DJ. InStar Wars Outlaws, Kay Vess can bet on the fathier races seen in the film.
So Kay sneaks her way into the heart of Sliro’s mansion, hacks into the electronic lock on his vault, and opens it, only to find a Twi’lek named Asara. Dennion and her crew rush in, as Kay demands an explanation and immediate payment.Dennion then reveals that they’re members of the Rebel Alliance, and asks Kay to join them. But she scoffs at the idea, they hit her with a stun blast, and leave her for dead. Kay wakes up a short time later to Sliro, who begins to interrogate her about Rebel activity.
Kay slips out of her cuffs and manages to steal Sliro’s ship, a Republic-era prototype called theTrailblazer. But she damages it during her escape attempt, and is forced to make a rough landing on Toshara. Thankfully, the first person she meets there is the mechanic Waka, who promises to fix the ship - as long as she can pay, of course. Waka puts her in touch with Gorak, a local syndicate boss, and Kay gets a crash course in the three major crime syndicates ofStar Wars Outlaws:the Pykes, the Hutts, and the Crimson Dawn.
All three of these organizations havea long history inStar Warscanon. The Hutts, of course, most notably appear inReturn of the Jedi, mainly through syndicate boss Jabba. The Pyke Syndicate appears inThe Clone Wars,Solo, andThe Book of Boba Fett, alongside the Crimson Dawn. The latter syndicate was once led by Darth Maul; later, inSolo, it’s seen to be under control of Qi’ra.
Does Emilia Clarke Voice Qi’ra In Star Wars Outlaws?
Players come into contact with the leader of the Crimson Dawn, Lady Qi’ra, during Kay Vess' story, but who plays her in Star Wars Outlaws?
Kay also learns thatZerek Besh has placed a death mark on her, effectively meaning there’s a bounty on her head. Waka later double-crosses Kay, attempting to sell her out to secure his own safety, but he’s killed by bounty hunter Vail before he can become too much of a problem. Pursued by Vail, Kay is rescued byJaylen Vrax, a fellow outlaw who also calls dibs on Sliro’s treasure- but for real this time. Jaylen asks for Kay’s help in recruiting the team they’ll need to pull off this ultimate heist.
Star Wars Outlaws, Part Two: Getting The Gang Together
What follows is a sort of whistle-stop galactic road trip in whichKay, along with Jaylen’s droid ND-5, visits a series of planets in order to recruit the various gang members they’ll need for the big heist- often having to rescue them from danger before they can go along. Kay visits Tatooine, Luke Skywalker’s home world, where she skirmishes with and is eventually captured by Jabba the Hutt himself. While pursuing Kay, Vail is also captured, and the two are forced to cooperate in order to escape with their lives. As a result, they develop a mutual respect for each other, but are forced to go their separate ways.
Kay goes on to rescue droidsmith Gedeek, who’s also working with the Rebel Alliance; he asks Kay to help him gain control over the Empire’s Viper Droid development facility. As ND-5’s power core begins to break down, Kay and Gedeek search for replacement parts, only to run into Asara, who also agrees to join the heist crew. Kay finally returns to Jaylen, but is angered to discover thathe’s also brought Kay’s estranged mother, Riko, on board.
Star Wars Outlaws Has An Oddly Refreshing Take On The Rebels
Star Wars Outlaws briefly touches on the larger scope of the galactic war and, with it, introduces a viewpoint rarely mentioned in Star Wars media.
Kay resents her mother for abandoning her as a child, but is far too deep in Jaylen’s plan - and far too interested in Sliro’s score - to let it go. Instead, she runs away on a mission to obtain Sliro’s master code, which will help them break into his vault. In the process, she learns that Sliro isn’t the crime lord he seems to be:he’s actually in charge of the Imperial Security Bureau, and Zerek Besh is just a front for the Empire to gain control over the galactic crime syndicates. Knowing this, she resolves to finish the job.
The ragtag heist crew breaks into Sliro’s vault successfully, but it’s a trap. Sliro appears with Vail and corners Kay, but Vail betrays him at the last second and buys enough time for Kay to escape, asking for a cut of the loot in return. Examining her loot, Kay realizes that it’s not money they’ve stolen, but a codex that contains intel on countless high-ranking members of the Empire, and their activity and plans for the war. Kay returns mostly triumphant, but it’s at this point thatJaylen reveals his own master plan - to take over Zerek Besh. He knocks Kay out and locks her aboard theTrailblazer, which he commandeers and tows onto the Star DestroyerRevelator.
Star Wars Outlaws, Part Three: Ending & Sequel Setup
Rescuing Kay, Jaylen’s Fate, & Repaying Vail
Along with other members of the heist crew,Riko leads a rescue mission as Kay attempts to save ND-5. She sneaks into a meeting between Jaylen, Sliro, and Darth Vader, who passes control of Zerek Besh to Jaylen. Jaylen then abruptly reveals that Sliro is his brother, who hunted down their family some years prior, and kills him in revenge. At this point, Kay is able to free ND-5, but is caught by Jaylen. ND-5 defends her, however, and the two fight their way off the ship with the assistance of Riko’s crew.
At this point in the game, whichever syndicate Kay has the best reputation with will come to her aid.
After destroying theRevelator, Kay and Riko come to terms with their strained relationship. Asara makes a copy of some of the codex’s data, and brings it back to the Rebel Alliance, aiding in the fight against the Empire. Kay gives the codex to Vail, suggesting she go off andstart her own bounty hunter operation.These epilogue scenes tieOutlawsin with the widerStar Warscanon, letting players know that Kay did eventually participate in the Galactic Civil War in her own way.Legacy characters like Lando Calrissianand Qi’ra appear briefly to that end as well, mainly as Easter eggs for fans.
Don’t Skip These Easily-Missed Star Wars Outlaws Moments
There’s so much to see and do across Star Wars Outlaws' open world, that some extremely adorable bonding moments between Kay and Nix can be missed.
Thus ends the game’s story, but it’s possible tokeep playingStar Wars Outlawsafter all this to clear out any unfinished side quests, or just wander around and play Sabacc Sylop until Kay’s wallet runs dry. Future DLC may add new chapters to the Kay Vess saga, but for now, that’s all the story there is inStar Wars Outlaws.
Star Wars Outlaws
Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws is an open-world action-adventure game where players hop into the scoundrel boots of Kay Vess, a woman who travels the galaxy Looking for a better life. Together with her furry partner Nix and new allies she meets along the way, Kay will navigate the various landscapes, towns, and planets across the galaxy while outsmarting both Crime Syndicates and the Empire.
