Considering Cal literally went through Order 66, watching his Jedi Master get gunned by clones and then having to survive in hiding from the Empire, Darth Vader and the Inquisitors, I'd argue he was more traumatised than Last Jedi Luke.
From what I've learned, tons of Jedi survived Order 66, and many had to have been traumatized during and after they were hunted like animals by Vader and his troops. Shame Yoda never tried to look for them:(
@@superdewott3209 To be fair, the last thing any Jedi would've heard was to scatter, hide, train in secret. Not to gather up. Yoda was one of the most wanted men in the empire, if not THE most wanted. If he was ever found, then that would mean the deaths of the Jedi that he had gathered to him. If a bunch of Jedi started gathering with him, it could've made some sort of beacon in the force that Vader and Sidious could've sensed. Point is, don't think it was a good idea outside of fanfiction for Yoda to go looking for Jedi.
@@rev0568 but would it have been better for Yoda to try to gather the Jedi and hide them away, or let them slowly get killed? Yoda had proven he can sense their deaths across lightyears. I imagine he could easily locate them like a beacon. That's how Siduous and Vader found and hunted the Jedi as well. BTW I enjoy these types of conversations. Gives me different perspectives from others :D
@@marshmallowvampire8503 I actually quite enjoyed starkiller. I liked him because his story was one of redemption and sacrifice. And yes he was very op but I always like him.
I played it for the first time a few months back. The Order 66 scene was very well done but i found it impossible to avoid comparing it to The Clone Wars as both Order 66 scenes took place on what appeared to be a Venator. Sadly if you compare it to the grand finale to possibly the best piece of star wars media, starring my favourite character and Captain Rex (easily in my top 5) with events happening simultaneously with my favourite star wars film its going to seem a bit lackluster
I feel like we need to talk more about BD-1 because I was not expecting a droid with that much of a backstory. You talked about Cal's doubts in himself and I loved that in the end it was BD who rescued Cal when he had completely given up when his kyber crystal broke. Then BD revealed that he would only regain access to his memories if he found someone he truly trusted and believed in and that he had chosen Cal, well, it meant everything to him. Their story had more heart than the entire disney trilogy combined and I didn't think a droid would make me cry in a freaking video game.
@@yrsruby5396 BB-8 and its terrible design is what threw me out of the sequel trilogy right off the bat, leading me to realize as I was watching the movie how it was a clone of A New Hope. BB-8 was clearly designed to be the new R2-D2, problem being that it was such a tiny thing, and a ball, that if you tried to put it in the same situations as R2-D2 then it would utterly fail at its job. Hell you could even see this right in the intro of The Last Jedi. A problem that an R2 unit could fix in a jiffy required BB-8 to slam his head into the paneling simply because its proper tools could not reach. Which the tools would naturally not have the reach because the droid is so small that it won't have the space to allow for more arm length for tools. It did after all need to dedicate a lot of its frame space to the power unit that allowed the head to be able to both hover over the frame and stay clung onto the frame. It also had to roll its body around in order to be able to bring certain tools to bear for use. A problem R2-D2 never had because his large tall cylindrical shape would allow him to have a internal rotating tool rack, something made obvious by how R2-D2 would often times bring different tools out of the same ports. Clearly able to adjust his options, he just needed to match the size of the tool with the size of the port on the body. It ultimately comes down to BB-8 being designed simply to be able to roll to places quickly for fast moving scenes and to store the map in his ash tray. He is merchandise more then he is a useful droid model besides maybe being a companion droid for a child (which is what he was marketed towards in real life...).
@@TankHunter678 as just a carrier of just a fun little droid, the design is fine but for his purpose, oh god. They couldn’t have designed something for useful?
I totally agree! When Cere said they had to go to Bogano for Cal to find someone who could lead him to the Zeffo Vault, Cal thought it was going to be another Jedi. I was surprised to see a smal utility/tracking droid! BD-1 gave up his memories to have the data storage capacity for the maps of the areas, that he and Cal traversed! What a noble thing to do.
Cal was honestly one of the most compelling characters in Star Wars. Playing as him and seeing his journey is one of the reasons I was so invested in Fallen Order and why it's one of my favorite Star Wars stories. I really hope he appears in the Mandalorian, I wish he had shown up last season.
I honestly thought Cal Kestis was a solid protagonist, his encounter with Darth Vader at the end was just awesome, plus his rivalry with Trilla was good. What's even cooler is that he was played by Cameron Monaghan who played Joker in Gotham TV show.
I could honestly talk about how great that Vader encounter is for hours. I've only recently began reading some of the books and comics, so as a seasoned casual fan they did an amazing job at showing how terrifying a barely trying Vader at his prime was and how any Jedi who escaped him did so because of a random stroke of pure luck.
@@peridotasadeadbritishmonar7924 Yeah, I agree. The way Darth Vader made an entrance while he used force stasis to immobilize Tilla and you can hear his breathing sounds and footsteps before he fully reveals himself, you know you're done for. Trilla looked so terrified by Darth Vader.
@@IndyDefense he could be alive during the sequels, he’d only be 67-66, he probably would be either in completely in exile or cut himself off from the force
Cal Kestis is hands down one of my new top favorites. This game did such a great job telling his story and making you care for him. I hope this isn't the only game. I want a book and/or another game.
Speaking of Kal not being overpowered. As soon as you can use the two lightsaber attacks the game RAMPS up its difficulty. I loved running into a room full of K-2's just to drive that point home.
The benefit Cal has is he was a new character so his reaction to it can fit his character, and his response seemed rational. Luke was an established character so it was very obviously not in character especially given how ridiculously over the top his response was.
Definitely on the same level as: Count Dooku: Brave of you, Boy. But I would have thought you would have learned your lesson Anakin: I am a slow learner
@Wes Bradley-Taubner not only abandon family but also leave a cryptic map to the location so he can say "fuck u" again to that family if they ever need some help in the future.
@@Pir-o Where do people get this idea that Luke left a map? Never once does TFA so much as hint that the map came from him. And if you read some behind the scenes interviews, the actual intention of the writers is that R2's piece was downloaded many years before when he plugged into the Death Star, and Lor San Tekka's piece was something he happened to find as an artifact collector.
Cal is absolutely an awesome character in Jedi Fallen Order and I really enjoy seeing him development from start to finish. He is an A for me as he my top favourite Jedi or light side force user along with Qui Gon, Luke & Ahsoka.
My favorite exchange: *Jaro Tapal:* Padawan. Where is the Force? *Cal Kestis:* Everywhere. It is within me. It surrounds me. *Jaro Tapal:* Just so. It connects you. There will be times when emotion, pain, or exhaustion trick you. You will feel cut off. Isolated. This is an illusion. Your lightsaber lies there. Out of reach. But you remain connected through the Force. Feel that energy around you, and summon your weapon.
The problem with that is we miss the journey, which is to me the most interesting part. It also makes the character seem far too different if we dont see them change. For example imagine watching the first episode of Breaking Bad then skipping everything but watching the last episode. The change in Walter White would seem jarring, because we didnt watch it happen.
The thing for me about Cal is that we literally go on the journey with him, every step, his growth is really OUR growth as the player, the moment when the 2nd sisters music kicks in, I was shook, when Vader turned up, I was hyped AND scared! Killing Ogdo Bogdo was GREAT! Climbing home tree on Kashyyk was fantastic!!! On another note, I enjoy reading the comments on Thor's channel and man do I appreciate the videos, they have helped me get through Covid lockdowns because A) the videos are so good, I love his voice. And B) the love for Star Wars that just flows from this page!!! Cheese, I know, but, I appreciate it all!
Let's keep in mind that Galen was trained by Darth Vader and starts out ready for combat while Cal's training was cut short as a kid. So the gameplay differences make sense.
Same here. I finished Fallen Order about three months ago. I would give him a B+, since "A" is reserved for characters like Vader and Obi-wan, but since you can only give A or B I would rather give him an A, because he is much closer to A than B for me. I really enjoyed the story of Fallen Order and journey of Cal. He is also such a relatable character because you can easily get in his shoes and think what you woul have done being in his place. He is not the "chosen one" like Anakin or even Jedi Master like Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, etc. I usually don't enjoy that type of games (Dark Souls-like), but story was so compelling that I couldn't stop playing.
C'mon his knighting ceremony is one of the best moments in Star Wars. Impromptu and yet powerful. Very much like Kanan's and (crossing fandoms) Brienne of Tarth's knighting, but Cal's knighting had more kick with that Star Wars music playing.
I loved Fallen Order. As I was playing it though my wife, who loves the TV show Shameless, noticed who Cal is played by. Many jokes were had after. That being said I REALLY REALLY want more Nightsister stories. The Nightsisters had such an interesting take on the force, one of the few instances of force users other than Jedi or Sith.
Cal's growth from traumatised survivor to steadfast, brave knight is the kind of journey I was hoping to see in the Sequels. Him being a game character unfortunately means a lot of people will miss out. Still, a really well done and sympathetic character.
Cal Kestis is a true Jedi and one of my favourite Star Wars characters as of today. I'm in the middle of Jedi Survivor, and I'm enjoying the game tremendously, in many ways thanks to Cal.
Solid character, B+. Video game characters are just hard to give a high ranking since so much goes into their score other than the character themselves.
I usually don't watch your videos but this one intrigued me. I watched it and agree with you and most of the comments shown in video. When I heard you mention about Cal at some point possibly being part of Luke's Jedi Academy, I thought to myself he would be most likely over twice as old as Luke and Cal would already be a Jedi Knight. So even if they met as adults after the start of the Jedi Academy, Cal would become a teacher, not a student. Not that he still would have some things to learn that his original master could not teach him.
Thor, I received the digital PC Steam edition of Jedi Fall Order as a birthday gift last year from my younger brother Mark. It was the best birthday gift ever! As I played through the initial levels, I began to empithize with Cal. He lost every thing he knew after Order 66. Working as a scrapper must have been tough after being a Jedi. Even though Cal never finished his training, I saw in him, what I saw in myself at 17 or 18; unsure of the world and my place in it. At 18 I had just graduated from senior high(this was 1995; I'm 44 now) and I was not keen on going to college near home(although I had the grades to get into a four year college, my dad insisted I go to community or junior college instead.) and live at home until I graduated and got a job, which is what I did. Cal, unlike most of us, never knew his parents, as some Master sensed him through the Force and found him. He began his training in a youngling group most likely taught by Yoda or some other Master. Cal being apprenticed to Jaro, being an alien was not uncommon. Through his Force flashback of his training as an apprentice with Jaro, we got an sense of him as Cal's master. That Order 66 sequence was intense! When Jaro was hit with Clone Trooper's blaster fire, I knew he was going to die. The two of them on that escape pod; Jaro(dying):Cal, trust no one, trust only in the Force". Cal(crying): "Yes, Master." It was quite sad. That's the trauma Cal carries with him everyday! This is some deep stuff here. I never thought a video game, much less a Star Wars video game could make feel anything for the "hero". Yes, Luke was traumatized when Ben turned against him and attacked him and killed most of his studnets with the dark side and burned down his training center. Cal is more trauamtized, from the betrayal of the clone troopers, and the death of his master Jaro. I think it' a commentary on how it's possible to experience a horrible tragedy and move on with one's life. Truly a great Star Wars video game!
I bet most of the People who gave him an A played on higher difficulty thus had more emotion/time/energy put into the game than the people who didn’t. Interesting to think about, personal I give him an A. Fallen order was a decent game but the story was vastly superior to the gameplay. Cal’s journey was at the center of the story and was extremely compelling.
9:47 it's very likely that Yoda didn't know how many--if any--other Jedi survived Order 66 so he might have assumed that he and Obi-Wan were the only survivors
i like the character and the idea of him. i know he is a completely different character but the way he is designed is how i imagine Luke and Mara jade's son would look.
Something interesting about the force unleashed is that Starkiller has a lot more difficulty defeating than Luke did in his hallway scene. He had the presence of a master as a toddler and spent his adolescence years as Vader’s personal apprentice, essentially becoming Anakin without the bodily injuries. He’s Anakin’s full potential and even then he barely held his own against the emperor and ultimately was killed by him. He has some powerful scenes but ultimately I really don’t think he is overpowered.
This character has one of the most unique lightsabers ever, with three different combat styles under his belt Double-bladed lightsaber combat Single bladed combat Dual-wielding saber combat
@Joshua White but split-sabers have that option because the hilts are regular sized. Double-bladed lightsaber hilts are too long for single blade combat all the time
I agree with those comments 100%. Even though yes video game characters like Starkiller tend to be Gary Stews, it's for fun and in the case of Force Unleashed there is a novelization that gives us a better understanding of his actual powers. Additionally, something I adore about Fallen Order is that it is very character driven, a writing technique that makes boring stories like a fetch quest interesting. Something Endgame understood, and Rise/Skywalker didn't.
I didnt saw thhe poll, but I'd had given him a solid A. Nice, relatable (while still having a strong personality) protagonist, specially for people like me, I think, who are 19/20 and are transitioning from child to man, at the same time he is going from padawan to jedi knight
I still think Cal's a great character. I did leave a comment and what I thought about him on the original poll, so I won't explain it all again. He's a minimum of a B tier character and the maximum of an A tier character. I'm currently waiting for my custom lightsaber of his hilt to arrive. The hilt was out of stock and just came back in stock yestersay, so my order was delayed for a couple weeks. I'm working on creating a costume for him from scratch and finding some quality hair-dye to make it the red/orange. I don't know when I can go to a convention again, but that'll at least give me time to work on that costume. Note: The hilt isn't 100% accurate. It's made for serious dueling, so the fins along the top of the hilt have extra protection and features to cover that up. It isn't dual-bladed either, but I can get a second hilt and a coupler sometime in the future.
@@maple22moose44 well it explains an awful lot of moments where characters conveniently don’t use certain abilities. Like Obi Wan vs Grievous. He spent his force meter dispatching the magnaguards and had to regen it by fighting for a bit. Or Kylo Ren not using a push on Finn because he’d just spent his meter on pushing Rey. Or Vader not having the force to throw stuff at Luke until midway through their fight (probably couldn’t find a meditation spot). Even the emperor can’t manage a force jump after spending his entire meter repeatedly shocking Luke.
@@leahvolmer9210 I know. I just came up with it as a joke playing Fallen Order with my brother. We had a blast coming up with examples of where it fit in the films.
Was incredibly happy when it was announced Cameron Monaghan would be getting a staring role in a Star Wars property because he did a fantastic job as Jerome Valeska in Gotham and its a testament to his skill as an actor that he can pull off both such a disturbing performance in Gotham, while going on to playing such a relatable hero in Fallen Order.
I really liked Cal pretty inversed proportion to the sliding & jumping puzzles on Dathomyr which I hated. That is until the end when he destroys the Holocron. He is supposed to be a Jedi Knight but he did not meditate before making a decision that effects dozens if not hundreds of people and could have galaxy spanning repercussions? A to C in an instant.
12:23 When playing the game, i think of myself and Cal as different people, but also the same if that makes sense. I am experiencing his experiences, but as me not as him. For example, on Dathomir, Cal defeated Malakos with the help of Merrin, but I defeated Malakos with the help of easy mode.
Brainstorm here, but what if Cal ended up forming his own small jedi order away from Luke's, either because they never met and each fills the gap they percive of there being a need for a new order, or because their experiences give them different philosophies on what a jedi should be and they go their separate ways. I'm sure there's a lot of story problems with fitting something like this in, but I can't help but think it could be cool to have a few "factions" of jedi who work completely separately and disagree on what it means to be a jedi while still having the same general goal, like schisms in historical religions. It could be very interesting to explore, I think.
if Lucasfilm decided to flesh out Cal even more, please don't go to Disney. there are pros and cons for him to stay as a game character, the pro is, his character won't get destroyed by disney, but the con is, he won't be as popular not to say that Disney can't make a good movie, but they kinda prone to make a bad one..? for the sake of money
I was gonna just edit my previous comment, but I thought it'd be best to make this a new comment since has little to do with it. Cal wouldn't have been able to meet Luke in Fallen Order given that the game's story is set roughly 5-6 years after the Fall of the Republic. Luke would only be 5-6 at that point, still living on Tatooine. The Mandalorian, however, would work with that. In fact, you might see an older, seasoned Cal Kestus! That'd be pretty darn cool!
By the time I write this there has been a new game for Cal and it explains why Yoda does not count Cal as a Jedi. Also at this time we have seen Cal and Luke together, on a TV advert! Concerning the game! With Luke teaching Cal about the Force and Luke, well, Mark complains that he didn't get two or twin lightsaber! Cal begins to explain the game and Mark say "I don't need you to explain the Force to me" By the end of the new game Cal will be rated much higher!
The fact that he's one of the only great characters to come to SW since The Clone Wars is shocking and sad. Just shows how little Disney cares about the IP.
Cal is fine but we all know the best and most intriguing character in Fallen Order (who was criminally underused until the last act of the game) is Merrin
I think the message isn’t that mistakes don’t define us, at least mistakes alone don’t define us, they do. Everyone makes mistakes and often those mistakes are tailored to us personally, our character. But the way we react to them also defines us. Action and reaction are eternally tied to each other. Call’s mistakes become a part of him, marks on his skin, but what he chooses to do in response, the lessons he has learned and the choice to rise and be better than the one who made that mistake, that ALSO defines him.
It's still very mind blowing to me that fallen order is a better told story than anything in the sequels. Just shows what you can accomplish when you go into something with an actual plan
They are also two totally different situations. Cal lost all his power and support, he literally had to get out and hid because he would be killed. This makes Cal's response to trauma feel natural and realistic. Luke, however, was one of the most influential men in the galaxy, the most powerful man in the galaxy, and threatened by any enemy. It makes his response to trauma feel artificial, forced, and manufactured (which is was because the writers of the Last Jedi were more focused on forcing the story about a broken man vs exploring how how Luke would actually react to such a situation).
I felt connected to Cal Kestis, he felt human, sentient, real. Luke, during the Originals, felt much the same way, wide eyed and arrogant up until he gets his hand chopped off on Bespin, then he felt grounded to the reality around him... then the Fire Nation attacked, and stole from him his genuinity. Cal is easily an A. Luke, on the other hand, is a solid C due to his... assassination, before that, he was an A+.
I have a feeling in the next game Cal will go out in the way of Kanan or Ezra. Either sacrifices himself or disappears. Hence him not appearing during or after the OT.
Cal Kestis's story is literally perfect; why create a new trilogy when games, books, and things that could have occurred during the Prequel/Original Trilogy would have been the better choice? They don't ruin the fan base.
If they intend to have a character appear in live action later on I can agree that it's smart to create the character model after the voice actor, but personally I really dislike it when games do it. For me it immediately draws me out of it when I see an actor I know in a game as a character. Live action doesn't have a choice (I'm not really counting CG here), but games have the freedom to design their characters however they want and have unique characters that don't appear anywhere else. While it's possible they planned to bring Cal into live action, I don't think so since I've neither seen or heard anything even close to suggesting that's the case. It seems much more like SW:FO is just part of a (in my opinion bad) trend of hiring actors for games just for their name/ face recognition.
Can you do one for Finn he was my favorite sequel character. I know he got mistreated in the rise of skywalker and a little bit in the last Jedi but I still think he’s a good character
Honestly, I haven't played the game myself, don't have a machine to run it properly, and don't want to risk burning down my current one by overbearing it with a game like this (already pushing it close to its limits with games like For Honor or Rainbow Six Siege), so can't tell much about the story I haven't experienced, but I like that this game almost single-handedly flipped the switch in heads of EA executives to stop ignoring single-player story-driven games as "not worth their time", something notion that persisted so long despite successes like new God of War proving to the contrary, great we're getting back original Mass effect trilogy, and seems like maybe next Dragon Age game will be a story-driven experience instead of initial plans to make it a live-service like Anthem so Cal is not only great character in-universe but also quite important one outside it
Last Jedi isnt cannon for me, but it would be interesting to see how Cal reacts and deals with "another" order 66. Would everything he has gone trough make him deal better with the situation and allow him to help other and be a beacon of hope, or would being kicked in the teeth twice in the same way make him completly snap and say screw it, this is not worth it. Either way, there is an interesting story to say in this situation
![YoungBoy Never Broke Again - Missing Everything [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dTYeMZGzOzw/mqdefault.jpg)
Respond to this comment with your nomination for which character we should do next, or vote with a thumbs up if they're already listed!
Kit Fisto
Ezra Bridger, come on.
Kanan Jarrus
Kanan Jarrus
Sev RC-1207
Considering Cal literally went through Order 66, watching his Jedi Master get gunned by clones and then having to survive in hiding from the Empire, Darth Vader and the Inquisitors, I'd argue he was more traumatised than Last Jedi Luke.
From what I've learned, tons of Jedi survived Order 66, and many had to have been traumatized during and after they were hunted like animals by Vader and his troops.
Shame Yoda never tried to look for them:(
@@superdewott3209 Yep that is true
@@superdewott3209 To be fair, the last thing any Jedi would've heard was to scatter, hide, train in secret. Not to gather up. Yoda was one of the most wanted men in the empire, if not THE most wanted. If he was ever found, then that would mean the deaths of the Jedi that he had gathered to him. If a bunch of Jedi started gathering with him, it could've made some sort of beacon in the force that Vader and Sidious could've sensed.
Point is, don't think it was a good idea outside of fanfiction for Yoda to go looking for Jedi.
@@rev0568 but would it have been better for Yoda to try to gather the Jedi and hide them away, or let them slowly get killed?
Yoda had proven he can sense their deaths across lightyears.
I imagine he could easily locate them like a beacon. That's how Siduous and Vader found and hunted the Jedi as well.
BTW I enjoy these types of conversations. Gives me different perspectives from others :D
Even if he wasn’t more traumatised, the story of his trauma is way better.
Loved cal. Character growth and struggles with ptsd can change a person. Proved to be a great character and Jedi.
It make sense too unlike the way it was done with luke
@@marshmallowvampire8503 I actually quite enjoyed starkiller. I liked him because his story was one of redemption and sacrifice. And yes he was very op but I always like him.
Playing through Fallen Order for the third time right now. That Order 66 scene hits me still
there are some great pc mods for fallen order. Even mando outfit with a voice changer
I played it for the first time a few months back. The Order 66 scene was very well done but i found it impossible to avoid comparing it to The Clone Wars as both Order 66 scenes took place on what appeared to be a Venator. Sadly if you compare it to the grand finale to possibly the best piece of star wars media, starring my favourite character and Captain Rex (easily in my top 5) with events happening simultaneously with my favourite star wars film its going to seem a bit lackluster
Best part is when Clones are giving you high-fives and seconds later Order 66 is on...
I remember wishing that Jaro survived the onslaught even while knowing that it wouldn’t happen. So sad…
I feel like we need to talk more about BD-1 because I was not expecting a droid with that much of a backstory.
You talked about Cal's doubts in himself and I loved that in the end it was BD who rescued Cal when he had completely given up when his kyber crystal broke. Then BD revealed that he would only regain access to his memories if he found someone he truly trusted and believed in and that he had chosen Cal, well, it meant everything to him. Their story had more heart than the entire disney trilogy combined and I didn't think a droid would make me cry in a freaking video game.
Not to mention, BD-1 was a vastly better designed droid then BB-8.
@@TankHunter678 don't hate on BB-8 lol
@@yrsruby5396 BB-8 and its terrible design is what threw me out of the sequel trilogy right off the bat, leading me to realize as I was watching the movie how it was a clone of A New Hope. BB-8 was clearly designed to be the new R2-D2, problem being that it was such a tiny thing, and a ball, that if you tried to put it in the same situations as R2-D2 then it would utterly fail at its job. Hell you could even see this right in the intro of The Last Jedi. A problem that an R2 unit could fix in a jiffy required BB-8 to slam his head into the paneling simply because its proper tools could not reach.
Which the tools would naturally not have the reach because the droid is so small that it won't have the space to allow for more arm length for tools. It did after all need to dedicate a lot of its frame space to the power unit that allowed the head to be able to both hover over the frame and stay clung onto the frame.
It also had to roll its body around in order to be able to bring certain tools to bear for use. A problem R2-D2 never had because his large tall cylindrical shape would allow him to have a internal rotating tool rack, something made obvious by how R2-D2 would often times bring different tools out of the same ports. Clearly able to adjust his options, he just needed to match the size of the tool with the size of the port on the body.
It ultimately comes down to BB-8 being designed simply to be able to roll to places quickly for fast moving scenes and to store the map in his ash tray. He is merchandise more then he is a useful droid model besides maybe being a companion droid for a child (which is what he was marketed towards in real life...).
@@TankHunter678 as just a carrier of just a fun little droid, the design is fine but for his purpose, oh god. They couldn’t have designed something for useful?
I totally agree! When Cere said they had to go to Bogano for Cal to find someone who could lead him to the Zeffo Vault, Cal thought it was going to be another Jedi. I was surprised to see a smal utility/tracking droid! BD-1 gave up his memories to have the data storage capacity for the maps of the areas, that he and Cal traversed! What a noble thing to do.
Cal was honestly one of the most compelling characters in Star Wars. Playing as him and seeing his journey is one of the reasons I was so invested in Fallen Order and why it's one of my favorite Star Wars stories. I really hope he appears in the Mandalorian, I wish he had shown up last season.
I honestly thought Cal Kestis was a solid protagonist, his encounter with Darth Vader at the end was just awesome, plus his rivalry with Trilla was good. What's even cooler is that he was played by Cameron Monaghan who played Joker in Gotham TV show.
I could honestly talk about how great that Vader encounter is for hours. I've only recently began reading some of the books and comics, so as a seasoned casual fan they did an amazing job at showing how terrifying a barely trying Vader at his prime was and how any Jedi who escaped him did so because of a random stroke of pure luck.
@@peridotasadeadbritishmonar7924 Yeah, I agree. The way Darth Vader made an entrance while he used force stasis to immobilize Tilla and you can hear his breathing sounds and footsteps before he fully reveals himself, you know you're done for. Trilla looked so terrified by Darth Vader.
Cal is surprisingly a great character, I hope we can see more of him in the future.
We will because Jedi fallen order 2 is in development
What's the point? He's dead by the time the atrocious sequel trilogy rolls around
@@jeremyallen492 fun game? Good characters? Hope he's dead too so he won't witnesses the mess of the sequels
@@jeremyallen492 Says who?
@@IndyDefense he could be alive during the sequels, he’d only be 67-66, he probably would be either in completely in exile or cut himself off from the force
I think it's interesting they cast a live action "Joker" as an animated Jedi.
Nice
While the animated joker pretended to play a real jedi (and failed due to the bad story)
At least Hamill has his older roles.
Like Mark Hamil, Cameron Monaghan did a great job as both a Jedi and a live-action Joker.
Is this a reference to when he stole pants in ned's declassified school survival guide or something else he did
@@jeremyscungio16 Cal's actor played the "Joker" on the Gotham series. (Quotes because for legal reasons they can't call him Joker but he is Joker.)
While I was elated that it was Luke that showed up at the end of Mando season 2. I wouldn't have been entirely disappointed if it was Kal.
I guess it would spoil fallen order 2
Wrong timeline he’s probably dead by then
Cal Kestis is hands down one of my new top favorites. This game did such a great job telling his story and making you care for him. I hope this isn't the only game. I want a book and/or another game.
Speaking of Kal not being overpowered. As soon as you can use the two lightsaber attacks the game RAMPS up its difficulty. I loved running into a room full of K-2's just to drive that point home.
The benefit Cal has is he was a new character so his reaction to it can fit his character, and his response seemed rational. Luke was an established character so it was very obviously not in character especially given how ridiculously over the top his response was.
Vader : You would be wise to surrender.
Kal : yeah... Probably
Such a good answer
Definitely on the same level as:
Count Dooku: Brave of you, Boy. But I would have thought you would have learned your lesson
Anakin: I am a slow learner
@@Jefafa824 What I really like is that Cal knows he's not strong enough against Vader and the way he responds reflects that.
My grandpa being constipated is a better and more relatable story of grief & trauma than Jake in TLJ
thats not a story the jedi would tell
@Wes Bradley-Taubner not only abandon family but also leave a cryptic map to the location so he can say "fuck u" again to that family if they ever need some help in the future.
True story
Thanks for the laugh, I really needed it 😂😂😁
@@Pir-o Where do people get this idea that Luke left a map? Never once does TFA so much as hint that the map came from him. And if you read some behind the scenes interviews, the actual intention of the writers is that R2's piece was downloaded many years before when he plugged into the Death Star, and Lor San Tekka's piece was something he happened to find as an artifact collector.
Cal is absolutely an awesome character in Jedi Fallen Order and I really enjoy seeing him development from start to finish. He is an A for me as he my top favourite Jedi or light side force user along with Qui Gon, Luke & Ahsoka.
My favorite exchange:
*Jaro Tapal:* Padawan. Where is the Force?
*Cal Kestis:* Everywhere. It is within me. It surrounds me.
*Jaro Tapal:* Just so. It connects you. There will be times when emotion, pain, or exhaustion trick you. You will feel cut off. Isolated. This is an illusion. Your lightsaber lies there. Out of reach. But you remain connected through the Force. Feel that energy around you, and summon your weapon.
I loved being Cal, learning his story and experiencing his progression through grief and Jedi-dum. I wish I had seen this poll, I missed it. A for me.
All of Jake Skywalker's character arc happened off screen, so.. take that for what you will.
I mean yes but actually no.
The problem with that is we miss the journey, which is to me the most interesting part. It also makes the character seem far too different if we dont see them change. For example imagine watching the first episode of Breaking Bad then skipping everything but watching the last episode. The change in Walter White would seem jarring, because we didnt watch it happen.
@@Cabolt44 how? It literally goes from hopeful and fully fledged jedi Luke to depressed and pussy Luke...
The thing for me about Cal is that we literally go on the journey with him, every step, his growth is really OUR growth as the player, the moment when the 2nd sisters music kicks in, I was shook, when Vader turned up, I was hyped AND scared! Killing Ogdo Bogdo was GREAT! Climbing home tree on Kashyyk was fantastic!!!
On another note, I enjoy reading the comments on Thor's channel and man do I appreciate the videos, they have helped me get through Covid lockdowns because A) the videos are so good, I love his voice. And B) the love for Star Wars that just flows from this page!!!
Cheese, I know, but, I appreciate it all!
Let's keep in mind that Galen was trained by Darth Vader and starts out ready for combat while Cal's training was cut short as a kid. So the gameplay differences make sense.
Can't believe I missed the "Cal Kestis" poll... A bit late to the party, but I give him an "A"
Same damn I wish I can vote too, definitely give him A
Same here. I finished Fallen Order about three months ago. I would give him a B+, since "A" is reserved for characters like Vader and Obi-wan, but since you can only give A or B I would rather give him an A, because he is much closer to A than B for me. I really enjoyed the story of Fallen Order and journey of Cal. He is also such a relatable character because you can easily get in his shoes and think what you woul have done being in his place. He is not the "chosen one" like Anakin or even Jedi Master like Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, etc. I usually don't enjoy that type of games (Dark Souls-like), but story was so compelling that I couldn't stop playing.
C'mon his knighting ceremony is one of the best moments in Star Wars. Impromptu and yet powerful. Very much like Kanan's and (crossing fandoms) Brienne of Tarth's knighting, but Cal's knighting had more kick with that Star Wars music playing.
the part about not letting the past define you is even done better THAN in rise of Skywalker
@@darthknightwingphoenix2081 oh shit. I meant to say better than in rise of skywalker not better in rise lmao. mb
@@GoldeneyeDoubleO7 no problem. Glad I could point out the error.
I loved Fallen Order. As I was playing it though my wife, who loves the TV show Shameless, noticed who Cal is played by. Many jokes were had after. That being said I REALLY REALLY want more Nightsister stories. The Nightsisters had such an interesting take on the force, one of the few instances of force users other than Jedi or Sith.
Love the new avatar!
Also, before it was Luke at the end, I’d wondered if it might have been Cal coming to rescue Grogu.
He's a grate character and while he isn't a Vader or Luke, he still deserves an -A or a neutral A for his story and may it continue.
Cal's growth from traumatised survivor to steadfast, brave knight is the kind of journey I was hoping to see in the Sequels. Him being a game character unfortunately means a lot of people will miss out. Still, a really well done and sympathetic character.
Cal Kestis is a true Jedi and one of my favourite Star Wars characters as of today.
I'm in the middle of Jedi Survivor, and I'm enjoying the game tremendously, in many ways thanks to Cal.
Solid character, B+. Video game characters are just hard to give a high ranking since so much goes into their score other than the character themselves.
I usually don't watch your videos but this one intrigued me. I watched it and agree with you and most of the comments shown in video. When I heard you mention about Cal at some point possibly being part of Luke's Jedi Academy, I thought to myself he would be most likely over twice as old as Luke and Cal would already be a Jedi Knight. So even if they met as adults after the start of the Jedi Academy, Cal would become a teacher, not a student. Not that he still would have some things to learn that his original master could not teach him.
Thor, I received the digital PC Steam edition of Jedi Fall Order as a birthday gift last year from my younger brother Mark. It was the best birthday gift ever! As I played through the initial levels, I began to empithize with Cal. He lost every thing he knew after Order 66. Working as a scrapper must have been tough after being a Jedi. Even though Cal never finished his training, I saw in him, what I saw in myself at 17 or 18; unsure of the world and my place in it. At 18 I had just graduated from senior high(this was 1995; I'm 44 now) and I was not keen on going to college near home(although I had the grades to get into a four year college, my dad insisted I go to community or junior college instead.) and live at home until I graduated and got a job, which is what I did.
Cal, unlike most of us, never knew his parents, as some Master sensed him through the Force and found him. He began his training in a youngling group most likely taught by Yoda or some other Master. Cal being apprenticed to Jaro, being an alien was not uncommon. Through his Force flashback of his training as an apprentice with Jaro, we got an sense of him as Cal's master. That Order 66 sequence was intense! When Jaro was hit with Clone Trooper's blaster fire, I knew he was going to die. The two of them on that escape pod; Jaro(dying):Cal, trust no one, trust only in the Force". Cal(crying): "Yes, Master." It was quite sad. That's the trauma Cal carries with him everyday! This is some deep stuff here.
I never thought a video game, much less a Star Wars video game could make feel anything for the "hero". Yes, Luke was traumatized when Ben turned against him and attacked him and killed most of his studnets with the dark side and burned down his training center. Cal is more trauamtized, from the betrayal of the clone troopers, and the death of his master Jaro. I think it' a commentary on how it's possible to experience a horrible tragedy and move on with one's life. Truly a great Star Wars video game!
Cal is a pretty great character, he deserves an A. Very well written, has an interesting plot... what more could you really want?
Genuienly one of my top 5 charcters in all of star wars. loved cal and loved fallen order. Can't wait for 2
Finally. I’ve been requesting this for so long.
What is that pfp
I think what Yoda meant is that Luke was the last Jedi who held the ideals of the Order and who was willing to fight the Empire
A redo of this video after Jedi Survivor would be great. I feel Jedi Survivor made him an even better character.
Love your channel mate :)
I bet most of the People who gave him an A played on higher difficulty thus had more emotion/time/energy put into the game than the people who didn’t. Interesting to think about, personal I give him an A. Fallen order was a decent game but the story was vastly superior to the gameplay. Cal’s journey was at the center of the story and was extremely compelling.
9:47
it's very likely that Yoda didn't know how many--if any--other Jedi survived Order 66 so he might have assumed that he and Obi-Wan were the only survivors
this isn't true, you need to rewatch ROTS
i like the character and the idea of him. i know he is a completely different character but the way he is designed is how i imagine Luke and Mara jade's son would look.
I've always been of the mindset Cal has the same personality as Luke from Legends. Uh... it really isn't fair..
I personally feel Cal is the next best Luke Skywalker in terms of what kind of Jedi he aims to be.
Something interesting about the force unleashed is that Starkiller has a lot more difficulty defeating than Luke did in his hallway scene. He had the presence of a master as a toddler and spent his adolescence years as Vader’s personal apprentice, essentially becoming Anakin without the bodily injuries. He’s Anakin’s full potential and even then he barely held his own against the emperor and ultimately was killed by him. He has some powerful scenes but ultimately I really don’t think he is overpowered.
Cal Kestis could be in the Kenobi or the Ashoka show.
Been waiting for this since day 1
This character has one of the most unique lightsabers ever, with three different combat styles under his belt
Double-bladed lightsaber combat
Single bladed combat
Dual-wielding saber combat
Honestly, more Jedi should have that, especially during war time, which is most of the time in Star Wars
@@ABadassDragon I agree
I completely agree with you, but there are only two dual wielding attacks, but hopefully more in the sequel
@@maple22moose44 yes
@Joshua White but split-sabers have that option because the hilts are regular sized. Double-bladed lightsaber hilts are too long for single blade combat all the time
I wish Jedi Fallen Order would’ve had some Shameless Easter eggs since Cal is played by Ian Gallagher’s actor
They should have had Even Peters show up.
if we get a noel fisher cameo in fallen order 2 i will cry
I agree with those comments 100%. Even though yes video game characters like Starkiller tend to be Gary Stews, it's for fun and in the case of Force Unleashed there is a novelization that gives us a better understanding of his actual powers.
Additionally, something I adore about Fallen Order is that it is very character driven, a writing technique that makes boring stories like a fetch quest interesting. Something Endgame understood, and Rise/Skywalker didn't.
So him and Hera are signs that Disney is capable of making characters people like.
If they had done the same with the sequels, I could only imagine.
disney had nothing to do with this
I thought Cal was a great character and his emotional journey was a highlight of Fallen Order
Thumbnail: Which did it better?
Me: This shouldn't even be a question that exists
Yeah... Pretty spot on.
I didnt saw thhe poll, but I'd had given him a solid A. Nice, relatable (while still having a strong personality) protagonist, specially for people like me, I think, who are 19/20 and are transitioning from child to man, at the same time he is going from padawan to jedi knight
One of my top favorite characters
Haven’t seen it. Looks like a decent game. All I know is that Cal Kestis would’ve made a good Ben Skywalker...
Oh my god that actually sounds perfect.
I just got the game recently and it's pretty good so far. Cal is a cool dude and I want to see how this game ends
After his whole arc concludes. Probably after a trilogy of games and a couple of live action appereances
He will be top tier
Oh, now, Thor: I think We can ALL agree that the depiction of Cal Kestis is the better of the two.
I still think Cal's a great character. I did leave a comment and what I thought about him on the original poll, so I won't explain it all again.
He's a minimum of a B tier character and the maximum of an A tier character.
I'm currently waiting for my custom lightsaber of his hilt to arrive. The hilt was out of stock and just came back in stock yestersay, so my order was delayed for a couple weeks. I'm working on creating a costume for him from scratch and finding some quality hair-dye to make it the red/orange. I don't know when I can go to a convention again, but that'll at least give me time to work on that costume.
Note: The hilt isn't 100% accurate. It's made for serious dueling, so the fins along the top of the hilt have extra protection and features to cover that up. It isn't dual-bladed either, but I can get a second hilt and a coupler sometime in the future.
Watch Patolog's playthrough of Jedi Fallen Order. He turns the game into a movie. It was like watching Good Star Wars all over again.
Ah yes, the character who brought force meters into official Star Wars canon.
I don’t think that’s canon in the same way that all of Cal’s different crystals aren’t canon. Just added to add some variety/add to the gameplay.
@@maple22moose44 well it explains an awful lot of moments where characters conveniently don’t use certain abilities. Like Obi Wan vs Grievous. He spent his force meter dispatching the magnaguards and had to regen it by fighting for a bit. Or Kylo Ren not using a push on Finn because he’d just spent his meter on pushing Rey. Or Vader not having the force to throw stuff at Luke until midway through their fight (probably couldn’t find a meditation spot). Even the emperor can’t manage a force jump after spending his entire meter repeatedly shocking Luke.
Dude....it's a video game. Their rules are different than straight story-telling. It's main focus is the gameplay.
@@leahvolmer9210 I know. I just came up with it as a joke playing Fallen Order with my brother. We had a blast coming up with examples of where it fit in the films.
Welcome Cal Kestis to the Jedi/ Joker club.
Another SW protagonist who is also the Joker.
Was incredibly happy when it was announced Cameron Monaghan would be getting a staring role in a Star Wars property because he did a fantastic job as Jerome Valeska in Gotham and its a testament to his skill as an actor that he can pull off both such a disturbing performance in Gotham, while going on to playing such a relatable hero in Fallen Order.
One of the best character in Star Wars
Man, I love Cameron Monaghan!
I'd love to see your KOTOR analysis!
I actually made a video similar to this a few months back, comparing Cal & Cere to Luke & Ben
As a future what if idea, "What if the Council never threw Ashoka under the bus?"
I really liked Cal pretty inversed proportion to the sliding & jumping puzzles on Dathomyr which I hated. That is until the end when he destroys the Holocron. He is supposed to be a Jedi Knight but he did not meditate before making a decision that effects dozens if not hundreds of people and could have galaxy spanning repercussions? A to C in an instant.
My question is: what is the need of taking a character and send it to the path of grief and trauma? Did they run out of alternatives?
12:23
When playing the game, i think of myself and Cal as different people, but also the same if that makes sense. I am experiencing his experiences, but as me not as him. For example, on Dathomir, Cal defeated Malakos with the help of Merrin, but I defeated Malakos with the help of easy mode.
Brainstorm here, but what if Cal ended up forming his own small jedi order away from Luke's, either because they never met and each fills the gap they percive of there being a need for a new order, or because their experiences give them different philosophies on what a jedi should be and they go their separate ways. I'm sure there's a lot of story problems with fitting something like this in, but I can't help but think it could be cool to have a few "factions" of jedi who work completely separately and disagree on what it means to be a jedi while still having the same general goal, like schisms in historical religions. It could be very interesting to explore, I think.
Yes it did. It took the characteristics of the sequel trilogy and made them much better in the post-prequels
if Lucasfilm decided to flesh out Cal even more, please don't go to Disney. there are pros and cons for him to stay as a game character, the pro is, his character won't get destroyed by disney, but the con is, he won't be as popular
not to say that Disney can't make a good movie, but they kinda prone to make a bad one..? for the sake of money
I was gonna just edit my previous comment, but I thought it'd be best to make this a new comment since has little to do with it.
Cal wouldn't have been able to meet Luke in Fallen Order given that the game's story is set roughly 5-6 years after the Fall of the Republic. Luke would only be 5-6 at that point, still living on Tatooine.
The Mandalorian, however, would work with that. In fact, you might see an older, seasoned Cal Kestus! That'd be pretty darn cool!
By the time I write this there has been a new game for Cal and it explains why Yoda does not count Cal as a Jedi.
Also at this time we have seen Cal and Luke together, on a TV advert! Concerning the game! With Luke teaching Cal about the Force and Luke, well, Mark complains that he didn't get two or twin lightsaber! Cal begins to explain the game and Mark say "I don't need you to explain the Force to me"
By the end of the new game Cal will be rated much higher!
now do the 2nd and 9th sister please
Solid A tier hope fallen order 2 should be more of a dlc adding stuff to fallen order instead of being a new game
He’s my favourite character by far and can’t wait to see him in more Star Wars media
The fact that he's one of the only great characters to come to SW since The Clone Wars is shocking and sad. Just shows how little Disney cares about the IP.
Cal Kestis is actually my second favorite Jedi behind Anakin. It's a very uncommon thing, I know.
Cal is fine but we all know the best and most intriguing character in Fallen Order (who was criminally underused until the last act of the game) is Merrin
I wanna see cal in the Andor series
I think the message isn’t that mistakes don’t define us, at least mistakes alone don’t define us, they do. Everyone makes mistakes and often those mistakes are tailored to us personally, our character. But the way we react to them also defines us. Action and reaction are eternally tied to each other. Call’s mistakes become a part of him, marks on his skin, but what he chooses to do in response, the lessons he has learned and the choice to rise and be better than the one who made that mistake, that ALSO defines him.
It's still very mind blowing to me that fallen order is a better told story than anything in the sequels. Just shows what you can accomplish when you go into something with an actual plan
They are also two totally different situations. Cal lost all his power and support, he literally had to get out and hid because he would be killed. This makes Cal's response to trauma feel natural and realistic.
Luke, however, was one of the most influential men in the galaxy, the most powerful man in the galaxy, and threatened by any enemy. It makes his response to trauma feel artificial, forced, and manufactured (which is was because the writers of the Last Jedi were more focused on forcing the story about a broken man vs exploring how how Luke would actually react to such a situation).
Also... Cal has red hair. So.... ya know. Instant S+ Tier. (I may be biased)
Yes.
I felt connected to Cal Kestis, he felt human, sentient, real. Luke, during the Originals, felt much the same way, wide eyed and arrogant up until he gets his hand chopped off on Bespin, then he felt grounded to the reality around him... then the Fire Nation attacked, and stole from him his genuinity. Cal is easily an A. Luke, on the other hand, is a solid C due to his... assassination, before that, he was an A+.
Jedi fallen order is probably my favorite thing in Star Wars ties with the ot and the mandalorian
If i had a dollar for everytime someone who played Joker also played a Jedi, i would have 2 dollars, which isnt a lot, but its weird it happend twice
I have a feeling in the next game Cal will go out in the way of Kanan or Ezra. Either sacrifices himself or disappears. Hence him not appearing during or after the OT.
Cal Kestis's story is literally perfect; why create a new trilogy when games, books, and things that could have occurred during the Prequel/Original Trilogy would have been the better choice? They don't ruin the fan base.
Remember plural of jedi is jedi. Could have meant Yoda that last of the Jedi, Jedi as in the plural version
It's also not that common that you see a character with a poncho being a big part of the design.
If they intend to have a character appear in live action later on I can agree that it's smart to create the character model after the voice actor, but personally I really dislike it when games do it.
For me it immediately draws me out of it when I see an actor I know in a game as a character.
Live action doesn't have a choice (I'm not really counting CG here), but games have the freedom to design their characters however they want and have unique characters that don't appear anywhere else.
While it's possible they planned to bring Cal into live action, I don't think so since I've neither seen or heard anything even close to suggesting that's the case.
It seems much more like SW:FO is just part of a (in my opinion bad) trend of hiring actors for games just for their name/ face recognition.
Can you do one for Finn he was my favorite sequel character. I know he got mistreated in the rise of skywalker and a little bit in the last Jedi but I still think he’s a good character
Honestly, I haven't played the game myself, don't have a machine to run it properly, and don't want to risk burning down my current one by overbearing it with a game like this (already pushing it close to its limits with games like For Honor or Rainbow Six Siege), so can't tell much about the story I haven't experienced, but I like that this game almost single-handedly flipped the switch in heads of EA executives to stop ignoring single-player story-driven games as "not worth their time", something notion that persisted so long despite successes like new God of War proving to the contrary, great we're getting back original Mass effect trilogy, and seems like maybe next Dragon Age game will be a story-driven experience instead of initial plans to make it a live-service like Anthem so Cal is not only great character in-universe but also quite important one outside it
WandaVision did it better. If they had Luke living in a Force-powered sitcom on Ach-To, it still would have been a better movie than TLJ.
Last Jedi isnt cannon for me, but it would be interesting to see how Cal reacts and deals with "another" order 66. Would everything he has gone trough make him deal better with the situation and allow him to help other and be a beacon of hope, or would being kicked in the teeth twice in the same way make him completly snap and say screw it, this is not worth it. Either way, there is an interesting story to say in this situation