The Epic Resonance of Jaylen: Star Wars Outlaws' New Hero Embodies the Legendary Kyle Katarn

Highlights

Star Wars Outlaws is an upcoming RPG that allows players to explore the Star Wars universe at their own pace, encountering various characters along the way.

Fans have observed a character named Jaylen in the game, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Kyle Katarn from the Legends series. This resemblance has sparked speculation that Kyle Katarn might be officially reintroduced into the Star Wars canon.

In the event that Kyle Katarn becomes canonized in Star Wars Outlaws, certain aspects of his original storyline would require adjustments. Examples of these include his participation in the theft of the Death Star plans and his efforts to thwart the Dark Trooper program.

With more than four decades' worth of movies, TV shows, comics, novels, and video games, understanding the current Star Wars canon can be challenging, especially for newcomers. Although Disney eliminated most of the expanded universe after acquiring it, they have been incorporating classic concepts and characters into the official canon through various mediums such as The Mandalorian, Rogue One, and the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws video game.

Star Wars Outlaws revolves around a new character named Kay Vess and allows players to immerse themselves in the Galaxy Far, Far Away with unprecedented freedom. As an RPG, players can expect to encounter various characters throughout their journey, some of whom have already been confirmed. One particular confirmed scoundrel has sparked numerous wild theories among fans.

Star Wars Outlaws Could Be About to Canonize Kyle Katarn

Introduced in the 1995's Star Wars game, Dark Forces, Kyle Katarn initially appears as a simple mercenary hired by the Rebellion to stop the Dark Trooper program. Despite his modest origins, Kyle Katarn evolves into a revered hero in the galaxy. Following the collapse of the Empire, he becomes a Jedi and even assists Luke Skywalker in training a new generation of Jedi. Although Kyle Katarn has been absent from Star Wars media for more than ten years, there are indications that he may finally be making a highly anticipated return.

In the newly released story trailer for Star Wars Outlaws, fans can catch a glimpse of a character strikingly resembling Kyle Katarn. This character, named Jaylen, seems to be associated with Kay Vess and is depicted waiting for her aboard her ship. In a brief appearance, Jaylen dons a tan, double-pocketed shirt, a brown shoulder pad, dark pants, and features a nearly identical hairstyle and beard style to Katarn.

Many fans speculate that Star Wars Outlaws will reintroduce the Legends character, Kyle Katarn, into canon due to his strong resemblance to the character. This theory is not entirely unlikely as in the Legends universe, Katarn spends a significant portion of his life as a mercenary after defecting from the Empire. It would make sense for him to have crossed paths with Kay Vess at some point, considering his association with criminals. However, Katarn does not become a Jedi until after the events of Return of the Jedi, which occur after those of Star Wars Outlaws.

If Star Wars Outlaws were to bring Kyle Katarn back into canon, some adjustments would need to be made to his original story. In Star Wars: Dark Forces, Katarn's initial mission is to retrieve the Death Star plans. However, this would conflict with the events presented in Rogue One and therefore need to be omitted from his past. Additionally, a significant part of Dark Forces revolves around Katarn's involvement in stopping the Dark Trooper program, which would have to be removed as The Mandalorian establishes that Moff Gideon was responsible for its creation. Although it seems unlikely that Star Wars Outlaws will make Kyle Katarn canon, fans will continue to hold out hope until the game's release.

Star Wars Outlaws is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2024.