As 2026 rolls on, Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi saga remains one of the most talked-about corners of a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the 2023 sequel to Fallen Order, built on the third-person action-adventure foundation and cemented Cal Kestis as a proper franchise protagonist. The expected third chapter is widely presumed to close out a trilogy, but the series’ future also carries a hefty dose of missed potential. The elephant in the room? Star Wars Jedi has never fully committed to the soulslike label fans keep pinning on it.

A Story-Driven Galaxy Far, Far Away 🚀

From the start, storytelling has been the heart of Cal’s journey. Fallen Order picked up after the Great Jedi Purge and the rise of the Galactic Empire, placing a surviving Padawan against impossible odds. Survivor doubled down on that emotional core, fleshing out Cal’s growth into a Jedi Knight during a time of strife for the galaxy’s remaining Force-sensitives. Supporting characters like Cere and Bode gave the narrative real stakes, and their losses and victories hit harder because Respawn chose to center the series on one character’s development.

That choice sets Star Wars Jedi apart from many of its peers. Where traditional Soulslikes often let players create a blank-slate hero, Respawn’s games follow a set protagonist. The result is a clearer, more cinematic through-line. Comparisons to FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are common for good reason: both games blend swordplay, exploration, and punishing enemies with a named hero. Yet Star Wars Jedi takes the set protagonist idea further by carrying Cal across multiple titles. It is more accessible and story-driven than the average soulslike, and that is not a knock against it. It is simply a different flavor.

Soulslike DNA Without the Full Commitment ⚔️

Still, the series has often been called “soulslike” in the vein of FromSoftware’s infamously hardcore RPGs. It may not reach the same difficulty heights, but Survivor continued borrowing mechanics like bonfire-style checkpoints, stamina-like posture management, and risk-reward exploration. Some fans have loved the direction. Others want the whole nine yards.

That tension is the crux of the debate. Star Wars Jedi could have benefited from going in the opposite direction—toward a fuller, more traditional soulslike experience. The genre typically features custom character creation and an open-ended approach to progression. A Star Wars game built around those pillars could let players enter part of the galaxy on their own terms, crafting their own Jedi, Sith, or scoundrel and discovering lore through exploration rather than cutscenes. It is a tall order, but the potential is enormous.

Imagine a title that matches the prestige of an RPG like Knights of the Old Republic while embracing the discovery-based lore of Elden Ring. In a franchise built on traditional storytelling, that approach could present Star Wars in a whole new light. Players could piece together the history of a forgotten world, stumble into a hidden Sith tomb, or decide whether to rebuild a shattered Jedi Order. It would be a bold swing, and not every fan would want Respawn to bite the bullet. But it would be a groundbreaking one.

Current Star Wars Jedi Approach	Full Soulslike Potential
Set protagonist: Cal Kestis	Custom character creation
Linear, cinematic story	Open-ended exploration and lore discovery
Accessible combat	Hardcore difficulty and build variety
Strong narrative focus	Player-driven role-playing
Clear trilogy arc	Expansive, choice-heavy progression

What Comes Next for Cal Kestis?

Whether the series emphasizes its soulslike aspects more in the next game or not, Cal’s story is almost sure to come to an end in traditional Star Wars fashion. The Star Wars Jedi threequel is expected to close the book on his arc, and the end of the series as a whole could be coming with it. However, the financial success of the franchise casts doubt over that prospect. When a game knocks it out of the park commercially, publishers rarely walk away without at least considering more.

Cal has become so recognizable as the face of the series that he will likely always be connected to it. Yet there is always potential for him to pass the torch in a major way one day. A future title could shift to a new protagonist, a new era, or even a player-created hero. That would be the cherry on top for fans who want both a satisfying conclusion and a wider galaxy to explore.

The Bottom Line 🎮

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor remains available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. As 2026 continues, the wait for the trilogy’s final chapter is a reminder of what Respawn has built: a rare Star Wars series that balances blockbuster action with genuine emotional weight. It may never fully embrace the soulslike formula, and that is fine. But the road not taken will keep fans talking. That lingering question also echoes a broader pattern: both Star Wars Jedi and Star Wars Outlaws follow a sad tradition, one where ambitious Star Wars games often leave fans wondering what might have been. After all, in a galaxy this big, there is room for more than one kind of Jedi story.