Star Wars has never been short of great characters. From the legendary trio of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia in the original trilogy to the recent arrival of The Mandalorian’s Din Djarin and Grogu, characters have always been what makes Star Wars tick. As much as I detest the current direction Disney is taking Star Wars in, the reason Boba Fett and Ahsoka are getting spin-offs is because audiences fell in love with their characters to begin with. Even the much-maligned prequel trilogy gave us Anakin, Padme, Mace Windu, and Darth Maul. However, in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the best characters are the faceless B1 Droids.
Jedi: Survivor's cast is pretty similar to the first game. It's still led by Cal, and Greez, Cere, and Merrin are back by your side. Bode, a bounty hunter with a jetpack, also joins the crew, but he can't compete with the droids. These droids are the weakest enemies in the game, often going down in just a single hit. They're used in the early encounters to allow players to get used to the combat without things being too punishing, and then come in greater numbers for harder battles as a way of overwhelming you to keep you from focusing on the harder hitting foes. As combatants, they do their job. They're fine. Where they really shine is in the life they bring to the game.
In my review, I was critical of Jedi: Survivor's structure, which bounces you between the same two planets constantly. This exposes the flaws in Koboh, the main open world, as you get to see how lifeless it is without you and are constantly frustrated by the game blocking you from progressing in ways that feel inorganic. However, it does do a fantastic job of making it feel lived in, at least while you're there. The moment you leave, it pauses and waits for your return, which breaks the illusion, but it is compelling while you're there.
A key part of this is the droids. In a lot of games, the enemies will wordlessly patrol an area, or will be standing statue-still until you arrive. They may even be hidden behind a door you cannot open, cutting out the need to animate them at all. In Jedi: Survivor, the enemies are constantly busy. They chat to each other, sometimes bickering, sometimes sitting around with their guard down, and often just wandering around the area to stretch their legs. It feels like the behaviour of actual guards, and makes for some great comedy moments.
When the previews dropped, a few clips were shared of the B1 Droid patrolling the cliff, enjoying the view and fantasising about climbing the chain, but regretting the fact that his progress through the ranks will mean he loses his beautiful lookout. Cal then instantly jumps up and kills him. While the other types of enemies also have conversations and patrol in realistic ways, the B1 Droids as the constant fodder are easily the funniest foes you fight.
If you take out a whole gang before them, they will mutter to themselves lines like 'oh no, now it's just me', and cry out in delight if they manage to land a hit with their peashooter blaster, usually before being instantly blown away by one in return. Star Wars can be a little self-serious for what is just space cowboys with glow in the dark swords, but Jedi: Survivor keeps the world loaded with humour so the story itself can focus on bringing the heavy stuff without seeming a little ridiculous.
The B1 Droids are everywhere in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and find the perfect balance between a steady stream of chatter and humour without veering into Borderlands territory of becoming an annoying nuisance. Sorry for the driveby Randy. The characters are yet again the main reason to play Jedi: Survivor, just as they were with Jedi: Fallen Order. For all the great stars you meet though, nothing holds a candle to the B1 Droids.