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Respawn's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor team talks about Cere and Darth Vader

In a special deep dive into one of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's most memorable sequences, the team at Respawn talk about Cere Junda and the return of Darth Vader.

Ozzie Mejia

December 5, 2023 1:30 PM

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor continued the story of Cal Kestis and his fight against the Empire. One of the game's biggest story threads was the reunion of the old crew from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which included Jedi Master Cere Junda. Cere had been stationed on Jedah alongside fellow Jedi Master Eno Cordova and the Narkis Anchorites, who had been maintaining the Jedi Archives while also running the Hidden Path smuggling network. Late in the game, the Hidden Path's base was discovered by the Empire and it led to one of the game's most memorable sequences.

(Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Those who have not played the game are encouraged to turn back if they don't want this sequence spoiled for them.)

Shacknews recently had the opportunity to speak with members of the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor development team at Respawn Entertainment. Design Director Jason de Heras, Senior Combat Designer Kevin Hsu, Senior Encounter Designer Patrick Wren, and Lead Writer Danny Homan all dive into Cere Junda's character from the end of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, discussing her growth as both a Jedi and a leader. They also talk about the sequence in the game in which a playable Cere battles the incoming forces of the Empire, discussing the story atmosphere and the game design elements.

Finally, they dive into the fateful battle between Cere and Darth Vader. The team talks about their usage of Vader, the manner in which he's presented, the challenges that come with using such an iconic villain, and the motivations of both Cere and Vader during their climactic clash.

Finally, what is the big takeaway of this sequence of events for Cal Kestis? The team talks about Cal's relationship with Cere and how the outcome of her fight with Vader may ultimately affect him.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. For more videos like this, be sure to subscribe to Shacknews and Shacknews Interviews on YouTube.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?