Review: Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars Is a Must-Read Before Playing Survivor

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order changed the game. 2019's introduction to Cal Kestis spawned a new sect of storytelling only possible thanks to Respawn's third-person epic. Years later, when we eventually got our first look at its sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, one thing was noticed immediately: Cal was alone.



Of course, all of that could still be marketing trickery. As the months have gone on however, it's become apparent that is not the case. Something drastic seems to have happened to the Mantis crew in that five-year gap between games. Cal looks like a dude who's seen some stuff, Greez and Merrin are nowhere to be found, and our only look at Cere indicates a Jedi walking a different path. The good news is players don't have to wait any longer for at least some answers.







Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars is the latest written entry into the Star Wars canon, hitting bookshelves this week. Sam Maggs pens the novel that takes place at an undisclosed point during the five years, only describing it as a 'few years' since the events of Fallen Order. Out of its many strengths, Battle Scars' greatest is capturing every single member of the Mantis crew at this point in their arc, drawing each as their own person with their own vision of the future. The end result is a book guaranteed to impact Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in an untold variety of ways.



This review will contain a few minor spoilers, but nothing major that couldn't be inferred from the first few chapters or Survivor's marketing. What Battle Scars might lack in that classic grandiose Star Wars adventure, it more than makes up for it with its understanding of what came before. Maggs makes it clear from page one that she deeply loves Fallen Order, crafting a novel that enriches this video game-based world in ways you didn't think you needed. While it might not be the 'true' sequel, Battle Scars lays the groundwork to get you to the next game and commands your attention. In case it wasn't clear already, you will regret not reading this novel before playing Survivor.







The story begins with Cal and the crew attacking a Haxion Brood base. After what happened in Fallen Order, the bounty hunter syndicate hasn't exactly left well enough alone, and still hunts the Mantis. So our heroes opt to take the fight to them this time around. One of the significant changes you'll notice off the bat is Cal isn't doing the dirty work alone anymore. Everyone has their role: he and Merrin are on the ground, Cere sneaks around, and Greez acts as the getaway. Seeing the team together immediately creates a false sense of security that everything is alright, but it's a necessary evil.



This happy-go-lucky start is accentuated within Maggs' diction. The point-of-view shifts from character to character throughout the novel, but we naturally start with Cal. It's a familiar way to start for the reader, but it also allows Maggs to write the character more loosely. The attack on the Haxion Brood base is treated as just another day at the office for Cal, who occupies his time quipping and bantering with the others through their comms. Maggs captures each character's voice so well it felt like I was playing an expansion for Fallen Order.



Battle Scars feels like a video game adaptation in more ways than one. Maggs goes out of her way to emphasize the little things that have to exist in a game, giving them practical in-universe descriptions for living in the manner they do. Why is a double jump considered a Force power? How does Cal tune into the Force to use a simple dash strike? What is Cal's mindset when treating BD-1's health stims like candy during a fight? You'll get those answers. But perhaps my favorite example is learning how it feels to have Cal's trusty droid companion crawl up his back. In the game, it's accepted that BD has to be attached to you somehow, but it can't be super comfortable. As it is described:

Battle Scars kicks into gear when it is discovered that Imperials are present in the base. After your standard action set piece, it becomes time to go. During the escape, Merrin runs into a female Stormtrooper who wants to leave the Empire. This individual knows who the Mantis crew are, believing they are her best chance for a fresh start. Or at least that's the sales pitch. Either way, it works on Merrin as it did with Cal when she suddenly proposed joining the crew after Cal defeated Taron Malicos on Dathomir.



Despite that parallel, it doesn't go over well with everyone. The woman named Frethylrin, or Fret for short, reveals herself as a simple analyst who claims to have been planning to leave the Empire for quite some time. Part of that alleged plan involves enticing our heroes to let her tag along on a mission to deal a significant blow to the Empire, something the Mantis crew hasn't been able to do much of since Fallen Order.



Trust is one of the big ideas in Battle Scars. Throughout the book, Cal and his friends are left asking themselves who they can count on. And if someone's motivations reveal themselves to be different than your own, can you trust them to come through when it matters most? Do they even have your best interests in mind? Merrin brought Fret aboard because she trusted her gut, but more might be bubbling under the surface.



The Nightsister is the standout in Battle Scars. After being introduced so late into Fallen Order, Maggs has the job of defining the intricacies of the character, and Maggs delivers. A part of Merrin still misses her home on Dathomir, and it is affecting her. Merrin is having trouble connecting to her magick like she used to and is also having difficulty relating to the other members of the Mantis despite their years together. She doesn't feel alone, but she doesn't feel whole. Merrin knows this is her found family, but she also knows this isn't the life she wanted. She still wants vengeance against the Empire for what happened to the Nightsisters during the Clone Wars. But what comes after?



This dual-pronged approach to the character who knows what she wants, but an untenable mental block holding her back makes for some compelling inner conflict. Merrin's arc is deployed with a strong intimate touch. Fret is a major part of her story, becoming a safe space for Merrin in ways I am not equipped to write about (you'll know what I'm referring to). Battle Scars is partly a journey about Merrin trying to regain her mojo, and it is easily the most authentic and rewarding one Maggs takes the reader on.







The biggest fault in Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars is something most tie-in novels suffer from. Fret's mission involves retrieving schematics for a dangerous weapon the Imperials could be looking to utilize. It's a very basic video game-like fetch quest plot, and it sadly feels more like a downloadable-content pack. With a massive title like Survivor on the horizon and canon to consider, it becomes hard to justify letting an author have free reign, even if they deserve it. Thankfully, this story didn't need it.



Maggs salvages these inherent limitations by using every positive we've discussed so far to her advantage. While Merrin has a through-line, Cal, Cere, and Greez don't receive that same consistent treatment until the real mission begins. Here, the cracks in the armor begin to show between Cal and the entire Mantis crew. The consequences of certain actions are sold as vital to the group's future, and if you are looking forward to Survivor, this is where you'll want to tune in. I won't dig much further into the how or why (there might be a fun Knights of the Old Republic easter egg in there, though), but it isn't even the entire fault of the antagonist... the Fifth Brother.



On the surface, the familiar Inquisitor is another example of the novel's scope being limited. While not an original villain, Battle Scars finally digs into what makes this guy tick, and we see what he can really do. In Star Wars: Rebels, the Fifth Brother serves as a surrogate villain because Vader couldn't practically be used the entire time. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, he straight-up disappears. The Fifth Brother gets to return to his big bad Boogeyman roots, as all Inquisitors should feel. His presence may not catalyze the central conflict, but it definitely intensifies it.







One way or another, all roads lead back to Cal Kestis. In Fallen Order, you, as the player, are forced to solve whatever problem is in front of you. That is taken to the extreme in Battle Scars. Cal would rather die than let anyone take on trouble and get hurt. The years of fighting the Empire have only filled Cal with more fire. Because the Mantis is his entire life, you won't be surprised to hear he doesn't handle every conflict well.



Cere is still dealing with the lasting trauma from Trilla and the temptations from the dark side, leading to clashes between her and Cal that have me salivating over what will become of them in Survivor. Cal's small and big moments with Merrin all have a tenderness to them, making it hurt all the more when things go awry. Greez is an old geezer trying to find an endgame, something Cal can't have. None of these story elements would hold weight if Maggs didn't have mastery over the characters. Each dynamic and permutation of the Mantis crew feels poured over, and I can't praise Maggs' work enough.



Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars is a novel that doesn't require much of a sales pitch. If you plan on playing Survivor, some things happen here that you'll want to know the full context behind. The trip towards April 28 rolls on, and Battle Scars is the way to massively accelerate it. Don't miss out on the ride.


<p style='text-align: center;']RATING: 8/10</p>


Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars is available now wherever books are sold. Special thanks to Random House Worlds for the ARC used in this review.



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