Star Wars Hunters is a fake game1 that will never actually exist2, but that shouldn't stop us from considering it as a legitimate addition to the Star Wars canon3. As such, here's my definitive ranking of all 13 revealed characters for this hopeless character-based arena battler.
13: Sentinel
Sentinel's official bio describes him as a "stalwart of the Empire unwilling to accept defeat." Great, a MAGA stormtrooper. Couldn't even be bothered to have some cool additions to his armor or helmet. Hard pass.
12: Zaina
Zaina was created when somebody said "We need more representation for women, people of color, and disabled people in our game" and another person said "Cool, let's make one character that checks off all three and then we can get back to making the characters we actually care about." Cynical, boring, her costume and kit is just generic Han Solo gear with the swagger removed. The robot legs are kinda fun.
11: Aran Tal
Somehow even more of a generic Mandalorian than The Mandalorian is. The little upwards divot in the helmet somehow makes it less cool than just a straight Mando helmet. Yawn.
10: Charr
The bio tries to make this guy sound like Star Wars "Kraven the Hunter", but I'm just not buying it. Still, I'm a sucker for lizard men, back spines, and skull pauldrons, so he escapes the bottom of the list.
9: Diago
It's high noon. Miralukans are a neat, deep cut race to pull from, but the "he's blind, and that actually means he sees even better than normal" trope is a dicey one to pull on-- not to mention one already done better on several counts within Star Wars proper. He might have ranked higher if he wasn't so clearly a knockoff.
8: Skora
A Rodian bounty-medic that shoots medicine into her enemies? Now we're talking! The secret is, Star Wars alien design is so good, you really don't have to elaborate further with it to make a really compelling character. Case in point...
7: Grozz
Deeply generic Wookiee, but his clubs are the ripped-off arms of a KX droid, and that counts for a lot. He's also apparently a pro-Huttballer4, which means he's as close to a Chicago Bear as Star Wars will ever get.
6: Rieve
She carries off the look well! Most times I roll my eyes at darkside characters, but I think, especially compared to the rest of the cast, she's got a good look. That's about all that she's got, but in Star Wars, sometimes that's all you need.
5: Imara Vex
Look, Star Wars is all about cool helmets and great jackets, and Vex has both! She looks a lot like my rough draft bounty hunter design for the cover of Going Rogue 2e: Scum and Villains, so maybe that has me grading this character on an easier curve. Why isn't everybody in this game a cool bounty hunter? Why isn't Sidon Ithano in this game? Or Zorii Bliss! Ah well.
4: Sprocket
Here we go! A weird lil guy! Fighting with remotes is fun, and who doesn't love a Mon Cal? Somehow already better than Lee-Char, anyway.
3: Slingshot
Intentional heel and delightful duo, Slingshot is exactly what I want out of a Star Wars character. According to their bio, both the destroyer droid AND the ugnaught are sentient partners that together function as "Slingshot", which is weird and cool.
2: J-3DI
A droid that's been programmed to believe he can use the Force, and is a Jedi. Incredible. Jedi droids have been a thing ever since Skippy, but this is the wildest its ever gotten. His "force pull" is a rocket-punch-grappling-hook. Lame name aside, J-3DI would be my top pick for character in Star Wars: Hunters, if not for...
1: Utooni
Two Jawas in a trenchcoat. Two Jawas in a trenchcoat! What are we doing here! Why is Tony Gilroy wasting my time with the life of Cassian Andor when I could be watching the continuing adventures of two goddamn Jawas in a trenchcoat! The best original video game character for Star Wars by a mile. What a thing.
-
Star Wars Hunters was announced in 2020, delayed 3 years, and currently trapped in unending softlaunch in Indonesia.
-
If this game ever does get released, it'll live for a year of live service before being quietly shuttered.
-
If The Courtship of Princess Leia can somehow be the most important Star Wars novel ever written, surely Star Wars Hunters may yet have its moment in the sun! Just not as a videogame.
-
Huttball, by the way, is an actual sport within Star Wars, and particularly within Star Wars games. It was originally created for Star Wars: The Old Republic as a kind of reverse Capture-The-Flag model; instead of grabbing the opponent's flag and returning it to your home base, you take your ball and try to deliver it to the opponent's goal. Its a fun idea, and nice to see it keep popping up in games.
