In a nice bit of fanservice, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is bringing back a really cool alien race from the Cartoon Network Clone Wars show. Introduced back into the expanded universe after years of absence, this species’ inclusion will surely excite fans of the series.
Cinematic director Dori Arazi confirmed to IGN that the new character Rayvis is part of the Gen’Dai race. The Gen’Dai are long-lived aliens that look like they’re comprised of tentacles, letting them heal and attack in unique ways.
When asked about Rayvis being part of the Gen’Dai in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Arazi says they decided on that race so the character would “have a code to adhere to.” This seemingly hints at Rayvis not being a regular villain for Cal Kestis to conquer, though we’ll have to wait and see.
"It binds them to a certain code of honor for their conduct. It also binds them to their history and what's left of their people. So Rayvis is not just this ‘gruff grunt #7’ who can take an army down,” claims Arazi. “He’s got a long past. He’s seen a lot of history. He could be a thousand years old. He’s seen empires rise and fall, he’s seen the Jedi rise and fall, he’s seen the rise of the actual Empire itself. So he’s got a lot of tragic history and a lot of depth that we try to explore."
The last time we properly saw a character from the Gen’Dai race was in the aforementioned Clone Wars cartoon. In one of the episodes, Obi-Wan Kenobi fought a Gen’Dai bounty hunter named Durge, whose tentacle prowess led to an exciting fight scene. Many compared this fight to the classic Akira anime and the Gen’Dai tentacles are a big reason for that.
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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be coming to PS5, Xbox Series, and PC on April 28, 2023.