[2021] Developer Insights: Starkiller

[ Developer Insights - Kit Reveal ]


Hi Holotable Heroes,

The final unit of our Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary characters is being unleashed! Starkiller is landing on the holotables with the force of a Star Destroyer being yanked from the sky!

Below, we take a dive into the motivations and inspirations our developers drew from while creating the kit for this fan-favorite Star Wars: The Force Unleashed character.

For more info and insights from the devs on this character, check out this interview with CubsFan Han.

The Basics:

• Dark Side, Attacker, Unaligned Force User
• A powerful Dark Side Force User whose inner conflict lifts up other Force users
• Omicron abilities are used in Grand Arenas. The boost he gains in this game mode is expected to endow his squad with a power level similar to some Galactic Legends
• Introduces the new status effects “Unleashed” and “Force Energy” to Galaxy of Heroes

Unique Attributes:

• Starkiller is an Unaligned Force User who works best alongside other Force Users. An ideal squad for Starkiller contains both Light Side and Dark Side allies. To wit, his kit looks for Force Users and gets more powerful when his entire squad are different kinds of Force Users.
• Starkiller’s Size Means Nothing Granted Ability can only be used once per battle. Also, it has a really epic animation.
• He works best under a Force-using leader who is not a Galactic Legend.

Inspiration:

• This unit represents Starkiller as seen in The Force Unleashed, not the clone of Galen Marek from the sequel.
• There were many memorable attacks and animations Starkiller used in The Force Unleashed, so it was tough to pare down the list. But, we feel we captured his most signature moves.
• We absolutely had to include his most famous ability, pulling a Star Destroyer down from the sky. Look for it in his Granted ability Size Means Nothing.
• Size Means Nothing refers to what Jedi Master Rahm Kota tells Starkiller as he is trying to pull down a Star Destroyer using the Force.
• Starkiller in this form is very conflicted, trained in the Dark Side and yet now tempted by the Light.
• We represent this conflicted state by having a lot of his power gated behind a team made up of him and all four types of Force users in our game.

Strategy Tips:

• Starkiller’s best squad composition includes characters with various specific tags; Dark Side and Light Side Force Users, and Unaligned Force Users as well.
• Be sure to properly select and time Starkiller’s abilities for the greatest benefit to his allies.
• Using his Granted Ability is obviously an exciting moment in the game. However, just because it’s available doesn’t mean the best strategy is to use it immediately.
• His Omicrons are powerful. They can apply undispellable debuffs, deal significant damage while dispelling enemy buffs, and grant his allies bonus effects.
• Starkiller’s Unique ability, There is Much Conflict in You, activates when Starkiller is surrounded by the proper squad composition.
• Different enemies call for a different mix of allies for Starkiller, particularly in Grand Arenas.
• Starkiller doesn’t prefer to be alongside a Galactic Legend ally. If there is one present on his squad, some of his abilities become inactive.

FAQ:

• Who is Starkiller?
  • Starkiller is from the game The Force Unleashed. He was Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, and after being betrayed by the Dark Lord of the Sith, found himself fighting against the Empire. In those stories, he was instrumental in the founding of the Rebel Alliance.
• Does his unique work in 3v3?
  • We have plans to implement a version of his ability There Is Much Conflict In You to work in 3v3 Grand Arenas before the next occurence of 3v3 GAC is available.
• Why is he not a Sith?
  • Even though he was trained by a Sith Lord (Darth Vader), he has never been a proper Sith and so he has the Unaligned Force User tag.
• How do I unlock him?
  • You need Dash Rendar, Kyle Katarn, Darth Talon, and Mara Jade, The Emperor’s Hand at Relic Level 5. This will allow you to play his event at any time as it is permanently open starting December 15th.