Star Wars Just Crowned Its Best Video Game Jedi, Bar None

54 minutes ago 14

Published Oct 18, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot.

Star Wars video games ride a rickety roller coaster that teeters and shakes as they wax and wane. For instance, while Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a phenomenal first outing for the Soulslike/Metroidvania franchise, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s story is arguably not as great, yet its gameplay excels beyond that of its predecessor.

Likewise, Star Wars Outlaws is one of the most divisive Star Wars games in recent memory—even though it boasts a superb sabacc minigame, a neat reputation system, and a rich open world to explore—whereas Star Wars Zero Company and Star Wars: Galactic Racer are highly acclaimed.

Similarly, playing as a Jedi in a Star Wars game hasn’t always facilitated the sort of power fantasy you’d hope for when your character can wield a lightsaber and the Force, regardless of whether they align themselves on the light side or the dark side. Some gameplay genres, like action, have a much easier task in adapting or translating that power fantasy, and that makes what Star Wars Zero Company achieved with its lone Jedi Padawan character, in a turn-based tactics game, no less, so special.

Star Wars’ Best Video Game Jedi Is Zero Company’s Tel-Rea Vokoss, Here’s Why

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed literally lets players unleash the Force in a wild frenzy of hilarious physics and ragdolls, and that’s perfect for an action game where, as Darth Vader’s apprentice, you’re supposed to be absurdly omnipotent. But action is also the easiest genre to adapt Jedi gameplay to.

Star Wars Zero Company, rather, had the unenviable task of adapting a Jedi as a playable unit character within the rigid confines of its turn-based tactics genre, and it couldn’t have done so more masterfully. Indeed, Star Wars Zero Company’s Tel-Rea Vokoss is the only Jedi players can have in their party, and thus, bringing her bears equal risks and rewards regarding the potential for her to be lost to permadeath, versus her being the reason why a mission might go smoothly.

It would’ve been neat to have a full squad of Jedi, but it quickly makes sense why you only get the one, as she’s tremendously powerful, particularly against droids, and only gets increasingly better on the battlefield the more you progress her Bonds with Hawks and other party members and unlock new skills. She may not be as blisteringly oppressive as Starkiller, mind you, but Tel-Rea is only a Padawan, after all.

Tel-Rea’s dual lightsabers dole out strong melee attacks and wonderful blaster bolt deflections that can passively eliminate B1 battle droids if players leave her in a defensive stance. Later on, players can unlock a marvelous lightsaber throw ability, which is teased during the mission where you get to play as Star Wars Zero Company’s Anakin Skywalker, who is overpowered for the sake of the obvious plot armor he needs to possess in order to make a cameo appearance as a playable, tactical unit, as well as the fact that he’s Anakin Skywalker (not for long in-game, anyway).

That said, it’s Tel-Rea’s mastery of the Force that allows her to be one of the most satisfying units to strategically maneuver, with players able to best utilize environmental hazards or fling enemies out of cover for advantageous positioning on the battlefield. And on missions where there’s a chance to send enemies hurtling off platforms and ledges, Tel-Rea is a godsend. For example, one of the best strats players can exploit against a droideka is Force-pulling or Force-pushing the droid into the blue cone of fellow units’ Overwatch ability, causing the droideka’s shield bubble to vanish and triggering units’ Overwatch to loose blaster bolts on the droideka while it’s vulnerable.

Zero Company Sets The Bar High For Future Star Wars Games

Clone trooper trick leading Umbaran sniper Luco, Mandalorian bounty hunter Cly, and Jedi Padawan Tel-Rea into battle.

Designing a Jedi character in a video game must not be all that different from designing a superhero character because, like the Force itself, there should hopefully be a balance—unless they’re meant to be grossly overpowered, of course. Oftentimes, the genre of a Star Wars game will help determine how well-balanced they need to be.

A Jedi will play differently in a Star Wars Soulslike game like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor than they will in a Star Wars shooter game like Star Wars Battlefront. Star Wars Zero Company is profoundly impressive due to how much more it needed to consider in terms of how a Jedi would be balanced with other unit types, and, as a result, Tel-Rea might be the most fun Jedi to play in any Star Wars game ever.