There’s nearly endless potential in the Star Wars universe to create new planets, cultures, characters, and other concepts, so it’s hard to blame any creator who gets to play in that IP sandbox for leaving their personal stamp on the world. Still, as I was playing Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws, which stars original protagonist Kay Vess, I couldn’t stop thinking about a preexisting character in Star Wars lore and how I’d rather be playing as her instead.
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In a universe full of gratuitous cameos and inexplicable returns from legacy characters (especially after Disney acquired Lucasfilm), original characters are a must to keep such a long-running franchise fresh. Even so, Star Wars is full of familiar archetypes to use: wise sages, hotshot apprentices, snooty military officers, sardonic robots, ambitious politicians, or, in the case of Kay Vess, amoral scoundrels.
But some attempts at new characters just pale in comparison to other successful and well-received ones. While I’m sure Kay Vess has her fans, she didn’t resonate with me during my playthrough, and I wish Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment had pulled a figure from the toybox instead. There’s one character with very overt overlaps with Kay who would’ve been a much more fun protagonist, and that’s Doctor Aphra.
Star Wars Outlaws Should’ve Starred Doctor Aphra
Any Star Wars fan who isn’t familiar with Chelli Lona Aphra should fix that immediately. She’s a morally bankrupt archaeologist, essentially Indiana Jones without virtue or ethics. In her self-titled comic book series, she’s usually seen with two murderous droids and the wookie Black Krrsantan. From the Doctor Aphra comics I’ve read, her stories are full of dark comedy that I otherwise don’t see from Star Wars, and I’m eager to continue following her story.
I hate to unfairly pit two fictional female characters against each other, but Kay Vess almost feels like a lighter version of Doctor Aphra. Kay, from my read of Outlaws, lacks the colorful and complex personality of Aphra, and as I played the game, I imagined myself playing as the latter instead.
Aphra occupies the same criminal underworld as Kay, and as the game is all about making choices on which gangs and factions to align with, the game’s reputation mechanic would’ve fit perfectly with her. The sense of humor from the comics could’ve also given Outlaws a lot more personality.
Kay Vess and Doctor Aphra have enough things in common, in my view, that Ubisoft should have gone with the latter character, if only to take advantage of her preexisting fanbase. Those similarities include:
- Neglected or abandoned during childhood, later having to collaborate with their estranged parent
- Violent and downright homicidal droid companion(s)
- Indifferent to both the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, having worked for and against both
- Some amount of aptitude for slicing (or hacking)
- A penchant for recklessly getting into dangerous situations and escaping through clever means
- Primary adventures taking place during the original trilogy era
The list goes on, with several minute and superficial overlaps, but they all support my belief that Doctor Aphra is a similar but stronger character than Kay Vess. There are also several connections that she has in the comics that would’ve strengthened the story of Outlaws.
Most significantly, she actually worked under Darth Vader’s employ for a time, before he ultimately betrayed her. With that background, Vader could’ve had a more prolific presence in Outlaws, rather than the pointless cameos he received in the final game.
With the Outlaws DLC, Ubisoft had opportunities to feature Doctor Aphra as a supporting character, but they instead went with Lando Calrissian and Hondo Ohnaka (though I was glad to see the latter make the jump from the animated shows). But with those missed opportunities, I now wonder how else Star Wars media could utilize her.
Should Doctor Aphra Appear Elsewhere?
If the reportedly canceled sequel to Star Wars Outlaws were still happening, then I would’ve suggested that Doctor Aphra should have a significant role in Kay Vess’s next video game adventure. Since a sequel appears to be out of the question, there could be an opportunity for the writers of Doctor Aphra’s latest series, Chaos Agent, to plop in Kay Vess as a guest character and have the two rogue operators team up.
I hesitate to wish for a live-action version of Doctor Aphra, given Disney’s mixed track record with its Star Wars streaming shows. Besides the first-class work done for Andor, most of those Disney+ shows have lacked the finesse that I think Doctor Aphra and her supporting cast of characters need.
Some other live-action adaptations in Star Wars, particularly with Ahsoka and Cad Bane, have had their respective issues with translating character designs and personalities into a new medium. I also wouldn’t dream of having the high-pressure job of trying to cast Doctor Aphra herself, though I personally like the fancasting of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s Chloe Bennet.
As much as I would enjoy seeing my favorite Star Wars character receive more mainstream exposure, whether it would be through her own video game or show, it’s possible that comic books will remain the best medium for Doctor Aphra. Maybe she should stay in her lane, carving her own space in the galaxy for her own fans to enjoy, and far, far away from Disney+ to ruin her.
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