Star Wars Finally Gives Us the Jedi Team-Up We've Waited 18 Years To See

There’s an abundance of beings that populate the Star Wars galaxy, meaning fans have seen a plethora of unique pairings across various mediums. A human became best friends with a Wookiee, a fussy protocol droid found a lifelong companion in a fiesty astromech, and a bounty hunter became a father figure to a 50-year-old baby. One of the more notable Star Wars team-ups in recent memory came in the video game Star Wars Outlaws, in which playable protagonist Kay Vess spends most of her adventure working alongside ND-5, a BX-series commando droid who fought for the Separatists in the Clone Wars. ND-5 stands out because he allows fans to see battle droids in a different context, outside of constant battles against clone troopers. ND develops a touching friendship with Kay in Outlaws, but before they crossed paths, he was part of an even more exciting team-up.

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In the novel Star Wars Outlaws: Low Red Moon (which is a prequel to the game), there’s a passage where ND-5 finds himself paired with former Jedi Initiate Vivert Stag. The two become quite the formidable duo, easily working their way through guards stationed at a Crimson Dawn base. It’s mentioned that ND-5 and Vivert “work great together,” and a passage that kicks off Chapter 43 illustrates why. In the chapter, written in the first person from ND-5’s perspective, the droid remarks that “Vivert’s skills complement my own,” merging stealth with a “quick” and “fierce” fighting style that showcases her acrobatic abilities. There’s an encounter where Vivert launches herself off a wall and behind a guard, kicking him towards ND-5 so the droid can incapacitate him.

Vivert and ND-5 Are Unstoppable Together In Low Red Moon

Across multiple films, seasons of television, and other mediums, Star Wars fans have seen plenty of examples of Jedi fighting against battle droids (typically making quick work of the B1-series models). But it’s always been interesting to consider what it might look like if a Jedi ever worked alongside one of them. The B1-series droids probably wouldn’t have been much of an asset in a fight, but there have always been other types that seem like a good match for a Jedi on paper. The BX-series commando units are arguably the first to come to mind given how much of a threat they proved to be on the battlefield.

The BX-series droids are defined by their tremendous set of combat skills. Like the best soldiers, they’re adaptable, intelligent, and are capable of mastering a variety of battle tactics. There’s a reason why it was a nightmare for clone troopers to face these models on the front lines. BX units were well-rounded, able to handle direct combat and more clandestine missions with ease. Whatever situation a BX unit finds itself in, it can instantly analyze possible courses of action to determine the best path forward. ND-5 is no exception to this; he’s constantly taking all sorts of factors into account when in the heat of battle.

Will Star Wars Ever Show a Jedi/Battle Droid Team-Up On Screen?

It’s exciting to read about a Jedi fighting alongside a battle droid and visualizing the spectacle in your mind, but it still doesn’t really compare to actually seeing it unfold on screen. The passage in Low Red Moon is enough to make one wonder if Lucasfilm will ever depict something like this in a film or TV show now that the door is open. One possibility is seeing Vivert and ND-5 reunite on the upcoming animated series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, which chronicles Maul’s exploits in the criminal underworld. Star Wars canon has established Vivert and her partner Mill Alibeth have been keeping tabs on Crimson Dawn, so they could find themselves in Maul’s crosshairs.

During the events of Low Red Moon, ND-5 is partners with Jaylen Vrax (who Kay Vess works for in the video game). In the novel, Jaylen is still an aspiring scoundrel looking to make a name for himself. He attempts to get on the good side of the various syndicates so all his bases are covered, so it’s theoretically possible Jaylen and ND-5 could pop up in Shadow Lord, crossing paths with Mill and Vivert again while on an assignment for Crimson Dawn. Of course, this will be dependent on the time frame Shadow Lord covers. The series picks up only a few years after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, meaning ND-5 hasn’t met Vivert yet. Should the show be picked up for additional seasons and move closer to the original trilogy, it opens the possibility.