Nothing But Star Wars: Old Republic, New Companions

Back into the realm of 'The Old Republic'  we go! Still on a bit of a kick from the game, so what better way to get over it than by talking about it.

As stated in a previous post, 'The Old Republic' had your class recruit companions across their adventures in the Star Wars galaxy. While limited to only five per person (until 'Fallen Empire'), they were all a mixed association of different races, occupations and abilities. When the game first came out, the companions were set up into different 'groupings' of sorts, making them either tanky, damage-based, or healers. Since then, that has been revamped into allowing any companion to fulfill any role the player chooses.

I've got my own short list of favorite companions from different classes, so will need to keep a few things in mind:

1. This is all opinion-based, nothing official
2. I may pick more than one companion from a class, mostly because I really enjoyed those companions.
3. I'm looking into character behavior and story arc, as well as the quests you complete to earn them.
4. There really isn't a set order to it all, just characters that I found more enjoyable than others.

With that in mind, let's go into the list of my 12 Favorite 'SWTOR' Companions.

• Bowdaar, the Wookie Gladiator

We've gotten a few characters in the game that are more nods to partnerships in Star Wars lore, like a droid the Jedi Knight gets early on, T7-01, is a nod to R2-D2. Here, we have the smuggler's own Wookie, Bowdaar. While young, Bowdaar was captured and turned into a slave to fight in gladiator pits. Over the years, he ended up doing so well that he simply kept to it for the challenge. It wouldn't be until a chance encounter with the Smuggler that he'd be free from slavery and become their partner in crime.

The Wookie, while certainly enjoys violence, is capable of more intelligent thinking than his bruiser behavior may show. After all, he managed to get revenge on the slavers through a 'weapons malfunction' once he heard they were in town near one of his scheduled fights. He does also provide a good moral compass, though has a hard time passing up a good fight. Also, does not support life debts. Thinks it is like slavery or worse, marriage.

• Languss "Guss" Tuno, the Failed-Jedi-turned-Con-Man

It is pretty easy to consider the Mon Calimari a failure in life, being unable to pass the trials of a Jedi and used his limited Force tricks for petty profit. Heck, when he is first met by the Smuggler, he does try passing himself off as a Jedi (but really forced into it by some pirates). Despite his shortcomings and status as the 'butt of many jokes', he does have a good center to his life thanks to his past studies.

Guss knows that the 'Light Side' and 'Dark Side' are serious stuff, preferring to stay out of the later as much as possible. He knows all too well that it can twist a person into something terrible, despite not even experiencing it for himself despite his actions. Guss just struggles to live in life, having taken too many opportunities that eventually come back to bite him back.

• M1-4X, the Patriotic Droid

I'm going to say this about the Trooper companions, as most of them are kind of boring or weirdly complicated (at least to me anyway). M1-4X makes up for it by being a Republic droid designed to be over-zealous and patriotic about their mission to fight the Empire. As a Trooper, you'll be able to save him when he gets activated by some rogue Republic soldiers, even getting into a firefight with him in the end. Thankfully, he gets a good repair job to bring him into your squad as a new 'heavy'.

With a great voice granted by Tom Kane, M1-4X still retains a lot of that patriotic flavoring to help the Trooper, even commiting dangerous missions in the off-periods to help boost morale of the Republic. From what the droid talks about afterwards, the events were so crazy and epic that they would be unable to be brought to fruition in video game form.

• Tharan Cedrax, the Technical Savant and his A.I. counterpart, Holiday

It may feel like cheating, but there is more to it than that. Tharan Cedrax is a lazy genuis, but one who doesn't like to partake in violence. He focuses a lot on his scientific research but barely considers 'the Force' to be something in fantasy that can't be explained by science. His own companion is an advance A.I. named Holiday, with the pair sharing a lovely relationship that isn't broken by their own origins. In fact, Tharan will give up success if it means Holiday gets to be more than just an A.I.

Some people may compare him to 'Doc', a companion for the Jedi Knight, who behaves in a similar manner to Tharan (both are scientists and healers who like to flirt with women). However, Tharan proves to be more solid of a character through his sheer dedication to his work, as well as his care for the likes of Holiday and the Jedi Consular. Even if he does not agree with 'the Force', he still values his close friends who work with it.

• Nadia Grell, the Naive Padawan

Nadia is a bit of a mixed bag, mostly due to her story of being the Force-sensitive daughter to a senator from a newly-discovered planet that lost said-senator thanks to Sith assassins and is now the Jedi Consular's padawan. The circumstances get weirder as she quickly latches onto said Jedi as a mentor, parental unit, and possible love interest. So yeah, it isn't too surprising to find so many people who have played the game against her.

My thoughts? It is more of the intrigue as to trying to figure out the 'real' Nadia. Is she someone who has experienced so much hardship that she latched onto the best figure to help her for guidance (in this case, the Jedi)? Is she a Force-sensitive who could easily give into the Dark Side, though realized its dangers and sought someone to help her out of that path? For me, it's like trying to straighten out a puzzle that is Nadia Grell and figuring out who she really is.

• Lord Scourge, the Emperor's Wrath

No, I haven't jumped into the Imperial companions yet. This is actually the Jedi Knight's companion, Lord Scourge. A powerful Sith Lord, he serves as the Emperor's Wrath to meet out his master's judgement for centuries. However, his connection to the force grants him limited precognition, seeing the Emperor destroy all life in the galaxy and the Jedi Knight as a means of stopping him. He ends up betraying the Empire to ensure that said vision of galactic destruction does not come to fruition.

Lord Scourge is an interesting Sith, fully aware of the Dark Side's power, yet doesn't loose himself to its madness like other Sith or Imperials. He may serve as your 'corrupting mentor', but doesn't mind if you seek to forgoe such dark powers. He is clearly in your assistance to stop the Emperor's plans from coming true and doesn't mind bringing it back up time and again to make it clear. He is your ally at most, nothing more.

• Vector Hyllus, the Joined Diplomat

Vector Hyllus is a bit of an anomaly amongst the companions of the Imperial Agent. Despite being 'joined' in mind and body to Kiliks (a race of intelligent space bugs), he is often considered the most moral and liberal of the group, maybe even in the Empire. Due to his status, he often refers to himself as 'we' (due to Kiliks having a hive-mind mentality) and working more as a diplomat between human and Kilik rather than any substantial position. It wouldn't be long before he joined the Agent for better opportunities.

As a potential romance to a female Agent, he is certainly one of the few 'nice guy' companions to romance in the game. Unlike romances with characters like 'Doc', who spends a lot more time flirting than actual loving, Vector has quite the poetic and gentle manner in his romance. At points, he will even suppress his connection to the Kiliks for real 'alone time' with the female Agent. That is some real dedication there.

• Mako, the Orphaned Hacker

Mako is the first companion you'll recruit as a Bounty Hunter (as well as the only 'first' to originally be a healer). She was originally part of a group that brought in the Bounty Hunter to compete in the 'Great Hunt', something that would award the winner great glory and riches. However, a rival in the event killed off that group, leaving her and the Hunter to compete alone. They do end up succeeding, using her advanced tech to help track down targets to hunt, as well as putting their rival in his place in the final challenge.

While she is romancable, I'm more interest in Mako's story outside of that. She is young, once glorifying the adventures of a Bounty Hunter before becoming more aware of the present situation and dangers brought with it. She feels interested in her origins, being an orphan rescued from the dangerous crime world of Nar Shadaa. She gets some good character development during the long storyline, which is always good to see.

• Blizz, the Brave Jawa

Blizz is an adorable Jawa that the Hunter picks up on the ice planet Hoth (though Jawas usually live on Tatooine, a desert world). This tiny guy actually played the role of tank in the original SWTOR system, which is mostly explained due to Blizz's techinical prowess even as a Jawa. He wanted a life of adventure, but ended up shangaied by space pirates to become part of their gang, which ended up with Blizz being abused, captured by the Imperials, and eventually freed by the Hunter for helping them on a target.

Despite the dangers and abuse he has taken, Blizz maintains an almost infectious positive attitude in his life. He is well aware of the actions brought about on him, but keeps to high hopes that it would all be better soon. Its hard to hate the little guy for all the work he does and the enthusiasm he puts into it. 

• Jaesa Willsaam, the Divide between the Force

Jaesa Willsaam actually starts out as a target for the Sith Warrior to track down, due to her ability to see the true nature of people through the Force. Eventually, it comes to the realization that the Sith Warrior could turn Jaesa to the Sith through their actions and inner self, as well as exposing her Jedi Master has fallen to the dark side himself. As the Warrior, you can decide along the way to either make her fall to the dark side or have her embrace the light, both of which brings her in as your apprentice.

The potential duality nature of Jaesa gets her on the list more than anything else. Both sides, each one embracing one part of the Force, is so different that you sometimes forget that she is still the same person. Particularly with the dark side, which she embraces to no end and even offers herself as part of the romance with the male Sith Warrior. Still, it does show how dangerous the dark side can be on the person should they embrace it like she did.

• Andronikos Revel, the Space Ex-Pirate

Andronikos is one of the Sith Inquisitor's earlier companions, having acquired him during a hunt of Sith artifacts on Tatooine. You end up helping him after he gets mutinied on by his own crew due to said artifact too. He quickly joins the Inquisitor on their story as well, often serving as the pilot for their main ship. His own past showed that he even deserted the Republic to make a living as a pirate before meeting the Inquisitor.

So why on the list? Well, Andornikos takes an honest route to his live, making sure to keep his himself  honest in his work. He's a guy who is vicious and murderous and knows it, not asking for apologizes for his behavior. Instead, he appreciates his allies that don't stab him in the back, like the Inquisitor themselves. Heck, he'd even romance the Sith Inquisitor with respect and admiration for her tricks of the trade.

• Ashara Zavros, the Light-Side Sith

Ashara has been brought up in the Jedi Order for almost all of her life, before the cunning of the Sith Inquisitor managed to get to her. She soon saw how the Order was too passive and ineffective as a force on the galaxy. Seeing that she could not make things better with them, she ends up siding with the Inquisitor in the efforts to better the galaxy alongside them. This gives her a different status in comparison to other Jedi companions like Kira Carsen and even Jaesa Willsaam.

Ashara still keeps a lot of the ideas of the Jedi, but prefers using her emotions and passions to get the job done instead of calmness and clarity. To her, she sees it as the Jedi Order being impartial to change and more into saying things than actually doing them. For her, she is willing to sacrifice a lot in order to achieve peace in the galaxy except for her own life. Her nature is quite complicated, but also compelling, making you wonder if she'll actually succeed in her goals.



...and that is my list of favorite companions from 'The Old Republic'. We'll be rounding out this month with a more current subject, as the Force awakens once more on the silver screen.

Until next time...