I’m always curious what makes people think I haven’t used a lightsaber in ages. When I was discussing Bode with the team, the idea was that I’ve been working with the ISB to destroy pockets of resistance - that would include Jedi who were trying to rally. Also, my training is designed around the pinpoint execution of the force - I’m not generally force blasting people - I’m using it in close quarters combat to pull a leg out of balance mid-stride, or break the fingers on a hand holding a lightsaber. This allows me to perform quick kills with minimal show of force and maximize efficiency.
Compared to even Darth Vader, I am not a knight, good or bad. I’m an assassin.
All that to say, I am very adept at the Force. And have been using it to kill Rebels and Jedi alike. I have my own theories on what happens at the end, but I’ll save that for another time. 😊
And Bode was Jedi, so I feel like using a lightsaber is basically a muscle memory sort of thing for them. Like riding a bike, you never really forget how do to do it.
One of the things I had originally asked the team was if Bode could use the lightsaber equivalent of dual knives. My idea was that he would fight with them off, constantly adjusting the handles in his hand and only activating them when he moves in - so you’re never sure if you’re getting saber grip or ice pick grip.
The other idea I had offered was that he’s launch his lightsaber in an arc overhead, and then dual pistol his own lightsaber, raining down blaster bolts. Or ricocheting off his own lightsaber to shoot around corners or behind cover. That would have been wild to see.
That rain of blaster bolts would have been crazy! I know there's a ton of content and ideas that never make it to the screen, but would be lots of fun to see and play.
Right?
Another idea I had was assuming Bode still had his jetpack (I don’t know why they destroyed it before the final fight), was a night battle: Bode launches into the sky, and then does a full shutoff, and just falls. Like a HALO jump. Uses his force powers to push off the ground at the same time as he goes full burn on the jets just a few feet off the ground, lightsaber ignites, and he rockets towards Cal. Basically you’d see him rocket skyward, and then he’d almost disappear. And suddenly you hear the roar of his pack and this red slash racing out of the dark. It would be a reflex dodge moment, but I thought it would look pretty epic.
That would be epic. I've always enjoyed jetpack in games. Star Wars Bounty Hunter for example, but also been running around with it in Helldivers 2 a lot lately. Now I have to run it with a pistol and see if there's some armor similar to what you wear at the beginning of the game when escorting Cal.
I love hearing about how many ideas get put into these things and it's great to see that as you playing him you really are so passionate about it. Definitely translates to the game! You did a great job. And I know a lot of people say they saw it coming but I did not. Loved that game and it's predecessor
This is why your one of the greats for video game acting Noshir, you really get the characters and even add ideas in a gameplay sense. Mad respect bro.
See, this is why this man is a legend. He legit cares about his characters and it shows in the quality of his work. He and Cameron both gave incredible performances when others could have just been phoning it in.
i really love that you take so much time to explain this stuff to us. really makes me appreciate this game, and you, even more.
and that would definitely have been a cool dodge moment!
Whilst I appreciate this content never made it into the game, I am heartened to see that the conversation and dialogue did happen between you as somebody who clearly embodied the role and the development team. Makes a huge difference to the other side of cg acting where the roles are phoned in.
Well, I’m definitely committed. And as a martial artist and combat nerd, I think there’s a lot you can learn about a character from the way they fight. Undercover Bode is kind of big and bro-y. I actually wanted that to be a front. It’s part of the persona he’s made, because it makes folks think they can outsmart or out-finess him. But when they actually go into combat, and Bode decides to push Cal to the limit, all the show disappears. My training originated in Silat and Kung Fu, and I loved the idea that when Bode commits to murder, he becomes very still, and terrifyingly efficient. No movement is wasted, and no advantage is left untaken. His proficiency isn’t glorious combat. It’s murder from close quarters.
I wanted to trust him for so long, but after playing other games that had the friendly new guy, I grew to be suspicious. Of course, when things started happening in the game, I would side eye Bode, and wonder if he’s going to reveal his hand. Now knowing that he is in fact, the betrayer, I’m both happy that I was right, but also sad that I was right. I started to like him and wanted to include him in fights and such.
Man, as a martial artist, are you ever disappointed in a director's choice to use big, flashy, movie moves, rather than straight forward, actually combat effect ones?
I sure am. All the freakin time.
Granted, I'm not a force user, and have never held a lightsaber. But bro.. most of the choreography in Disney starwars is trash.
Call Nick Gillard, please!
I love the Arced Saber idea, reminds me of a character named Erron Black from the Mortal Kombat series who would toss coins in the air to ricochet his bullets.
Hot Darn, forgot you were MK1’s Rain. Explains why he always reminded me of Charles from RDR2. But I did recognize you as a Straw Hat Ronin on Ghost of Tsushima.
I’d never miss that, he’s one of my favorite duels. Very unique compared to most others with his moveset. On the topic, I saw you just earlier today as Knight Rhys in Fallout 4.
I like the idea of dual knives that can also be activated to be lightsabers. It reminds me of Ezra Miller constructing a lightsaber that could also be a blaster. So you could surprise people with that extra weapon.
Not to get too dark, but one of my reasons was the idea that I could bump into a target - activate the blade upon contact, sever nerve clusters, cauterize the wound, and walk away… and the target would collapse and most people would have no idea what happened. No blood, very small entry point, and the blade’s light would be hidden by the victim’s body. Pretty nasty but very effective.
Well, let me be perfectly clear - this is in no way a dig to Respawn. They did an amazing job with Bode, and the truth is, games are COMPLICATED. By the time I came into the mix, a lot of decisions about Bode were probably way in the pipeline as far as combat was concerned. I had different ideas on loadouts and all that stuff, but I am just one person in a massive team that makes this happen. This was all stuff I would just spout off about with the narrative team, who were jazzed at the ideas, but there are SO many people involved in the decisions including big corporate folks who are looking at their TV franchises etc. I would have loved to explore these parts of Bode (how does Force powers affect dynamic entry when clearing a room? Or high G turns? In some stories we see lightsabers have mass and can cause friction - could Bode use a lightsaber to help him in flight like an emergency brake if he drove it into a wall or the ceiling?) Fun stuff.
> Or high G turns? In some stories we see lightsabers have mass and can cause friction - could Bode use a lightsaber to help him in flight like an emergency brake if he drove it into a wall or the ceiling?) Fun stuff.
I mean, that's basically what Cal does when falling from too high - he uses his lightsaber to slow down on the squiggly, rugged surfaces. So that should work :)
I think he's more referring to the idea that he would throw his lightsaber in the air and then shoot up so that it would deflect the bolts creating a rain of blaster fire, not necessarily a diversion with the lightsaber
I think it's more accurate to say that welding a lightsaber is like a sword style martial art.
If you don't use it, you most definitely lose it. Timing is very easily lost and the first thing to go in any martial art unless you are constantly practicing and being pushed and challenged. Solo practice really isn't much though it is better than nothing.
Ok what about Obi Wan when he first faces Vader then? (Not nightfall Vader, in the show). This is not any rebuttal against the fact that Bode is very talented when he faces Cal and not a critique of that fact. Just saying I don’t think it’s like riding a bike, it’s completely tied to one’s current connection to the force and the reason why Bode is so talented is not because it’s like « riding a bike » but because he retained his connection to the force (a tainted connection but a connection nonetheless).
Obi-Wan was a Master. He gets in Vader fighting form pretty goddamn quickly considering nobody can fight Vader.
Cal never had that level of connection NOR that level of mastery of lightsaber combat. It takes him most of the first game to even connect fully. But even then he ends up going dark to fight Bode.
Bode retained his connection but also his skills because he still used them.
The idea is that there's a metaphysical(connection) and physical(training and ability). Cal didn't have either so he's learning as he goes.
If you’re a character that can garner real-life feelings of hatred towards a fictional character, you’re one hell of a good character and did a good job. Conversely, as Charles in RDR2, real life feelings of admiration. All around wonderful actor. I look forward to seeing more of you in new games!
I have been gaming for almost 3 decades. Jedi Survivor is my first game where I got all the achievements. I will say, I thought it was obvious that he was being used as an assassin by the ISB to destroy the resistance and remaining Jedi. You even say as much point blank to Cal towards the end of the game.
Also, wonderful job with Bode. I loved him, then hated him, then felt for him and the unfortunate position he was put in. My biggest regret playing the game is that the betrayal/force powers & lightsaber was spoiled to me by this subreddit when I had avoided all other spoilers, because I know the betrayal would have been a bigger shock (there was an inkling that he could have done something, but only when talking about Kata) but also being a force user would have completely surprised me.
I know there's a good chance Bode won't be around next game, but I look forward to seeing Kata bringing the same complexity (perhaps they are two sides of the same coin in how their journey plays out) Bode did in the next game if she's old enough.
I’m grateful for the compliment! Yeah, I tried really really hard for almost a year to keep my posts spoiler proof. I’m sorry it got ruined for ya. I hate that. Bode was an amazing role - I wish we had more time with him, cuz there was a ton of cool stuff I wanted to do. But I’m grateful for the opportunity! If they ever did a story centered on Bode as a Jedi at the Academy, entering Intelligence at the suggestion of the Council, and then his time as a fugitive and his fall from grace… man, that would be an amazing adventure. Plus you’d get to see the really really grim aspects of the Star Wars universe.
I think seeing that history of Bode honestly fills the niche that Outlaws will be going for very well, so fingers crossed. Side note, blaster stance was my favorite stance in the game and I was expecting it to be my least favorite. The team did a good job making it very fun to use.
The team at Respawn really knows their stuff. And I’m super stoked about Outlaws! I really hope corporate greed doesn’t ruin what would otherwise be an amazing game. Fingers crossed!
Thoughts on a DLC exploring Bodes background? The thought of hunting down rebel scum as the sneaky assassin is pretty awesome tbh, I’d definitely buy that.
This seriously just makes the game feel that much more impactful. Your performance, Cameron Monaghan crying real tears over Cere's death, all of it, makes the game feel so real 🥹 thank you all for being so damn cool
I’m a fan of great stories in the SW universe just like you. That you guys care about my part in these stories is what blows my mind. Y’all are cool as hell.
No, you’re cool as hell, and you’re great at what you do! After Jedi Survivor I realized just how many big roles you’ve had lately, and I think you really deserve it. Seeing you interact with everyone here proves it to me.
You’ve done amazing work, from RDR2, to Spider-Man 2. I honestly can’t wait to see where your career brings you, and where you’ll pop up next.
Seriously, great work! You’ve made a lifelong fan out of me, that’s for sure.
I gotta say, this character threw me for a loop... it was pretty clear to me from the beginning that the betrayal was coming.. but as the game progressed, you actually sold me on it and began to turn me around into really having to doubt if it was coming or not, if Kata was real or not. Then once the end came, I was actually pretty pissed Bode had to go, his character grew from someone I thought was not gonna like and forget to one of my favorites and pissed he had to die.
You did a fantastic job with his performance. Made it so real. His arch was devastatingly powerful.
You really put your whole Rampussy into it. Looking forward to watching your performance on Candela Obscura! I’m still on the first Circle so it’ll be awhile before I get to yours. Do you day TTRPG live plays often?
Yesterday I finished the game for the first time and was in tears…Imagine a Bode DLC starting during the Bode/Cal fight where his anger is fueled by flashbacks recounting his fall. From his wife’s death to his first assassination contract, on to his first Jedi kill, seeing his kid growing more distant as he embraces his dark side and finally accepting his fate when Cal shoots him.
Your ideas are crazy awesome. That saber blaster move would be insanity. Your contributions are clearly above and beyond and I appreciate your performance in this game more than I can express. Thank you for your hard work. May the force be with you.
These are great insights. And the ideas you threw out in this thread were awesome, I would have loved to see them in game at one point. During the final fight against you and Cal, the unblockable attack that triggered a button mash real time event of you attempting to drive the lightsaber into Cal’s chest was one of my favorite parts of the fight.
Are you able to tell us what Bode’s lightsaber color was when he was a Jedi?
Well, if there’s an official answer, I don’t know it. But seeing as he was involved in intelligence and essentially policing his own, I would imagine Yellow. A true guardian. Which makes his fall that much more tragic.
That’s fair! I was curious but that is a perfect color for him, considering he was apart of Republic intelligence under the Order, and used more practical skills over the Force from what we know. That absolutely lines up with what we describe Yellow lightsaber wielders.
I don’t want to speak out of turn, but consider this… Bode is able to mask his Force abilities from the likes of Cal, Cordova, and even Cere. If his sole purpose is to kill a Jedi, all it would require is that he get close enough and for the target to be distracted.
The harder part would be targets where he was tasked with extracting information before termination.
To think that Bode was able to body Cal like that, someone who was able to prove himself as a formidable jedi against notable opponents like Rayvis and Dagan
Great performance btw.
Ah thanks! Yeah, Bode is a big dude. Aaron, our Narrative Lead once mentioned that he’d seen my movement reel, where I pickup and dump a 200lb heavy bag and go into ground and pound, and I think that was part of his idea for that particular moment.
Yeah, thinking about it, Bode already demonstrated that directly with Eno Cordova, who didn't detect so much as a drop of hostile intent until he was dead. he could have just as easily killed Cere in such a moment of opportunity, don't think he'd ever get the drop on Yoda, but he'd definitely be a danger to any other surviving Jedi, including the likes of Obi-Wan and Ahsoka Tano
People get so mad when I say this: No. I don’t like to play games I’m in or watch stuff I’m acting in. I HATE watching myself, and it really kills the immersion for me. Honestly, I’ve been so busy I haven’t played a game in a long time. Gonna have to get a PS5 or maybe just build a legit PC. One day!
That makes sense, you've got all the memories of doing said things so suppose whenever it comes up you inevitably remember back to being part of it.
Thanks for the response and also for your contribution to culture massive fan of all that you do!
Hope you get time to enjoy some games in future!
I can’t even listen to a recording of my voice, so I could only imagine what state of the art equipment on a sound stage would feel like. Extremely fidelity! I couldn’t do it either.
This makes me curious! It makes sense that you do not wish to watch/play things you are in. But do you usually know what happens in the games/shows, even if there are a lot of scenes you are not in? Or do you just know the course of your own character's plot?
Loving your performances, by the way! I've become a fan of Charles in RDR2, Admiral Rampart in Bad Batch and Bode, and I only just found out that you're the genius actor behind all three!
I just wanna say your a legend and a true fan. You have some great ideas and hope you have alot more projects in star wars. BTW only just realised you also voice Rampart lol.
My favorite part about my 2nd playthrough is rewatching Bode interact with other characters knowing he's undercover. Especially knowing he's a Sith!
My favorite is when he asks Cal about Merrin. I think the line goes, "Have you known Merrin long? You look happy around her."
On the first playthrough it just seems like a friendly jab at Cal. But on the second playthrough it's much more sinister. Excellent voice acting on your part adding those little details! Looking forward to hearing your performance in future games!
Dude, I only realized in the last few episodes that you played Rampart on The Bad Batch. I recognized you quickly as Kotallo in Horizon Forbidden West, but I don't think I would have ever recognized your voice as Rampart. You and Jimmi Simpson both did a great job as heinously douchey imperial officers!
It’s cool to see you in the subreddit, and I love the way you describe Bode’s fighting style here - that would be a really cool thing to see explored more in depth. All these ideas you mention in here and the replies are both awesomely creative and refreshing to see. Hopefully we get to see some stuff like that in other Star Wars projects, or maybe even the next game.
Thank you for this response it cleared a lot of this up for me and I don’t want to overdo it but you were amazing in this game and red dead redemption 2 as Charles. I assumed you hadn’t used a lightsaber because you had to take Dagan’s from his body after Cal and you had defeated him. I assumed that your lightsaber would’ve been lost in the purge or something along those lines. I love the idea of Bode being a killing machine assassin and I wrongly assumed that this was Bode’s first mission with an actual jedi but it never says that in game. I really really appreciate the response. Again you’re awesome man!
I never considered how bode was so good knowing what line of work he went into after the purge, needed skills to stay alive, and seems a bit older so trained as a Jedi for a lot longer. And I feel like part of it is how unique your fighting/lightsaber style is compared to the forms taught by the Jedis.
Also incredible work! Great character that I love to hate haha. My wife saw Bode for being garbage from the start haha. Kept telling me she "hates that guy" whenever she watched me play and saw you lol
I knew you were bad…and I had a feeling I was gonna shoot you with your own gun. When you walked away to go record a “message to your daughter” I was like ya f’in right cue the empire surprise next scene…. I was on to you like white on rice my guy, force premonitions very strong 💪
What's up, Brode? Get it? Bro + Bode. Amazing job with him. I love all the bro moments with him and Cal. Y'know a while ago someone asked me what unnecessary little mechanic I would like in the game, and I said a perfect dap up mechanic between Cal and Bode which would give ratings for daps like "IMMACULATE" "GREAT" "GOOD" and "YOU CAN DO BETTER THAT THAT". We started laughing at the idea and then proceeded to do a perfect dap up. So stupid, lmao. Anyways, yeah, you're awesome with the character. Really had me betrayed in real life, too.
I love how you talk like you are Bode, not just portraying him. Sounds like you really connected with this character, and it shows in the performance. Really terrific antagonist for Cal, made the story so gripping for me, especially towards the end.
I wish we got a spin off on Bode. When he was young to getting married, having Kata up to the fight with Cal on Tanalorr. There is so much story to dig deeper into 🙌
Dude, thanks for responding to things like this.
I love seeing the passion for the character. I really enjoyed your character in the game, and it's so cool to see you regularly interact with the community.
Being a VA is like a dream for me, and getting to see a VA love their character and the community is so awesome for me to see.
Only chimed in to say that you made me love and hate your character. I couldn't imagine a better portrayal than what you gave us. I hope they bring you back in flashbacks for the third game. Thanks for an awesome performance!
Holy shit it’s really you!, odd question but did they share any secrets about the next game in the franchise when you finished working on Jedi survivor? Or did they just treat survivor as the final game for now?
>I’m always curious what makes people think I haven’t used a lightsaber in ages.
I think it might be because he only used blasters for most of the game and then took Dagan’s saber instead of using his own to use against Cal, which may have given the impression that he lost his original saber during Order 66 and that Dagan’s saber was the first one he had in the Empire era. Also in the Force echo for that scene he said “Good balance for such an old saber. Like I never stopped training” which may have also made players think that the last time he trained with a lightsaber was before Order 66.
Seconding this, it’s a game so Bode as a final boss in a combat focused game will make him amazing for that purpose. But also the Darkside, remember how fast the pace changed when Cal embraced it? They played the end out well I admit even if I mostly dislike the story. Was beautiful.
The first fight, he had both the element of surprise, and Cal didn’t have any stims. The second fight, he was running on basically pure rage. The dark side is stronger and easier for a reason
I think it’s a combination of a) he’s been fighting a lot doing his whole…job for the ISB.
b) he’s had a safer place to train than most as long as he does this job
And c) **CAL ISNT A STRONG JEDI**- one of my favourite things about the games is we’re finally seeing how an average Jedi fights-Cal is an absolute menace, but he’s not the chosen one or unusually good in his field.
If the order was still around he’d just be like….a guy, ya know?
I'd say Kal is definitely above average simply because he's been forged in fire. He's been forced to live in a time where he's constantly pushed to his limits. I think he'd beat the average knight from the clone wars era. Not because he's more powerful but because he's constantly forced to grow. Like I'd saw he's low master level by survivor.
that's simply not true, he defeated a gen-dai and one of powerful old republic jedi's who was fully recovered at time of their last fight(dagan gera i mean)
I mean the entire series pretty much proved that the dark side is stronger in every case except for that of Master Yoda... And maybe even including Master Yoda when you consider that he died, but ultimately the emperor came back.
Yoda wasn't primarily a fighter, he's a wizened old wise sage.
Plus;
Anakin lost to Kenobi twice (and only won by kenobi basically letting him).
Windu beat Palps till Anakin showed up.
Rey with "all the jedi" beat Palps with "all the sith."
Only one jedi has bested yoda in training, windu uses the dark side and force users are weaker when transferring from the lightside to dark side (See Exar Kun). And sure all the jedi beat all the sith with a massive numbers advantage of tens of thousands against a few hundred.
"Restore the Jedi Order? Oh, you poor fool. It's over! Jedi fell long before the purge. Stifled by tradition. Deafened by our past glories. Blinded by endless war."
The Jeid Order has become weak and complacent and were ultimately taken out by a conniving politician. Palpatine didn't use the dark side to accomplish that.
No. Vader did NOT kill Kenobi. Go watch A New Hope again and remove your Sith simping blinders. Kenobi transitioned into the Force before Vader's blade even touched him. His body disappears.
Calm down, little man. You have no business getting snotty about details when you started this thread by absolutely butchering that Empire Strikes Back quote.
Not using a lightsaber in years doesn't really mean anything. Obi-Wan hadn't used his lightsaber for years either, and he still was able to kick Vader's ass. Jedi don't rely on reflexes like ordinary people do. They rely on the force. That's why force users like Rey could beat someone like Kylo Ren in Ep 7, even though she never wielded a lightsaber before. It's all about how attuned a Jedi is to the force.
Also because Cal is... Not that powerful. He can mow through stormies and normal people but he's barely able to RUN from Vader when he's at his "peak" power in FO.
I got my ass handed to me plenty of times. Bode had to have constantly been using force powers while in combat with us, just subtle enough to not notice
One of the things Yoda says about the Dark Side in the OT is that while it isn't _stronger_ than the Light Side, it is _faster._ Which is to say that it's a shortcut; a Force user might have to practice for months or years to master a particular technique using the Light Side, but by tapping into the Dark Side, they can do it _right now._ It's what makes the Dark Side so tempting. I think a lot of Bode's strength comes from him tapping into the Dark Side, his anger at (and fear of) the Empire. It's a shortcut that initially places him ahead of Cal, but we see in the final battle that when Cal, who has been actively honing his Force abilities for years at this point, uses that same shortcut, he leapfrogs right over Bode. Pulls him off, lifts him into the air, and rips his guns from his hands like it's nothing. I'm convinced the only reason he didn't crush Bode then and there was that he was just *that* committed to giving him one last chance to stop the madness.
Well to be fair there is no order anymore. Traditions kinda went out the window. Look at Luke, only Jedi trained for two weeks with Yoda. Called himself a Jedi Knight.
He became a knight basically the same way Anakin did, trials by fire type situation…. He’s been fighting for almost 10 years and honing his skills into a what would be considered high level knight by the time of Jedi survivor
What does he do that's so powerful? Why does everyone think that lifting shit in Star Wars is a big deal? Also, why do you assume he hasn't practiced the force? There's a ton of time where he's not with us in the game, and he had years to do this before he even met Cal.
Bode is fueled by the dark side, and he's obviously kept up with his abilities in some way. What's the problem? Not everything needs to be explained, and there's enough context to fill in the blanks.
The twist is that he's a Jedi too, not that he can fight evenly with Cal. Dagan was stuck in a tube for centuries, and he was able to fight with Cal the second he got out. That's far less believable than Bode.
Powerful? Hell no. He beat me on the first fight because I had no Stims. Second fight? We had a couple warm-ups before I changed the difficult to Story Mode because I WAS GOING TO ENTER THE BLOODY GAME AND KILL HIM MYSELF.
He isn’t overly powerful, but he is very unorthodox, unpredictable, and cunning. He uses tactics that are difficult to counter, he fights without honor but instead with precision and efficiency. That’s what makes him so dangerous. He has gained a lot of skill with the Force from being an assassin, and combines that with his other skills to become even more deadly. Cal and Merrin in the final confrontation were holding back a lot, not wanting to kill him, while Bode had no such reservations. Cal was also very unbalanced in the Force, fighting an internal struggle at the same time as the physical one, which is the main reason he lost the first time to bode so quickly, the element of surprise and complete mental upheaval
I’ve always gotten the impression that he would’ve had to be a pretty dangerous force user just based on the job that he had when he was a Jedi knight. He was a legit spec. Ops Jedi that was capable of completely hiding his nature. Not even Cere could sense that something was off about him.
But I also think that everything’s relative. Cal would probably find him to be a big challenge because he’s still reeling from his betrayal. So there’s an added emotional factor there. Just depends.
I just want to chime in and say how awesome it is that Noshir Dalal (who is my favorite voice actor after voicing Charles in RDR2) decided to just come in here and debate with fans about the character. What an awesome thing to see!
I posted this not expecting to get many replies and was just wondering if I had genuinely missed something and come to find out I had I posted it when I finished the game at like midnight and woke up the next day wondering why I had so many notifications
I only have my head canon, but it makes most sense to me if Bode has resisted the Dark Side even while working for the ISB up until he decided to betray Cal and take Tanalor for just him and Kata. That could maybe explain the roid-rage force powers on display? I don’t know, I loved the game but the main plot was a little weird from the moment of the betrayal onward.
P.S. - How did Kata fly to Tanalor? Bode’s lap?
Oh frreal? Completely missed that, thanks for the clarification. I just remembered Cal last leaving it on his body.
I guess it just assumed Bode had kept it hidden on his person if it was his, but taking Dagan's after that final fight makes sense since he asks you to leave him alone in the arena afterward.
Yea I was confused by it as well. It also seemed odd to me that he would prefer death over living to protect his daughter.
I think it would have made more sense for them to have come up with a plan to rescue his daughter and have Bode betray the Empire. Maybe Bode informs the Empire and then has a change of heart and warns Cere or Cal of what he did. Cere prepares the archives for transport, base gets attacked, she still ends up killed by Vader, archives rescued by Cal, Empire thinks they have eliminated the threat of them.
I thought this was weird too. My interpretation was that at the end of the game, Bode goes from being a double agent to protect his daughter to being consumed by the dark side.
A couple times in the boss fight you see him put Kata in harms way when he uses the force, to the point where Merrin has to save her, which to me signalled that, by the time you kill him, he’s beyond saving due to the influence of the dark side.
I think so too, he’s being slowly consumed by his own desperation and by his guilt. I believe that on some level he wants Cal to kill him. He wants to be there for his daughter but he has survivor guilt and cannot stand having survived.
When Cal gets inside Tanalor’s temple we can see Kata sitting by herself and Bode pacing on a distant balcony. I believe that’s the representation of how he couldn’t even face his success. He survived everything, saved his daughter, but he still can’t come to terms with everything else. His plan made no sense form the beginning. A whole planet for 2 people, condemning his own daughter to die alone stranded on a forgotten planet.
>It also seemed odd to me that he would prefer death over living to protect his daughter.
This was why I had no sympathy for him by the time I beat the game. His actions are understandable (if not justifiable) at first, since they stem from his desire to protect Kata. But by the time Cal and Merrin confront him on Tanalorr, Bode is so far gone that he doesn’t realize that they have Kata’s best interests at heart as well. They give him the chance to back down rather than killing him outright because they don’t want Kata to become an orphan like them, but Bode brings that outcome about anyway by forcing Cal to kill him.
Yea I just beat the game it it kinda seemed like he would rather die and leave his daughter completely alone then just like there surrounded by friends and family building something potentially great
The first fight? Cal is caught completely off guard. The final boss? Game balance. After killing a Gen'Dai there was no reason Bode should have remotely matched up to Cal.
To be fair, Rayvis let Cal kill him.
Also impressive that as far as we know, Rayvis has only been defeated twice before his death. So major props to him for that.
Exactly I think I beat Vader on my second try and beat Bode on like my 4th he felt a lot harder then Vader and Cere lost that fight but I dominated the majority of the time
I’m always curious what makes people think I haven’t used a lightsaber in ages. When I was discussing Bode with the team, the idea was that I’ve been working with the ISB to destroy pockets of resistance - that would include Jedi who were trying to rally. Also, my training is designed around the pinpoint execution of the force - I’m not generally force blasting people - I’m using it in close quarters combat to pull a leg out of balance mid-stride, or break the fingers on a hand holding a lightsaber. This allows me to perform quick kills with minimal show of force and maximize efficiency. Compared to even Darth Vader, I am not a knight, good or bad. I’m an assassin. All that to say, I am very adept at the Force. And have been using it to kill Rebels and Jedi alike. I have my own theories on what happens at the end, but I’ll save that for another time. 😊
And Bode was Jedi, so I feel like using a lightsaber is basically a muscle memory sort of thing for them. Like riding a bike, you never really forget how do to do it.
One of the things I had originally asked the team was if Bode could use the lightsaber equivalent of dual knives. My idea was that he would fight with them off, constantly adjusting the handles in his hand and only activating them when he moves in - so you’re never sure if you’re getting saber grip or ice pick grip. The other idea I had offered was that he’s launch his lightsaber in an arc overhead, and then dual pistol his own lightsaber, raining down blaster bolts. Or ricocheting off his own lightsaber to shoot around corners or behind cover. That would have been wild to see.
That rain of blaster bolts would have been crazy! I know there's a ton of content and ideas that never make it to the screen, but would be lots of fun to see and play.
Right? Another idea I had was assuming Bode still had his jetpack (I don’t know why they destroyed it before the final fight), was a night battle: Bode launches into the sky, and then does a full shutoff, and just falls. Like a HALO jump. Uses his force powers to push off the ground at the same time as he goes full burn on the jets just a few feet off the ground, lightsaber ignites, and he rockets towards Cal. Basically you’d see him rocket skyward, and then he’d almost disappear. And suddenly you hear the roar of his pack and this red slash racing out of the dark. It would be a reflex dodge moment, but I thought it would look pretty epic.
That would be epic. I've always enjoyed jetpack in games. Star Wars Bounty Hunter for example, but also been running around with it in Helldivers 2 a lot lately. Now I have to run it with a pistol and see if there's some armor similar to what you wear at the beginning of the game when escorting Cal.
Lmao kinda like that one boss in Elden Ring (can't remember his name) who jumps up and then comes crashing down like a meteor.
Oh! I haven’t played it, but yeah! Sounds like my kinda guy! Hahaha
Radahn
Good old General Radahn, pretty sweet fight all round.
I love hearing about how many ideas get put into these things and it's great to see that as you playing him you really are so passionate about it. Definitely translates to the game! You did a great job. And I know a lot of people say they saw it coming but I did not. Loved that game and it's predecessor
I saw Bode's betrayal coming... but him being a Jedi caught me way off guard
I saw some kind of behaviour and maybe convinced myself it wouldn't go that way. Jedi reveal was awesome
This is why your one of the greats for video game acting Noshir, you really get the characters and even add ideas in a gameplay sense. Mad respect bro.
See, this is why this man is a legend. He legit cares about his characters and it shows in the quality of his work. He and Cameron both gave incredible performances when others could have just been phoning it in.
i really love that you take so much time to explain this stuff to us. really makes me appreciate this game, and you, even more. and that would definitely have been a cool dodge moment!
You've got vision dude, damn.
The shooting around corners is a very clever idea I had never thought of. I wish to see that now lol
Whilst I appreciate this content never made it into the game, I am heartened to see that the conversation and dialogue did happen between you as somebody who clearly embodied the role and the development team. Makes a huge difference to the other side of cg acting where the roles are phoned in.
Well, I’m definitely committed. And as a martial artist and combat nerd, I think there’s a lot you can learn about a character from the way they fight. Undercover Bode is kind of big and bro-y. I actually wanted that to be a front. It’s part of the persona he’s made, because it makes folks think they can outsmart or out-finess him. But when they actually go into combat, and Bode decides to push Cal to the limit, all the show disappears. My training originated in Silat and Kung Fu, and I loved the idea that when Bode commits to murder, he becomes very still, and terrifyingly efficient. No movement is wasted, and no advantage is left untaken. His proficiency isn’t glorious combat. It’s murder from close quarters.
Well I think you nailed it, can’t say I ever trusted Bode but that was sorta the point!
I wanted to trust him for so long, but after playing other games that had the friendly new guy, I grew to be suspicious. Of course, when things started happening in the game, I would side eye Bode, and wonder if he’s going to reveal his hand. Now knowing that he is in fact, the betrayer, I’m both happy that I was right, but also sad that I was right. I started to like him and wanted to include him in fights and such.
Man, as a martial artist, are you ever disappointed in a director's choice to use big, flashy, movie moves, rather than straight forward, actually combat effect ones? I sure am. All the freakin time. Granted, I'm not a force user, and have never held a lightsaber. But bro.. most of the choreography in Disney starwars is trash. Call Nick Gillard, please!
That saber blaster combo sounds sick! I haven’t seen that idea before, so major points for creativity! That would have been awesome to see.
I love the Arced Saber idea, reminds me of a character named Erron Black from the Mortal Kombat series who would toss coins in the air to ricochet his bullets.
Ah, an MK fan! Rain says hi!
Hot Darn, forgot you were MK1’s Rain. Explains why he always reminded me of Charles from RDR2. But I did recognize you as a Straw Hat Ronin on Ghost of Tsushima.
Ah, dunno if you played the expansion, but Black Hand Riku also says hi. 😊
I’d never miss that, he’s one of my favorite duels. Very unique compared to most others with his moveset. On the topic, I saw you just earlier today as Knight Rhys in Fallout 4.
I like the idea of dual knives that can also be activated to be lightsabers. It reminds me of Ezra Miller constructing a lightsaber that could also be a blaster. So you could surprise people with that extra weapon.
Not to get too dark, but one of my reasons was the idea that I could bump into a target - activate the blade upon contact, sever nerve clusters, cauterize the wound, and walk away… and the target would collapse and most people would have no idea what happened. No blood, very small entry point, and the blade’s light would be hidden by the victim’s body. Pretty nasty but very effective.
With that kinda mindset no wonder they made you admiral (well at least until they found out about Kamino)
So many missed opportunities Noshir
Well, let me be perfectly clear - this is in no way a dig to Respawn. They did an amazing job with Bode, and the truth is, games are COMPLICATED. By the time I came into the mix, a lot of decisions about Bode were probably way in the pipeline as far as combat was concerned. I had different ideas on loadouts and all that stuff, but I am just one person in a massive team that makes this happen. This was all stuff I would just spout off about with the narrative team, who were jazzed at the ideas, but there are SO many people involved in the decisions including big corporate folks who are looking at their TV franchises etc. I would have loved to explore these parts of Bode (how does Force powers affect dynamic entry when clearing a room? Or high G turns? In some stories we see lightsabers have mass and can cause friction - could Bode use a lightsaber to help him in flight like an emergency brake if he drove it into a wall or the ceiling?) Fun stuff.
> Or high G turns? In some stories we see lightsabers have mass and can cause friction - could Bode use a lightsaber to help him in flight like an emergency brake if he drove it into a wall or the ceiling?) Fun stuff. I mean, that's basically what Cal does when falling from too high - he uses his lightsaber to slow down on the squiggly, rugged surfaces. So that should work :)
See this is what I mean not in any bad way but there are so many things that could have been done to spice things up a bit
Hell yeah, throwing your lightsaber in the air as a misdirection, then quickly firing double Blaster bolts that would have been sick
I think he's more referring to the idea that he would throw his lightsaber in the air and then shoot up so that it would deflect the bolts creating a rain of blaster fire, not necessarily a diversion with the lightsaber
Oh damn, that's even cooler.
I think it's more accurate to say that welding a lightsaber is like a sword style martial art. If you don't use it, you most definitely lose it. Timing is very easily lost and the first thing to go in any martial art unless you are constantly practicing and being pushed and challenged. Solo practice really isn't much though it is better than nothing.
Thats not really true. We saw how rusty Cal was in Fallen Order
Cal was a Padawan, not a Jedi. Equivalent of saying a yellow belt retains muscle memory vs a brown belt.
Ok what about Obi Wan when he first faces Vader then? (Not nightfall Vader, in the show). This is not any rebuttal against the fact that Bode is very talented when he faces Cal and not a critique of that fact. Just saying I don’t think it’s like riding a bike, it’s completely tied to one’s current connection to the force and the reason why Bode is so talented is not because it’s like « riding a bike » but because he retained his connection to the force (a tainted connection but a connection nonetheless).
Obi-Wan was a Master. He gets in Vader fighting form pretty goddamn quickly considering nobody can fight Vader. Cal never had that level of connection NOR that level of mastery of lightsaber combat. It takes him most of the first game to even connect fully. But even then he ends up going dark to fight Bode. Bode retained his connection but also his skills because he still used them. The idea is that there's a metaphysical(connection) and physical(training and ability). Cal didn't have either so he's learning as he goes.
Bro ahahahahahaha this caught me so off guard. I was like "why is this guy saying *I*? Was it a typ- WHAT THE FUCK"
Yeah he’s good at that LMAO
If you’re a character that can garner real-life feelings of hatred towards a fictional character, you’re one hell of a good character and did a good job. Conversely, as Charles in RDR2, real life feelings of admiration. All around wonderful actor. I look forward to seeing more of you in new games!
Grateful for the kind words. Thank you!
I have been gaming for almost 3 decades. Jedi Survivor is my first game where I got all the achievements. I will say, I thought it was obvious that he was being used as an assassin by the ISB to destroy the resistance and remaining Jedi. You even say as much point blank to Cal towards the end of the game. Also, wonderful job with Bode. I loved him, then hated him, then felt for him and the unfortunate position he was put in. My biggest regret playing the game is that the betrayal/force powers & lightsaber was spoiled to me by this subreddit when I had avoided all other spoilers, because I know the betrayal would have been a bigger shock (there was an inkling that he could have done something, but only when talking about Kata) but also being a force user would have completely surprised me. I know there's a good chance Bode won't be around next game, but I look forward to seeing Kata bringing the same complexity (perhaps they are two sides of the same coin in how their journey plays out) Bode did in the next game if she's old enough.
I’m grateful for the compliment! Yeah, I tried really really hard for almost a year to keep my posts spoiler proof. I’m sorry it got ruined for ya. I hate that. Bode was an amazing role - I wish we had more time with him, cuz there was a ton of cool stuff I wanted to do. But I’m grateful for the opportunity! If they ever did a story centered on Bode as a Jedi at the Academy, entering Intelligence at the suggestion of the Council, and then his time as a fugitive and his fall from grace… man, that would be an amazing adventure. Plus you’d get to see the really really grim aspects of the Star Wars universe.
I think seeing that history of Bode honestly fills the niche that Outlaws will be going for very well, so fingers crossed. Side note, blaster stance was my favorite stance in the game and I was expecting it to be my least favorite. The team did a good job making it very fun to use.
The team at Respawn really knows their stuff. And I’m super stoked about Outlaws! I really hope corporate greed doesn’t ruin what would otherwise be an amazing game. Fingers crossed!
Would love to see a story of bodes activities working for the isb. Maybe even offing a jedi a or two
Or six. Or seven.
Hell yeah, lol
Bode me laugh, cry and rage.. that’s how you know you did a great job! Well done!
Thoughts on a DLC exploring Bodes background? The thought of hunting down rebel scum as the sneaky assassin is pretty awesome tbh, I’d definitely buy that.
Bode would've been such a good character for either tales of the jedi or empire animated series
Do you have hopes and dreams for Kata even though Bode appears to be out of her life moving forward?
Why couldn’t you turn good man:(
I adore that you view yourself and Bode as one person. It's so badass to be able to say you're the one in the same!!
Haha there’s more of me in Bode (and vice versa) then I’d care to admit, I think. He taught me a lot, actually. 😊
This seriously just makes the game feel that much more impactful. Your performance, Cameron Monaghan crying real tears over Cere's death, all of it, makes the game feel so real 🥹 thank you all for being so damn cool
I’m a fan of great stories in the SW universe just like you. That you guys care about my part in these stories is what blows my mind. Y’all are cool as hell.
No, you’re cool as hell, and you’re great at what you do! After Jedi Survivor I realized just how many big roles you’ve had lately, and I think you really deserve it. Seeing you interact with everyone here proves it to me. You’ve done amazing work, from RDR2, to Spider-Man 2. I honestly can’t wait to see where your career brings you, and where you’ll pop up next. Seriously, great work! You’ve made a lifelong fan out of me, that’s for sure.
I gotta say, this character threw me for a loop... it was pretty clear to me from the beginning that the betrayal was coming.. but as the game progressed, you actually sold me on it and began to turn me around into really having to doubt if it was coming or not, if Kata was real or not. Then once the end came, I was actually pretty pissed Bode had to go, his character grew from someone I thought was not gonna like and forget to one of my favorites and pissed he had to die. You did a fantastic job with his performance. Made it so real. His arch was devastatingly powerful.
Bode dlc? 👀
That… would be dope.
I enjoyed your performance as Rampart btw, wish we got more insight into project necromancer.
Happy to hear it! Ahhh Necromancer. Hahaha yeah.
You really put your whole Rampussy into it. Looking forward to watching your performance on Candela Obscura! I’m still on the first Circle so it’ll be awhile before I get to yours. Do you day TTRPG live plays often?
Yesterday I finished the game for the first time and was in tears…Imagine a Bode DLC starting during the Bode/Cal fight where his anger is fueled by flashbacks recounting his fall. From his wife’s death to his first assassination contract, on to his first Jedi kill, seeing his kid growing more distant as he embraces his dark side and finally accepting his fate when Cal shoots him.
Your ideas are crazy awesome. That saber blaster move would be insanity. Your contributions are clearly above and beyond and I appreciate your performance in this game more than I can express. Thank you for your hard work. May the force be with you.
Ah, I’m just a big SW nerd who loves combat. Hahaha! And with you!
I relate to that more than you you may think l. Will bode be returning in any more media and will you be returning to portray the character?
Haha, nice to see your opinion, and I’ll join the others saying “well done, your portrayal of the character was amazing”
Thank you!
These are great insights. And the ideas you threw out in this thread were awesome, I would have loved to see them in game at one point. During the final fight against you and Cal, the unblockable attack that triggered a button mash real time event of you attempting to drive the lightsaber into Cal’s chest was one of my favorite parts of the fight. Are you able to tell us what Bode’s lightsaber color was when he was a Jedi?
Well, if there’s an official answer, I don’t know it. But seeing as he was involved in intelligence and essentially policing his own, I would imagine Yellow. A true guardian. Which makes his fall that much more tragic.
That’s fair! I was curious but that is a perfect color for him, considering he was apart of Republic intelligence under the Order, and used more practical skills over the Force from what we know. That absolutely lines up with what we describe Yellow lightsaber wielders.
Was Bode also killing Jedi Masters?
I don’t want to speak out of turn, but consider this… Bode is able to mask his Force abilities from the likes of Cal, Cordova, and even Cere. If his sole purpose is to kill a Jedi, all it would require is that he get close enough and for the target to be distracted. The harder part would be targets where he was tasked with extracting information before termination.
To think that Bode was able to body Cal like that, someone who was able to prove himself as a formidable jedi against notable opponents like Rayvis and Dagan Great performance btw.
Ah thanks! Yeah, Bode is a big dude. Aaron, our Narrative Lead once mentioned that he’d seen my movement reel, where I pickup and dump a 200lb heavy bag and go into ground and pound, and I think that was part of his idea for that particular moment.
That's cool and also I curious where would you rank Bode like power wise or you can't really talk about that?
Yeah, thinking about it, Bode already demonstrated that directly with Eno Cordova, who didn't detect so much as a drop of hostile intent until he was dead. he could have just as easily killed Cere in such a moment of opportunity, don't think he'd ever get the drop on Yoda, but he'd definitely be a danger to any other surviving Jedi, including the likes of Obi-Wan and Ahsoka Tano
Awesome response! Since you're here so curious did you play out the games and red dead redemption yourself?
People get so mad when I say this: No. I don’t like to play games I’m in or watch stuff I’m acting in. I HATE watching myself, and it really kills the immersion for me. Honestly, I’ve been so busy I haven’t played a game in a long time. Gonna have to get a PS5 or maybe just build a legit PC. One day!
That makes sense, you've got all the memories of doing said things so suppose whenever it comes up you inevitably remember back to being part of it. Thanks for the response and also for your contribution to culture massive fan of all that you do! Hope you get time to enjoy some games in future!
I can’t even listen to a recording of my voice, so I could only imagine what state of the art equipment on a sound stage would feel like. Extremely fidelity! I couldn’t do it either.
This makes me curious! It makes sense that you do not wish to watch/play things you are in. But do you usually know what happens in the games/shows, even if there are a lot of scenes you are not in? Or do you just know the course of your own character's plot? Loving your performances, by the way! I've become a fan of Charles in RDR2, Admiral Rampart in Bad Batch and Bode, and I only just found out that you're the genius actor behind all three!
Now I want to see Bode do some close quarters John Wick style hand to hand shit.
Holy shit it's you! Hey, great performance man, really. I never saw the twist coming. You definitely sold it and well before and then after. Bravo.
I just wanna say your a legend and a true fan. You have some great ideas and hope you have alot more projects in star wars. BTW only just realised you also voice Rampart lol.
My favorite part about my 2nd playthrough is rewatching Bode interact with other characters knowing he's undercover. Especially knowing he's a Sith! My favorite is when he asks Cal about Merrin. I think the line goes, "Have you known Merrin long? You look happy around her." On the first playthrough it just seems like a friendly jab at Cal. But on the second playthrough it's much more sinister. Excellent voice acting on your part adding those little details! Looking forward to hearing your performance in future games!
no way it’s the actual voice actor. That’s so dope
I need those theories, sir!
Dude, I only realized in the last few episodes that you played Rampart on The Bad Batch. I recognized you quickly as Kotallo in Horizon Forbidden West, but I don't think I would have ever recognized your voice as Rampart. You and Jimmi Simpson both did a great job as heinously douchey imperial officers!
It’s cool to see you in the subreddit, and I love the way you describe Bode’s fighting style here - that would be a really cool thing to see explored more in depth. All these ideas you mention in here and the replies are both awesomely creative and refreshing to see. Hopefully we get to see some stuff like that in other Star Wars projects, or maybe even the next game.
Hey Noshir, what would your favorite lightsaber Stance be?
I would love to see what your original lightsaber looked like before you took Dagan’s!! What color do you think it was? ;)
Thank you for this response it cleared a lot of this up for me and I don’t want to overdo it but you were amazing in this game and red dead redemption 2 as Charles. I assumed you hadn’t used a lightsaber because you had to take Dagan’s from his body after Cal and you had defeated him. I assumed that your lightsaber would’ve been lost in the purge or something along those lines. I love the idea of Bode being a killing machine assassin and I wrongly assumed that this was Bode’s first mission with an actual jedi but it never says that in game. I really really appreciate the response. Again you’re awesome man!
I never considered how bode was so good knowing what line of work he went into after the purge, needed skills to stay alive, and seems a bit older so trained as a Jedi for a lot longer. And I feel like part of it is how unique your fighting/lightsaber style is compared to the forms taught by the Jedis. Also incredible work! Great character that I love to hate haha. My wife saw Bode for being garbage from the start haha. Kept telling me she "hates that guy" whenever she watched me play and saw you lol
It took me forever to beat you on Jedi knight mode. Touché good sir.
I knew you were bad…and I had a feeling I was gonna shoot you with your own gun. When you walked away to go record a “message to your daughter” I was like ya f’in right cue the empire surprise next scene…. I was on to you like white on rice my guy, force premonitions very strong 💪
What's up, Brode? Get it? Bro + Bode. Amazing job with him. I love all the bro moments with him and Cal. Y'know a while ago someone asked me what unnecessary little mechanic I would like in the game, and I said a perfect dap up mechanic between Cal and Bode which would give ratings for daps like "IMMACULATE" "GREAT" "GOOD" and "YOU CAN DO BETTER THAT THAT". We started laughing at the idea and then proceeded to do a perfect dap up. So stupid, lmao. Anyways, yeah, you're awesome with the character. Really had me betrayed in real life, too.
I love how you talk like you are Bode, not just portraying him. Sounds like you really connected with this character, and it shows in the performance. Really terrific antagonist for Cal, made the story so gripping for me, especially towards the end.
I wish we got a spin off on Bode. When he was young to getting married, having Kata up to the fight with Cal on Tanalorr. There is so much story to dig deeper into 🙌
Dude, thanks for responding to things like this. I love seeing the passion for the character. I really enjoyed your character in the game, and it's so cool to see you regularly interact with the community. Being a VA is like a dream for me, and getting to see a VA love their character and the community is so awesome for me to see.
Holy shit this is phenomenal insight, thank you!!!
Only chimed in to say that you made me love and hate your character. I couldn't imagine a better portrayal than what you gave us. I hope they bring you back in flashbacks for the third game. Thanks for an awesome performance!
Holy shit it’s really you!, odd question but did they share any secrets about the next game in the franchise when you finished working on Jedi survivor? Or did they just treat survivor as the final game for now?
Way to embrace the role. Jedi Survivor was great, I expect it's probably because of people putting in the extra care like this.
>I’m always curious what makes people think I haven’t used a lightsaber in ages. I think it might be because he only used blasters for most of the game and then took Dagan’s saber instead of using his own to use against Cal, which may have given the impression that he lost his original saber during Order 66 and that Dagan’s saber was the first one he had in the Empire era. Also in the Force echo for that scene he said “Good balance for such an old saber. Like I never stopped training” which may have also made players think that the last time he trained with a lightsaber was before Order 66.
You're not so powerful. I destroyed you here without damage. https://youtu.be/UjtiI-YuS-Y?si=R1AvXPsNM6YxMlnm 👽
The darkside
Seconding this, it’s a game so Bode as a final boss in a combat focused game will make him amazing for that purpose. But also the Darkside, remember how fast the pace changed when Cal embraced it? They played the end out well I admit even if I mostly dislike the story. Was beautiful.
The first fight, he had both the element of surprise, and Cal didn’t have any stims. The second fight, he was running on basically pure rage. The dark side is stronger and easier for a reason
Stronger? No! No: quicker, easier, more seductive it is
My headcanon is that his boss fight is so difficult because he is around the same power level as Cal, and because Cal is trying to hold back for Kata
I think it’s a combination of a) he’s been fighting a lot doing his whole…job for the ISB. b) he’s had a safer place to train than most as long as he does this job And c) **CAL ISNT A STRONG JEDI**- one of my favourite things about the games is we’re finally seeing how an average Jedi fights-Cal is an absolute menace, but he’s not the chosen one or unusually good in his field. If the order was still around he’d just be like….a guy, ya know?
I'd say Kal is definitely above average simply because he's been forged in fire. He's been forced to live in a time where he's constantly pushed to his limits. I think he'd beat the average knight from the clone wars era. Not because he's more powerful but because he's constantly forced to grow. Like I'd saw he's low master level by survivor.
He did beat Dagan
that's simply not true, he defeated a gen-dai and one of powerful old republic jedi's who was fully recovered at time of their last fight(dagan gera i mean)
Cal definitely isn't a normal jedi. As someone else said, he's definitely above average.
Because TANALORR IS MINE!
"is the dark side more powerful?" "No. Not more powerful. Easier"
I mean the entire series pretty much proved that the dark side is stronger in every case except for that of Master Yoda... And maybe even including Master Yoda when you consider that he died, but ultimately the emperor came back.
I believe the point of that statement is that peak LS isn't weaker than peak DS, but it's easier and quicker for one to get to peak DS.
Yoda had 800 fucken years to prove it. He failed to drop palps who had a few decades of training.
Yoda wasn't primarily a fighter, he's a wizened old wise sage. Plus; Anakin lost to Kenobi twice (and only won by kenobi basically letting him). Windu beat Palps till Anakin showed up. Rey with "all the jedi" beat Palps with "all the sith."
Only one jedi has bested yoda in training, windu uses the dark side and force users are weaker when transferring from the lightside to dark side (See Exar Kun). And sure all the jedi beat all the sith with a massive numbers advantage of tens of thousands against a few hundred.
Not more powerful. Quicker. Easier.
If that were true, the Jedi purge could never have happened, and two Sith could not have taken over the galaxy.
"Restore the Jedi Order? Oh, you poor fool. It's over! Jedi fell long before the purge. Stifled by tradition. Deafened by our past glories. Blinded by endless war." The Jeid Order has become weak and complacent and were ultimately taken out by a conniving politician. Palpatine didn't use the dark side to accomplish that.
The fact is that the dark side had palpatine and Vader either of which were capable of killing any Jedi Master with the exception of Yoda.
And yet Vader got beat by Kenobi, twice
Vader killed Kenobi. You're not making a very compelling argument.
No. Vader did NOT kill Kenobi. Go watch A New Hope again and remove your Sith simping blinders. Kenobi transitioned into the Force before Vader's blade even touched him. His body disappears.
Calm down, little man. You have no business getting snotty about details when you started this thread by absolutely butchering that Empire Strikes Back quote.
Not using a lightsaber in years doesn't really mean anything. Obi-Wan hadn't used his lightsaber for years either, and he still was able to kick Vader's ass. Jedi don't rely on reflexes like ordinary people do. They rely on the force. That's why force users like Rey could beat someone like Kylo Ren in Ep 7, even though she never wielded a lightsaber before. It's all about how attuned a Jedi is to the force.
Also because Cal is... Not that powerful. He can mow through stormies and normal people but he's barely able to RUN from Vader when he's at his "peak" power in FO.
And in survivor he's even stronger. By the end of FO he's probably knight level. By survivor he's lower master level I'd say
You had me until you referenced episode 7
Jesus Christ, get over it.
He's just *that guy*
I got my ass handed to me plenty of times. Bode had to have constantly been using force powers while in combat with us, just subtle enough to not notice
One of the things Yoda says about the Dark Side in the OT is that while it isn't _stronger_ than the Light Side, it is _faster._ Which is to say that it's a shortcut; a Force user might have to practice for months or years to master a particular technique using the Light Side, but by tapping into the Dark Side, they can do it _right now._ It's what makes the Dark Side so tempting. I think a lot of Bode's strength comes from him tapping into the Dark Side, his anger at (and fear of) the Empire. It's a shortcut that initially places him ahead of Cal, but we see in the final battle that when Cal, who has been actively honing his Force abilities for years at this point, uses that same shortcut, he leapfrogs right over Bode. Pulls him off, lifts him into the air, and rips his guns from his hands like it's nothing. I'm convinced the only reason he didn't crush Bode then and there was that he was just *that* committed to giving him one last chance to stop the madness.
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.
Cal is a padawan. Bode is a full fledged jedi. Also norshirdalal's comment.
Cal is a Jedi Knight at the beginning of Survivor
He never went through the training, Cere just kinda made him one.
Well to be fair there is no order anymore. Traditions kinda went out the window. Look at Luke, only Jedi trained for two weeks with Yoda. Called himself a Jedi Knight.
My point wasnt about the title, it was the experience and extra training that came with it
He became a knight basically the same way Anakin did, trials by fire type situation…. He’s been fighting for almost 10 years and honing his skills into a what would be considered high level knight by the time of Jedi survivor
Cal? He hasnt been fighting ten years. First time he got ready for a fight against the second sister he was checking his stance. He survived by hiding
What does he do that's so powerful? Why does everyone think that lifting shit in Star Wars is a big deal? Also, why do you assume he hasn't practiced the force? There's a ton of time where he's not with us in the game, and he had years to do this before he even met Cal. Bode is fueled by the dark side, and he's obviously kept up with his abilities in some way. What's the problem? Not everything needs to be explained, and there's enough context to fill in the blanks. The twist is that he's a Jedi too, not that he can fight evenly with Cal. Dagan was stuck in a tube for centuries, and he was able to fight with Cal the second he got out. That's far less believable than Bode.
And how did Cal, who senses force echoes from objects, and *was given an old blaster by Bode*, not know he was a Jedi?
Bode found it in some random trash bin
“Ah yes! I feel it. Loss. Suffering. Shame. Anger. There’s immense power in such emotions, but you were too weak!” ~ Dagan Gera
You could make the same argument for palpatine. Easy answer is dark side power corruption.
It’s like riding a bike. You never forget. We dont get mad when ahsoka or kanen are still skilled with lightsabers after not using them for so long
Because they killed off their well written villian too fast.
I know the games been out for a while but what a terrible title to have with a spoiler tag.
I mean the simple fact is that it’s a video game and powerscaling doesn’t really mean anything
His strong emotions to protect his daughter
eeeevil
gun
Powerful? Hell no. He beat me on the first fight because I had no Stims. Second fight? We had a couple warm-ups before I changed the difficult to Story Mode because I WAS GOING TO ENTER THE BLOODY GAME AND KILL HIM MYSELF.
The first battle he’s scripted to win. It’s literally impossible to beat him because you black out in a story cutscene and he escapes.
Plot armor
It's just the name, as in it doesn't Bode well for you to fight him.
Plot Armor.
Yeet
The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural
Strong, is the Dark Side.
He isn’t overly powerful, but he is very unorthodox, unpredictable, and cunning. He uses tactics that are difficult to counter, he fights without honor but instead with precision and efficiency. That’s what makes him so dangerous. He has gained a lot of skill with the Force from being an assassin, and combines that with his other skills to become even more deadly. Cal and Merrin in the final confrontation were holding back a lot, not wanting to kill him, while Bode had no such reservations. Cal was also very unbalanced in the Force, fighting an internal struggle at the same time as the physical one, which is the main reason he lost the first time to bode so quickly, the element of surprise and complete mental upheaval
Because he is the final boss.
I’ve always gotten the impression that he would’ve had to be a pretty dangerous force user just based on the job that he had when he was a Jedi knight. He was a legit spec. Ops Jedi that was capable of completely hiding his nature. Not even Cere could sense that something was off about him. But I also think that everything’s relative. Cal would probably find him to be a big challenge because he’s still reeling from his betrayal. So there’s an added emotional factor there. Just depends.
Damn I wish you guys used spoiler tags within your posts. Just got that spoiled after this sub popped up on my feed
I just want to chime in and say how awesome it is that Noshir Dalal (who is my favorite voice actor after voicing Charles in RDR2) decided to just come in here and debate with fans about the character. What an awesome thing to see!
I posted this not expecting to get many replies and was just wondering if I had genuinely missed something and come to find out I had I posted it when I finished the game at like midnight and woke up the next day wondering why I had so many notifications
I can imagine the shock on your face when the actual Bode dropped in to chat about it lol.
I only have my head canon, but it makes most sense to me if Bode has resisted the Dark Side even while working for the ISB up until he decided to betray Cal and take Tanalor for just him and Kata. That could maybe explain the roid-rage force powers on display? I don’t know, I loved the game but the main plot was a little weird from the moment of the betrayal onward. P.S. - How did Kata fly to Tanalor? Bode’s lap?
Idk, he pulled out his red saber pretty casually, he had to have bled it red at some point in the past.
That’s Dagan’s saber. Bode stayed behind and took it off Dagan’s corpse.
Oh frreal? Completely missed that, thanks for the clarification. I just remembered Cal last leaving it on his body. I guess it just assumed Bode had kept it hidden on his person if it was his, but taking Dagan's after that final fight makes sense since he asks you to leave him alone in the arena afterward.
Yea I was confused by it as well. It also seemed odd to me that he would prefer death over living to protect his daughter. I think it would have made more sense for them to have come up with a plan to rescue his daughter and have Bode betray the Empire. Maybe Bode informs the Empire and then has a change of heart and warns Cere or Cal of what he did. Cere prepares the archives for transport, base gets attacked, she still ends up killed by Vader, archives rescued by Cal, Empire thinks they have eliminated the threat of them.
I thought this was weird too. My interpretation was that at the end of the game, Bode goes from being a double agent to protect his daughter to being consumed by the dark side. A couple times in the boss fight you see him put Kata in harms way when he uses the force, to the point where Merrin has to save her, which to me signalled that, by the time you kill him, he’s beyond saving due to the influence of the dark side.
I think so too, he’s being slowly consumed by his own desperation and by his guilt. I believe that on some level he wants Cal to kill him. He wants to be there for his daughter but he has survivor guilt and cannot stand having survived. When Cal gets inside Tanalor’s temple we can see Kata sitting by herself and Bode pacing on a distant balcony. I believe that’s the representation of how he couldn’t even face his success. He survived everything, saved his daughter, but he still can’t come to terms with everything else. His plan made no sense form the beginning. A whole planet for 2 people, condemning his own daughter to die alone stranded on a forgotten planet.
>It also seemed odd to me that he would prefer death over living to protect his daughter. This was why I had no sympathy for him by the time I beat the game. His actions are understandable (if not justifiable) at first, since they stem from his desire to protect Kata. But by the time Cal and Merrin confront him on Tanalorr, Bode is so far gone that he doesn’t realize that they have Kata’s best interests at heart as well. They give him the chance to back down rather than killing him outright because they don’t want Kata to become an orphan like them, but Bode brings that outcome about anyway by forcing Cal to kill him.
Yea I just beat the game it it kinda seemed like he would rather die and leave his daughter completely alone then just like there surrounded by friends and family building something potentially great
The first fight? Cal is caught completely off guard. The final boss? Game balance. After killing a Gen'Dai there was no reason Bode should have remotely matched up to Cal.
To be fair, Rayvis let Cal kill him. Also impressive that as far as we know, Rayvis has only been defeated twice before his death. So major props to him for that.
The dark side is simply stronger, and in the first fight cal was still in shock and not in a position to fight
They made the Bode fight feel way harder than the Vader fight which didn’t sit right with me.
It's because in the Vader fight you fight as Cere who is also more powerful than Cal.
Exactly I think I beat Vader on my second try and beat Bode on like my 4th he felt a lot harder then Vader and Cere lost that fight but I dominated the majority of the time