Where Star Wars Outlaws fits into the larger Star Wars universe

Star Wars Outlaws sends players on a planet-hopping adventure as Kay Vess, an up-and-coming scoundrel type who mingles with the galaxy’s underworld as she pursues a new life. Unlike a lot of other recent Star Wars content, you don’t need to know too much about the franchise’s expanded universe to understand the events of Outlaws. This is a game set firmly in the fiction and aesthetics of George Lucas’ original trilogy. If you’ve seen those classic Star Wars films, you’ll be intimately familiar with the sights and sounds of Outlaws.

But there are a few things you might want to know about where Star Wars Outlaws fits in the larger Star Wars franchise. We’ll explain.

When is Star Wars Outlaws set?

Ubisoft’s new open-world Star Wars game takes place between the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The Galactic Empire is pretty much at full force in this game, and busying itself with wiping out the Rebel Alliance. That means the galaxy’s criminal underworld is thriving while the Empire is looking the other way.

What Star Wars characters are in Outlaws?

You’ll meet some familiar faces, like Jabba the Hutt and his lackeys hiding out on Tatooine, and you’ll play cards (Sabacc) against Lando Calrissian. You’ll also run into other characters from the Star Wars universe, including Qi’ra, who was introduced to Star Wars fans in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. Qi’ra was played by actor Emilia Clarke in Solo, but she does not reprise her role in Outlaws.

The majority of the cast of Outlaws is original to the game. Kay Vess, her merqaal companion Nix, Rodian mechanic Waka, and BX Commando droid ND-5 all make their Star Wars debuts in Outlaws. Bad guy Sliro and bounty hunter Vail are also original characters created for the game.

Who is Crimson Dawn? And the Pykes?

Star Wars Outlaws features multiple criminal syndicates with which Kay can align herself or double cross for the right opportunity: the Hutt Cartel, the Pyke Syndicate, Crimson Dawn, and the Ashiga Clan.

Even casual Star Wars fans are probably familiar with the Hutts, or at the very least, the giant sluglike crime lord Jabba the Hutt. While players will meet Jabba himself in Star Wars Outlaws, he’s a man of leisure and prefers to stay in a reclining position on Tatooine. Throughout the game, you’ll more often interface with Jabba’s underlings of other alien species who represent the Hutts.

The Pyke Syndicate is a powerful group of spice traders from the planet Oba Diah, the native home of the Pyke species. Pykes first appeared in Star Wars fiction in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and made their live-action film debut in Solo: A Star Wars Story. They were also a big part of the Disney Plus series The Book of Boba Fett, if you want to learn more about the Pykes.

Crimson Dawn was introduced in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Born out of a group of ruthless mercenaries, Crimson Dawn was at one point led by Sith Lord Darth Maul (from The Phantom Menace) and became one of the most feared syndicates in the Galactic Empire. Crimson Dawn in Outlaws is led by Lady Qi’ra, a former love interest of Han Solo.

The Ashiga Clan is new to the Star Wars universe, created expressly for Outlaws. The syndicate was founded by the Melitto species, which has appeared in multiple pieces of Star Wars fiction, and is headquartered on the planet Kijimi, seen briefly in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The Ashiga’s design was heavily influenced by Japanese architecture and clothing.

There’s one more syndicate: Zerek Besh. It’s led by bad guy Sliro and is original to Star Wars Outlaws. Players will learn its true origin and purpose over the course of the game’s story.