Star Wars Jedi: Survivor sees the return of many of Cal Kestis’ allies from Jedi: Fallen Order, but introduces several new characters such as Bode Akuna to the Star Wars canon. Jedi: Survivor follows Cal’s journey in 9 BBY, five years after the events of Fallen Order, with the time jump offering the perfect opportunity to explore an older, more powerful Cal’s relationships with these characters, and how they have evolved and changed in those years.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor]
Bode Akuna is one such figure, becoming an ally to Cal sometime between the events of Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor, and appearing to share an almost brotherly bond with Cal at the start of Jedi: Survivor‘s story. He appears as an AI companion of Cal’s throughout Jedi: Survivor‘s campaign, assisting in travel and combat. Since Bode’s reveal in Jedi: Survivor, where he appears sarcastic and jovial on the surface, many assumed he would be another Han Solo or Poe Dameron-esque lovable rogue, but as Jedi: Survivor‘s story unfolds it becomes clear that there is more to the rebel fighter than meets the eye.
Bode Akuna Was A Former Jedi With A Tragic Past
It was revealed later into Jedi: Survivor‘s narrative that much like Cal, Bode had been hunted after Revenge of the Sith‘s Great Jedi Purge. Bode served as a Jedi Knight in the Clone Wars prior to the fall of the Jedi Order, but kept this fact hidden from Cal. It becomes clear, however, that Bode is Force-sensitive and highly skilled with a lightsaber through his duels with Cal in Jedi: Survivor, in which he uses the Force to enhance his physical abilities and move with enhanced speed to gain an advantage.
Despite these skills, Bode equipped a jetpack, blasters, and shock grenades as his weapons of choice in battle, and abandoned his Jedi teachings in order to better hide his past. This need for secrecy was amplified by Bode’s need to keep his daughter, Kata, safe after losing his wife, Tayala, to the Imperial Inquisitors. Although he doesn’t show it on the surface around his allies, this loss traumatized Bode, making him even more desperate and fiercely protective of Kata than before, and more willing to do ethically questionable actions to ensure her safety.
Bode Akuna’s True Motives Provide One Of Jedi: Survivor’s More Heartbreaking Twists
After being on the run for so long, Bode made a deal with the Imperial Security Bureau to keep himself and Kata safe. In exchange for this safety, Bode would use his skills as a manipulator and actor that he had acquired from his time in hiding to infiltrate the Stinger Mantis crew. After some time, however, Bode and Cal went on to consider each other to be their best friend, which made the eventual reveal that Bode had been working as an Imperial spy all the more heartbreaking.
Upon this revelation, Bode fights both Cal and Merrin in the Jedi Temple on Tanalorr, a planet hidden by the Koboh Abyss that Cal hoped could become a safe haven for those who were hunted by the Empire. Cal’s attempts to plead with Bode and get him to surrender throughout the fight, offering him and Kata safety with the Stinger Mantis crew instead. Unfortunately, it’s clear that Bode is so consumed with rage and desperation that he hurts Kata with a Force Push upon her trying to reason with him, and Cal is ultimately forced to kill his friend.
Although Bode died at the end of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, his actions will likely have a lasting impact. With Kata seemingly joining the Stinger Mantis crew following her father’s death, there is still the possibility that Bode may return as a Force ghost, or via flashbacks in future Jedi titles. Considering their closeness, Bode’s betrayal will also likely have an impact on Cal, and may make the Jedi Knight more hardened and reluctant to jump into new friendships going forward.
Source: EA Star Wars/YouTube
