The Star Wars Jedi: Survivor prequel novel might help explain where Cal's missing crewmates have gone.
Out today, Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars is a novel set between the events of Fallen Order and Survivor. It's not clear exactly when the book takes place in the five years between the two games, but it's apparent that the crew of the Mantis have spent some time together after Fallen Order. Many of those crewmates, however, are yet to have been spotted in Survivor's trailers, spooking some fans. While the novel doesn't address that directly, it does sow the seeds of where those characters might be.
Major spoilers for Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars follow, but you can also check out our full Battle Scars synopsis.
First up, Greez. The jovial, four-armed pilot of the Mantis was the first character to be noticed as missing, thanks to a shot of Cal and BD-1 piloting the Mantis, the former sitting in the co-pilot's chair and the latter perching atop Greez's custom pilot's chair, with Greez nowhere to be seen.
Throughout Battle Scars, Greez thinks vaguely about some form of retirement from his rebellious life. As Cal and co up the ante in their campaign against the Empire, their missions are getting increasingly dangerous, and Greez is worried that one day they'll all get themselves killed. That's a concern that's likely dialled up when Greez loses an arm in a fight against an Inquisitor; while he plans to get one of those fancy Star Wars universe prosthetics, his abilities as a pilot are hindered by his missing limb, and it's relatively easy to see why that might get him to give up the keys to the Mantis.
Next is Cere, the Mantis crew's second Jedi in hiding. Cere's arc revolves around a desire to maintain the legacy of the Jedi, and her guilt over the fall of the Inquisitor's second sister, Cere's former padawan, Trilla. The Jedi legacy sees Cere search out a valuable Jedi artifact, and she clashes with Cal, who thinks that the crew's aim should be the destruction of the Empire - what legacy will there be to protect if the Empire wipes everyone out? Cere argues that future Force-sensitive beings will need symbols to rally behind, even if all the current Jedi are wiped out.
Cere also falters in her battle against an Inquisitor, attempting to turn him to the light after she beats him in combat. Her indecision leads to Greez's injury, and a strong sense of guilt stems from her link to Trilla. Cere does appear in the trailer, but it seems that Cal is visiting, not travelling with her, so it's not hard to make the leap to suggest she's departed the Mantis to secure that legacy and ensure she doesn't put the crew in danger.
Finally, there's Merrin, the Nightsister that the crew recruits during Fallen Order. During the novel, Merrin struggles with her link to her Nightsister magic, but repairs that link through a relationship with an Empire defector. Her relationship with Cal, however, is a little rocky - latent feelings for one another rumble beneath the surface, but more important is Cal's lack of trust in Merrin during combat. The Jedi's desire to keep his entire crew safe places him in danger and Merrin eventually has to snap him out of that mindset. The two are firm friends again by the end of the novel, so it's not clear why Merrin wouldn't appear in the trailer, but it seems likely it's linked to her relationship with Cal or her trauma over the loss of her family and its effect on her powers.
It is, of course, perfectly possible that Merrin and Greez are simply hiding in the background of that Survivor trailer, but it'd be strange to have kept them hidden if they play important roles at the start of the game. Whatever the case, we'll find out more when Survivor launches next month.
If you're looking to explore the galaxy far, far away right now, check out our guide to the best Star Wars games.
