Is Star Wars Jedi Survivor canon? Timeline and more explained

A popular question being asked lately is if Star Wars Jedi Survivor is, in fact, canon in the Star Wars timeline. There are plenty of hints within the marketing and the gameplay of both “Jedi” games to inform players of this in the first place. Cal Kestis’ story is a compelling one, and there are still fans who hope to see this Jedi Knight show up in original shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi or even in future Star Wars films. However, if you want to know where and how Cal exists in the franchise's main story, look no further.

Cal Kestis might be one of the most compelling Star Wars characters in recent memory. Star Wars Jedi Survivor shows the Jedi Knight doing whatever it takes to get by in a universe that hates and loathes the entire Jedi Order. But the short answer to the question is that yes, Cal Kestis and his adventures are canon.

Note: Videos may contain spoilers for Star Wars Jedi Survivor

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Star Wars Jedi Survivor is, in fact, canon in the Star Wars timeline

That’s right, Star Wars Jedi Survivor is officially part of the Disney Star Wars canon. Throughout this article, we’ll cover a few dates, but you’ll notice that these aren’t mentioned in any film, comic, or TV series. That’s because BBY (Before Battle of Yavin) and ABY (After Battle of Yavin) are just for fans to help understand where things take place.

Jedi: Fallen Order was already confirmed to be canon years ago, and with that in mind, Star Wars Jedi Survivor goes into that same list. Cal Kestis is one of the few Jedi Knights active after the events of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. He also survived the events of Order 66 - the order that sent the Galactic Empire out to slaughter all Jedi in the galaxy.

Order 66 took place in 14 BBY, and Fallen Order took place 5 years after that (14 BBY). Considering this, the timeline continues into 9 BBY, where Star Wars Jedi Survivor takes place. Few, if any, of the main protagonists were active at this point in time. Han Solo was still a smuggler who had only secured the Millenium Falcon a year before.

In addition, there's also the tie-in book, Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars, that's considered canon by fans. This story connects the two Cal Kestis games and does plenty to help confirm that Star Wars Jedi Survivor is canon.

Interestingly enough, during this exact time, Obi-Wan Kenobi is also dealing with the Inquisitors - Reva in particular. This is the same point in time young Leia Organa is kidnapped, and the Jedi Master assists the Organa family.

Considering that during this year, Cal Kestis is dealing with the Inquisitors and other sinister forces in Star Wars Jedi Survivor, a cameo during Obi-Wan’s story was highly unlikely.

In the game's story, almost nothing is mentioned of the Rebellion, either. The way Cal Kestis talks is that there is nobody out there fighting against the tyranny of the Empire - other than perhaps Saw Gerrera.

This makes sense when you consider that Andor takes place in 5 BBY, where the Mon Mothma and her allies are still working on solidifying the Rebellion. The Galactic Civil War begins in 4 BBY, so the real heavy fighting had several years to even begin.

Star Wars Jedi Survivor fans can see that there’s a slow build-up of rebellion and dissent across these various stories, ultimately leading to Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope and the ultimate defeat of the Galactic Empire. Unfortunately, it’s still unclear why Cal Kestis doesn’t participate in the rebellion when he’s such a powerful Jedi Knight.

Perhaps this means players will get another Star Wars game starring the popular canon character, where we learn more about why he didn’t play a role in such an important galactic event. Of course, he couldn’t since he wasn’t a creation of George Lucas, but another game could explain where he was during the Galactic Civil War.

With all of this in mind, one thing is perfectly clear - Star Wars Jedi Survivor is canon and fits neatly into the overall story that the Disney Star Wars universe is telling. Hopefully, fans will see Cameron Monaghan play the Jedi in another story somewhere down the line.