Could Doctor Aphra appear in Star Wars: Outlaws?
Ubisoft Massive revealed gameplay of Star Wars: Outlaws yesterday, giving eager Star Wars fans a glimpse into the galaxy during the troubled times between The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. The galaxy is at war, with the Rebellion and the Empire slugging it out throughout the galaxy.
Among all this strife for these two factions, the criminal underworld thrives – playing off the Rebellion one day, and the Empire the next. There are no sides: just opportunity. That’s what keeps protagonist Kay Vess moving from place to place, a chance to make it big and settle away from the danger that follows her.
In Star Wars: Outlaws, the prospect of making it big with cold hard credits means attracting a certain type of person, and by person, we do mean lesbian icon Doctor Aphra.
You’d be forgiven for not knowing who Doctor Aphra is, as her first – and only appearance – has been in the world of comic books. She first appeared in Marvel’s Darth Vader comics in 2015, but has since earned her own ongoing comic series since 2020. To describe Aphra is like trying to describe that terrible ex that you’ve sworn off of, but still can’t help but love. She’s messy and often uses people for her own gain, but is also very charming, something which infuriates her on-and-off lover Magna Tolvan, and her ex, Sana Starros.
Outside of her messy, sapphic love life, Aphra started off as an archaeologist who used to work for Darth Vader, but after some shenanigans that put her on his sh*t list, she had to fake her own death. She’s been up to a fair bit since then, with most of her adventures taking place also in the space between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. With that timeline being where Doctor Aphra is most active, what’s to stop her from being part of Star Wars: Outlaws?
In many ways, Kay Vess is a scoundrel just starting out. She’s just as chaotic as our beloved Han Solo, but still lacks in experience. More importantly, the gameplay shown via Ubisoft’s showcase lets us know that Kay isn’t afraid to look after number 1 – namely herself. Could she have learned that from circumstance, or perhaps through someone else? Either way, there’s plenty of room for Aphra to make an appearance.
It also isn’t the first time that Aphra’s world and the people involved in it have come to life in other mediums. For example, The Book of Boba Fett included the Wookie bounty hunter Black Krrsantan – a character who has worked alongside Aphra in the past, alongside others like Bossk, Beebox, and IG-90. Unfortunately Aphra herself didn’t appear.
Aphra is one of the best Star Wars characters around, and it’s a shame not many people know of her as well as they should. She’s particularly important to LGBTQ+ Star Wars fans, being the very first non-Legends lesbian protagonist involved in the universe, and as such, it would be nice – and welcome – to see her branch out into another medium. Let the sapphics have something, Star Wars.
Besides, Star Wars: Outlaws hinted at there being a heist, and you know who loves heists? You guessed it. Aphra.
Let us know your thoughts on the possibility of Doctor Aphra being involved in Star Wars: Outlaws in the comments below.
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