EA has announced new additions to Star Wars Battlefront’s roster of Hero and Villain characters, including Princess Leia, Han Solo and Emperor Palpatine. Each new entry has their own unique powers and play style; read on to get all the details and see them up close.
All three heroes were discovered earlier this month in the Battlefront Beta code.
Princess Leia:
If running in blasters pew pewing isn’t your thing, Leia is the tactical hero to support and buff the rebels. By picking your ground and enhancing allies.
Keen explains, “Leia is a character that succeeds through her fearless, strategic mind. We can all remember moments when her quick-thinking blaster fire helped the Rebels out of trouble. It’s clear that Leia is a leader, so in Star Wars Battlefront she’s very much about support play, buffing team members, and holding positions. Furthermore, players spawning close to her will spawn as Alderaan Honor Guards. That said, shes got a lot of offensive output as well. Just look at the original Star Warstrilogy: you’ll notice that when Leia shoots at stormtroopers, she kills them quick.”
Her abilities include: Trooper Bane (kills stormtroopers in one hit; significantly damages villains); Enhanced Squad Shield (an improved version of the Squad Shield Power Card that Leia can shoot out of); Supply Drop (drops a variety of power ups for rebel fighters).
Han Solo:
The main thing we want to know is if you’ll get to shoot first.
According to lead designer Jamie Keen, “Similar to a Rebel trooper, but with a greatly boosted arsenal, Han Solo might be the easiest Hero character to get into. Offensive output, damage, and mobility–that’s what this guy’s about.”
His abilities include: Rapid Fire (lets you fire his blaster as fast as you can pull the trigger); Lucky Shot (this “build up and release” power does major damage to enemies and vehicles; it can also break Vader’s block); and Shoulder Charge (inspired by A New Hope, this offensive and defensive ability lets you get into and out of battle quickly).
“It’s been incredibly fun to work on Han Solo for Star Wars Battlefront. He’s such a likeable character, and turning his unique persona into gameplay features is a thrill when you’re a Star Wars fan. We’ve also witnessed the love for this character in our playtests. Han’s sardonic lines and emotes seem to put a smile on everyone’s face.”
Just remember that hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster. He knows you love him.
Emperor Palpatine:
See for yourself, witness the final destruction of the Alliance and the end of an insignificant rebellion as Darth Sidious the Emperor Palpatine.
Keen says, “We wanted many different things with the Emperor. We wanted him to be very mobile, but also about deception and fooling people that he’s fragile and weak. As you’ve seen in the original Star Wars trilogy, Palpatine pretends to be a weak old man, when he in fact is extremely powerful. That two-faced side was something we wanted to convey in gameplay and the Emperor’s abilities.”
His abilities include: Force Lighting (does significant damage to anyone close by); Chain Lightning (does major damage to enemies in all directions); Imperial Resources (gives power ups to teammates and health boosts to other villains); Force Dash(lets you move around quickly).
The Emperor fills a support role for his team as allies will be able to spawn close to Palpatine as the more powerful Shock Troopers.
More Battlefront Heroes and Villains on the way
Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Emperor Palpatine add to Battlefront’s existing lineup of heroes and villains that included Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Boba Fett. More may be announced later.
Battlefront’s multiplayer beta ended on October 13; it attracted 9 million players across Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, representing the largest beta in EA’s history.
The full game launches on November 17, about a month before JJ Abrams’ Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens hits theatres. You can buy Star Wars Battlefront on Origin or Amazon along with its Season Pass if you’re keen on future DLC.
