Credit: LucasfilmIt’s time to say goodbye to one of the most beloved Star Wars characters of all time.
Some of the best Star Wars characters are nothing without their loyal and trusted companions: C-3PO, Han Solo, Rey, and Din Djarin, to name a few. Can you imagine a faraway galaxy without Chewbacca, R2-D2, and BB-8? Nope, neither can we.
But while these iconic sidekicks are a great way to sell lots of Star Wars merchandise, they’re also incredibly useful in the Star Wars movies, animated shows, and in all forms of tie-in media they appear in, having saved the likes of Han Solo more times than we can remember.
One of the most memorable companions is Grogu, AKA “Baby Yoda” from The Mandalorian (2019). The pint-sized Force wielder has proved himself more than capable of saving the day throughout the three seasons and in the spinoff series The Book of Boba Fett (2021).
Grogu Is a Truly Iconic Character
Where would Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) be without Grogu? In fact, where would we be without him? The live-action Disney+ Star Wars shows that have followed The Mandalorian (including its own third season) might have left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths (with the exception of Andor), but there’s no denying that Din Djarin and Grogu are now as iconic as dynamic duo Han Solo and Chewbacca.
Recent years have also seen Din and Grogu completely dominate Star Wars merchandise.
Fortunately, the closing shot of the The Mandalorian Season 3 finale implies that their faraway galaxy adventures will continue. As does the fact that there’s a big-screen adaptation titled The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026) in the works.
But with the upcoming theatrical installment (one of many upcoming Star Wars movies) being two years away and with The Mandalorian Season 4 nowhere in sight, it will be quite some time before we see Grogu again. As such, it makes sense that Disney and Lucasfilm will be offering fans a temporary replacement of sorts.
A New Chapter in the Star Wars Universe Begins
“Star Wars Outlaws”
Meet Nix. Though he appears more like a pet, the new “Merquaal” creature is the trusted companion of Kay Vess (Humberly González), the titular scoundrel in the upcoming third-person open-world video game “Star Wars Outlaws” (2024) from Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment.
Set between the original trilogy Star Wars movies, Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983), “Star Wars Outlaws” follows a smuggler who undertakes one final heist so that she can get out of “the life” for good and live a normal life somewhere in the galaxy (as normal as can be).
Long have fans waited for such an entry in this franchise (it’s the first of its kind). Now, after an agonizing wait since the initial announcement a few years ago, “Star Wars Outlaws” is finally just weeks from release — August 30, to be precise.
While we’ve seen multiple teasers, trailers, gameplay overviews, and gameplay walkthroughs, IGN has now shared a new video titled “Star Wars Outlaws: How Nix Was Created” in which some of the key creatives involved in the making of the game, from narrative directors to associate art directors, discuss the character of Nix, from conception all the way through to his performance.
Watch the video below, per IGN:
Nix Offers Gameplay Capabilities Unique to Star Wars Games
Nix has been Kay’s companion and friend since she was young. An entirely new species to the faraway galaxy, the small beetle-eyed quadruped creature will assist Kay Vess throughout her journey in the faraway galaxy’s dangerous criminal underworld in more ways than one. Simply put, there is no Kay without her Nix.
“The opportunity to create a new creature and add them to the galaxy and also have them be a companion to Kay, it came really from both the narrative and, I think, a gameplay lens,” Narrative Director Navid Khavari explains. “We never really talked about Kay without talking about Nix — they’re sort of one unit. And in the gameplay sense, Nix was almost like an extension of Kay.”
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“We said we want him to be your ‘long finger,'” the game’s director Mathias Karlson says. “If you’re right hand is your blaster, Nix is almost like your long robbery left-hand that can fetch things, distract, attack, disable alarms.”
“You don’t directly control Nix,” IGN adds. “He is a key tool in your arsenal.” But it isn’t all about stealth action — Nix can also help you cheat against your opponents in the fictitious in-universe card gambling game Sabacc (Lando Calrissian won’t be impressed if he finds out).
Nix Is Inspired by Relatable, Real-World Pets
As for the inspiration behind Nix, while we’re sure Grogu is one of them (adorable beetle eyes and pint-sized cuteness, for starters), however, the creators cite the pet monkey Abu from Disney’s Aladdin as an original source, although they shifted toward something more akin to a furry lizard, ultimately settling on a happy medium between a physically-capable creature and a friendly-looking companion.
“In the Star Wars vernacular, what types of companions have we seen before?” Lucasfilm’s Director of Franchise Content and Strategy Steven Blank asks. “We’ve seen Wookiees, we’ve seen droids, we’ve seen a mix of eclectic other types of characters or species, and were really then were like, ‘Okay, what’s a real-world parallel for that?’ And the “pet” came up.”
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Nix Is Brought to Life by a Star Wars Legend
“Nix is a Merquaal, it’s a new species that we created, so he needed to have a very soft side,” Associate Art Director Marthe Jonkers explains. “For that, we looked at a lot of more softer creatures but also our pets, for sure. They were a big, big inspiration.”
For his design, the team drew inspiration from real-world animals, particularly pets such as cats and dogs. This allows Nix to convey relatable and recognizable emotions through his eyes, ears, and overall body language.
But it’s the talented actor Dee Bradley Baker, who voices all the clones in the animated shows, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 — 2020), Star Wars: Rebels (2014 — 2018), and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022), as well as Jabba the Hutt in “Star Wars Outlaws”, who provides the unique sounds for Nix, which adds a whole new layer of believable emotion to the creature.
The Future of the Franchise Beyond “Outlaws”
Nix might be incredibly adorable, but he’s no softie. After all, he’s had to survive in the seedy criminal underbelly of a galaxy far, far away for several years, so, naturally, he has to fend for himself during moments in which his master Kay might be distracted fighting an enemy.
“But on the other hand, he’s from a jungle planet,” Jonkers adds, “[so] he needs to survive, he’s still a wild animal in a sense, and so he has very sharp teeth, for example.”
Even for an adorable companion, it’s important to have a bit of edge. While Grogu was given the affectionate nickname “Baby Yoda” by fans, it’s easy to forget he’s not just a “Child” — he’s a Force-user. As such, he possesses some deadly abilities at his disposal.
But comparing Nix with Grogu only makes sense from a friendly-companion point of view. The two are otherwise nothing alike. But when it comes to Star Wars merchandise, they might as well be cut from the same cloth. Needless to say, Nix will be flooding toy store shelves in no time.
The question is, will the audience connect with Nix in the same way they have with Grogu? “People are actually drawing the character we created,” Jonkers says, referring to some fanart of the Merquaal creature. “And he [already] resonates with people.”
It remains to be seen if Nix will become as popular as Grogu, or if he’ll be as favored by fans as, say, the Ewoks or Jar Jar Binks. With this franchise, you can never tell what’s in store.
When Will “Star Wars Outlaws” Be Available?
“Star Wars Outlaws” will be released on August 30, 2024.
What Platforms Will “Star Wars Outlaws” Be On?
PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
Are you excited about “Star Wars Outlaws”? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!