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Unfortunately, there’s only so much the developers can do to maintain balance. A universe this varied will inevitably have some characters who are better than others. The Dark Side fighters are no exception. Gamers may be able to play as several popular antagonists in this online shooter, but they may not want to. For better or worse, Battlefront II has a clear pecking order when it comes to its baddies, and there are no prizes for second place.
11 BB-9E
Whose bright idea was it to give the bad guys their own version of the bowling ball? A villainous counterpart of BB-8, this little droid is strictly there for support, buffing other units and refilling their health. That’s all he’s good for since his entire existence is straight out of a meme.
His deadly weapon is a shock prod, which somewhat damages nearby enemies and emits an electric pulse during an ability. However, this doesn’t do enough damage to justify its short range. That’s presumably where the smokescreen comes in, as it provides a convenient way for this tiny target to disappear.
10 Captain Phasma
This glorified Stormtrooper is just as lackluster as the movies made her out to be. She’s very slow, making her an easy target for anyone with a modicum of hand-eye coordination. Her high-powered rifle would be more of an asset in other shooters, but its efficacy is hampered by a little thing called a lightsaber.
That fundamental disadvantage must be why the developers gave her a sentry droid. This helps her last a bit longer than he would have otherwise. Perhaps it gives her a chance to use her staff.
9 Iden Versio
This Imperial has a bit more to offer than the standard Stormtrooper, and that mostly boils down to her tools. She’s still not particularly fast or maneuverable, inevitably leading to a few deaths. However, her equipment evens things up a little.
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Her rifle has a decent rate of fire, and the pulse projectiles can throw enemies off-balance for a clean shot. In addition, her stun droid and shield can keep attackers at bay for a few precious seconds. Iden is a decent all-around soldier, which is probably intentional due to her central role in the story. It’s just a shame she’s not as interesting as other game characters.
8 Bossk
One of the more bizarre inclusions turns out to be one of the better non-lightsaber characters. His standard grenade launcher packs a much bigger punch than a blaster. If this doesn’t do the job, he’s got gas and proximity bombs to spare. Even for Jedi, this explosive arsenal would be hard to counter.
Plus, his predator instincts help him detect enemies through walls and other structures. Players can use this to effectively prepare their grenade attacks to decimate larger groups of foes. Bossk has been at the bounty hunting game for a while, and it’s easy to see why.
7 Boba Fett
This bucket-head is a robust fighter at close range. His scattergun and flamethrower drastically drain the health of anyone foolish enough to get close. Even Jedi won’t get an easy kill on this guy.
Fett’s jetpack also gives him the ability to fly. Not only does this make him infinitely more mobile than other blaster heroes, but it makes him arguably more dangerous at long range. The barrage of rockets that he rains down levels even the toughest troopers. It’s no wonder he was considered the best bounty hunter in the galaxy.
6 Emperor Palpatine
The Emperor plays much like he did in the original Battlefront II, but that’s not a good thing. He’s not particularly fast since he’s an old man. Not to mention, he has no lightsaber, which makes it kind of hard to deflect blaster bolts.
This doesn’t make much sense. He had a lightsaber in Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars, so why can’t he whip it out here? Instead, players are stuck with variations on his lightning. Shocking people to death and sapping their health is admittedly amusing, until someone shoots the old guy from far away.
5 Kylo Ren
At first glance, this wannabe Sith Lord might look like a powerhouse. His lightsaber swings are devastating to anyone in the vicinity, especially during a frenzy.
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Sadly, he’s not strong enough to justify his pitiful Force abilities. He can’t choke or shoot lightning; all he can do is pull people toward him and briefly freeze them. This makes him out to be a novice next to the more experienced Dark Side warriors. In short, he’s just as much of a loser as he was in the movies.
4 Count Dooku
This former Jedi was very restrained and dignified in the films, and that’s reflected in his gameplay. His attacks have a precision to them, sacrificing elaborate combos for short, purposeful strikes. These are meant to finish enemies in a more measured fashion.
His abilities seem to facilitate that. Not only does his lightning stun foes to make them easier targets, but he can also activate buffs to boost his own power and weaken those around him. The worst thing one can say about Dooku is that he feels stiffer than other heroes. On the upside, he can be a deadly killer for those who know how to use him.
3 Darth Vader
It’s not surprising that Darth Vader takes his time. Rather than running into battle, he saunters slowly toward his targets, making him easy to shoot. This would normally be a massive hindrance, but this asthmatic Sith Lord can take a lot of abuse. Plus, he has enough physical strength to compensate for his lack of speed. He’s basically a tank in an MMO. That’s quite a far cry from his Light Side self.
If no troops are coming within reach, then Vader can always choke them out from a distance or throw his lightsaber. This wreaks havoc on large groups of enemies in one fell swoop. All in all, this iconic villain lives up to his image as an unstoppable force of tyranny.
2 Darth Maul
This acrobatic adversary excels in many of the same ways as Vader. Although he’s not quite as sturdy, he’s predictably fast in both his movements and attacks. He creates an overwhelming flurry of death with his melee combos, and his spin attack ability only complements this beautifully, covering a wide area of effect with destructive damage.
His long-range offense is nothing to sneeze at, either. He can also choke people with the Force and toss his weapon at faraway foes. It’s arguably more devastating since his lightsaber is double-bladed. Maul is every bit the Dark Side power fantasy that fans would want him to be.
1 General Grievous
The film version of this cyborg commander is widely panned for paling next to his unbeatable animated counterpart. Well, it looks like the developers set out to fix that. Grievous may not have any Force powers, but he doesn’t need them.
He comes equipped with two lightsabers, which are formidable enough, but one of his abilities lets him whip out all four. Going against him in a frontal assault is practically suicide. One may think that long-range is the way to go. Sadly, this doesn’t work, either, as he can launch himself forward with sabers swinging. This lunge has a massive hitbox that’s hard to dodge for anyone in the same zip code. Similarly, he can crawl on all fours (or sixes) like a spider, dramatically boosting his speed and trampling any enemies in his path. With all his physical advantages, Grievous is virtually unfair as a fighter. Who would have thought that one of the worst characters in the films would be one of the best warriors in this game?
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