Whilst playing the Star Wars: Force Unleashed series, you will go through the journey of both Galen Marek and Starkiller as dual main protagonists, travelling through the universe for vastly opposing reasons.
From defeating surviving Jedi like Master Shaak-Ti as Galen Marek, to dragging a Star Destroyer out of the atmosphere with Starkiller, you may notice a range of differing characteristics and traits from the two protagonists.
However, their vast amounts of both different and similar traits cause you to question whether the two characters are the same person, leading to great confusion surrounding the topic.
As a result, here’s a comparison between Starkiller and Galen Marek to see whether the characters are the same or not.
Contents
The Difference Between Starkiller and Galen Marek
The main difference between Starkiller and Galen Marek is their origins.
Whilst Galen Marek was orphaned and taken by Darth Vader following the death of his father, Kento Marek, on Kashyyyk, Starkiller (also known as Subject 1138) was supposedly created as a clone of Galen Marek to attempt to make a more obedient version of himself for Darth Vader.
This would suggest that the two protagonists are separate characters, with Starkiller being created following the supposed death of Galen Marek in Star Wars: Force Unleashed.
However, there is significant ambiguity surrounding Marek’s death. In the middle of Star Wars: Force Unleashed we see that Darth Vader is able to save a dying Galen Marek who was stabbed and thrown into space, using nothing but a medical droid. So, what could have stopped Darth Vader from doing the same again?
Many believe that, following his fight with Darth Vader and Darth Sidious, Galen Marek survived and was brought back to life under the illusion that he was a clone for better control and obedience towards his master, Darth Vader.
With this in mind, let’s go through the similarities and differences between these 2 characters.
#1 Force Ability
Starkiller and Galen Marek are both renowned for their force abilities, helping them to rapidly become fan favourites as a result of their skill and their overpowered nature.
Galen Marek first introduced the abilities of Telekinesis at the beginning of Star Wars: Force Unleashed, where he pulled a lightsaber from Darth Vader’s hand as a young child to save his father.
Similarly, this skill is carried into Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2, where Starkiller frequently uses skills such as Force Push and Force Pull to disrupt the Empire and cause chaos in the name of the rebellion.
His ability to lift items using the Force mirror that of Galen Marek’s perfectly, helping to suggest that perhaps the two have perfectly balanced force abilities.
You can find out why Starkiller is so overpowered here.
#2 Combat Style
One of the most unique traits of both characters is their fighting style. Similarly to Ahsoka Tano, they use their lightsabers invertedly, with a greater focus on deflecting blaster bolts from large crowds opposed to direct combat.
Most believe that this was taught to Galen Marek by Darth Vader as a way of improving his disruption of the Empire, with people drawing upon the fact that both padawans of Anakin Skywalker use the move to suggest that it was his implementation.
Regardless, both Galen Marek and Starkiller use this style, known as ‘Shien’ (a version of Form V). This helps to show the similarity between the characters in their fighting styles and abilities, as this specific variant of Form V relies on a strong defensive hold followed by swift counter-attacks.
You can find out more about Starkiller’s fighting style here.
#3 Love Interests
Both Galen Marek’s and Starkiller’s main objective throughout both Star Wars: Force Unleashed and Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2 is protecting Juno Eclipse.
As the main love interest in the saga, Juno Eclipse is continuously manipulated and endangered by Darth Vader as a method of controlling Starkiller and Galen Marek, first by marking her as an Imperial traitor and again by using Boba Fett to capture her.
However, both protagonists shared love for Juno Eclipse is created in different ways; whilst Galen Marek’s attraction towards the fighter pilot is organic, Darth Vader frequently states throughout Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2 that Starkiler’s feelings for her were artificially created, the result of flaws he failed to eliminate from the experimental cloning procedure.
Vader actually betrayed Starkiller twice, and you can read here to find out more.
Summary
Provided below is a table demonstrating the similarities and differences of Starkiller and Galen Marek.
| Galen Marek | Starkiller | |
|---|---|---|
| Backstory | Orphaned on Kashyyyk | Cloned by Darth Vader |
| Force Ability | Push, Pull, Telekinesis, Lightning, and Block. Acquired through natural powers and force ability. | Push, Pull, Telekinesis, Lightning, and Block. Acquired through glimpses into Galen Marek’s life. |
| Combat Style | Shien (Form V) | Shien (Form V) |
| Love Interests | Juno Eclipse (organic) | Juno Eclipse (side-effects) |
Is Starkiller And Galen Marek The Same Person?
After viewing all of the facts, it would be easy to state that Galen Marek survived his battle with Darth Vader and Darth Sidious in Star Wars: Force Unleashed, and that Starkiller is in fact a heavily manipulated Galen Marek.
However, a scene at the end of Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2 contradicts this view, proving that Starkiller is a clone rather than a manipulated and disorientated Galen Marek.
In the scene, the player chooses to execute Darth Vader. As Starkiller leans to strike the killing blow, he is impaled from behind by a successful Galen Marek clone, destroying the theory that Galen Marek originally survived.
This would suggest that they are not the same character. Although they have significant similarities, this is as a result of Starkiller being a clone, sharing traits with Galen Marek by nature, rather than both characters actually being the same person.
In the end, Starkiller managed to kill Vader at the end of The Force Unleashed I, and you can find out more about that here.
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