10 Characters that should be Starlink Pilots

Starlink: Battle for Atlas was an interesting attempt at merging Ubisoft’s trademark open worlds with a cartoonish starship flying game, akin to Star Fox games of old. The comparison between the two franchises was so strong in-fact that the Nintendo Switch edition of the game came with Star Fox’s iconic protagonist as a playable character in his classic ship and all. With the precedent for guest pilots from other properties now open, that had me thinking. Who else would fit perfectly into the quirky yet capable squad of galactic protectors? Here are the top ten I came up with.

Ratchet & Clank (PlayStation):

If Nintendo can get their own exclusive character in the team, why can’t Sony? Which franchise would be perfect for that? The one about an alien hero and his mechanical best friend of course. Ratchet & Clank is already about an ace pilot hero who has saved the galaxy more times than Sony has released consoles, so the intergalactic BFFs would thematically be just the right fit for Ubisoft’s new universe. Being from a cartoony sci-fi story themselves they even have a talking ship ready and waiting to be made into one of those surprisingly cool toys to life the game comes with. Just imagining the Ryno as a pilot super move and any of the awe inspiring assortment of destructive weaponry the franchise has delighted players with through the years as attachable ship weapons already brings a wide smile to my face. And with Insomniac moving on to more marvellous properties as their future looks to be filled with nothing but Spider-Man, this would be the perfect way to help the fans of this PlayStation classic deal with the serious lack of Ratchet & Clank in the industry right now.

Star-Lord (Marvel):

Speaking of Marvel, when talking about ace cosmic pilots one name is heard throughout the nebula, echoing out from stars going supernova, and springing fear into the hearts of any space-pirates that sails the starry ocean of space, that name is: Star-Lord…who? Star-Lord, man, legendary outlaw, oh come on you must have heard of him, he’s only in one of the biggest movie franchises of all time that has assembled billions after billions of every currency imaginable. Like Ratchet & Clank he too comes with his own cool ship, the Milano, that is begging to be brought to plastic life and sit upon your controller. Every space epic needs their dashing rogue so letting Star-Lord be a guardian of Starlink’s universe too is a no brainer. Plus letting the leader of The Guardians of the Galaxy in might just open the door for his other friends to swoop down into the battlefield.

Green Lantern (DC):

To keep the universe balanced, if we get one from Marvel, you best believe DC will have an offering too. And who else but their resident space-cop: Green Lantern. Another space-travelling character who would be a perfect fit for the game, Green Lantern could also bring another dimension to the Starlink team’s dynamic. Outside of Hunter, the team is lacking in more seasoned, authoritative voices as the rest of the crew skews younger. But throw Justice League and Justice League Unlimited’s John Stewart Green Lantern into the mix and people looking for an older, more experienced persona to connect with and play the game as find their answer. Mechanically Stewart’s powers of creating constructs from his willpower also slot in effortlessly with the ever evolving ships of Starlink. Instead of an actual ship, Stewart’s could be a shimmering emerald construct that he pilots and through his Lantern ring can change his weapons in an instant, exactly like the rest of the crew can with their futuristic technology. Honestly this suggestion would be so easy to implement its mind boggling that no one has thought of it yet.

Tracer (Overwatch):

Through the crew’s diversity and quirky personalities they feel like they were heavily inspired by the unique and very diverse roster of heroes from Blizzard’s hit competitive shooter: Overwatch. So why not embrace the comparison even more by bringing in Overwatch’s flagship character. Tracer’s backstory already explains that she used to be a pilot before her accident in an experimental plane that has now left her untethered from time and space, so her inclusion in the star-ship-flying-only game isn’t that much of a leap in logic. Put her in a sci-fi styled re-imagining of a spit fire, to celebrate her British origins, and make her ability similar to her time skipping, speedster-like gimmick in Overwatch and you have a fast-paced vibrant character that will feel like no other in the game.

Ezio (Assassin’s Creed):

Possibly the weirdest, but most interesting suggestion on the list; adding a futuristic version of Ezio from Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations would be a fun mashup of the two Ubisoft produced games. Getting the original voice actor back to voice the gaming legend would bring on all of the best kinds of nostalgia and setting this Ezio up as a future son of the Desmond lineage working for a secret organisation/brotherhood that wants to stop the Legion from taking over the galaxy would be a fun wink and nod to the Assassin’s order being hidden somewhere in this universe. This future-Ezio’s ship could even be a massive hidden blade that’s ability could hinge on you landing the first blow of combat from a hidden location, incorporating the elements from his original game just enough to be a fun mix up to Starlink’s combat, but not enough to get in the way.

Luke Skywalker (Star Wars)

Starlink is a space opera and when mentioning space operas another franchise with the word ‘Star’ in its title should immediately come to mind. Yes, we’re all thinking of Star Wars. But there are so many exceptional pilots in the long history of Star Wars, how can we choose just one. Well Poe Dameron is cool, but there isn’t much to his character yet in the mainstream consciousness. While Han Solo is the space-rouge in pop culture, the Millennium Falcon doesn’t quite fit the Starlink ship aesthetic, being more of a flying home than speedy little fighter. But you know what is a speedy little fighter in the Star Wars universe? An X-Wing, and you know who used an X-Wing to blow up the freakin’ Death Star? The answer is obviously Luke Skywalker, making Luke Skywalker and his trusty X-Wing, being co-piloted by none other than R2D2 the only choice when it comes to Star Wars inclusions in Starlink. Luke’s naïve and hopeful disposition would also be a complimentary personality to the equally optimistic do-gooders on the Starlink crew, plus who doesn’t want huge lightsabers as weapon attachments.

Keith (Voltron: Legendary Defender):

What is even better than a starship? A giant flying mechanical lion, that’s what. That is why Keith, Voltron: Legendary Defender’s hot headed red lion paladin needs to be added to Starlink. The Voltron squad have come across interdimensional portals before so explaining Keith into Starlink wouldn’t be too hard, and his edgy too-cool loner attitude would make him a fan favourite like he has become in the Netflix show. It is his choice of transport though that really earns Keith his spot on this list. There isn’t enough Voltron merch for the new show when it comes to figures, and having one be a lion that can attach to your controller and then roar its way onto screen is so cool it could only be real in my dreams. The lion aesthetic isn’t the only thing the paladin would bring to the game though, each Voltron lion is fully kitted out. From mouth lasers to slicing claws and unique powers, the red lion’s being the ability to shoot out a constant stream of ferocious fire, they have it all. Starlink could even incorporate the four other lions and their combined form of the titular Voltron into Keith’s super, or leave all of that for even more added characters. I basically just really want a Voltron: Legendary Defender game, please.

Joker (Persona 5):

When I said Ezio might be the weirdest suggestion on the list, I might have been lying. Joker from Persona 5 has just been invited to join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate so why not stick him in here too? His ship could be a transformed version of his persona, and seeing his effortlessly cool black trench coat slinking about the Equinox is just too weird not to do. Joker’s inclusion would also add magic to the predominantly sci-fi game, mixing up the game’s visuals and making Joker a truly stand out character. This would be a lot of effort, but playing through the game as Joker could also add in everything we love about Persona 5’s social simulation and really shake up the formula of Starlink. Between missions you could wander the halls of the Equinox, romance your way through the crew, raise your charisma so people give you more supplies when completing side missions on the planet surfaces, and play baseball in the Equinox’s game room. Obviously this would be way too much of an overhaul to do just for an extra character, but isn’t it fun to imagine.

Spring Man (ARMS):

The inclusion of Spring Man, ARMS’ flagship character, is less for the character himself and more for the mechanics he would bring to the fight. Mostly all of the weapons in Starlink are ranged attacks using projectiles, but with Spring Man his weapons could be his extendable arms with different destructive gadgets as his hands. A freezing punch and hammer slam combo attack would bring a different dimension to Starlink’s combat adding melee as an option. Again, the groundwork is there with the myriad of creative arms that ARMS already has on offer, all we need to do is design a funky ship for the arms to be violently extend out of and we have ourselves a fun extra Starlink character.

Crash Bandicoot (PlayStation):

Another character that could bring a melee spin to Starlink’s combat, literally, is the once PlayStation mascot: Crash Bandicoot. His iconic spinning attack would be a close quarters, high risk, high reward devastating attack that wouldn’t be like anything else seen on the Starlink crew. Add in there the nostalgia filled sound effects from his first wave of games and have his super ability be combining his ship with an oversized Aku Aku and you have taken full advantage of the Bandicoot resurgence that seems to be going on right now in the videogame industry. Anyway, wouldn’t it just be hilarious to see this chaotic, tongue wagging cartoon character piloting a makeshift wooden starship whilst gleefully screaming through the carnage around him? I think it would be.

Those are the top ten characters I think would be perfect, or atleast just really fun, to play as in Starlink: Battle for Atlas. Do you have any suggestions, and are you enjoying Ubisoft’s attempt at a family-friendly space epic? Voice your opinions in the comments down below and thank you for reading.