While he’s often depicted using a lightsaber, Kyle Katarn wielded a much more iconic weapon that keeps popping up in the new Star Wars canon. The Star Wars: Jedi Knight series was famed for lightsaber combat, and Katarn most regularly used a lightsaber in them. However, despite the character no longer being canon, Katarn’s legendary Bryar pistol was recently featured in the Andor series, wielded by the titular would-be rebel himself. It has also found its way into other areas of Disney’s new Star Wars canon, creating an interesting link between the characters whose stories in which it appears.
The K-16 Bryar pistol first appeared in the game Star Wars: Dark Forces. The blaster sports a large barrel and the ability to fire a charged-up laser bolt, while its design is quite reminiscent of Deckard’s blaster pistol from Blade Runner. Katarn also used the weapon through the Jedi Knight series, preferring it as a backup to his lightsaber in many instances, and proving that one of Star Wars’ best video game Jedi resorted to more uncivilized weapons now and then.
Katarn’s Bryar pistol was introduced into Disney’s Star Wars canon in the Death Star DLC for EA’s Star Wars Battlefront reboot. It had some slight design changes but was still recognizable. It also appears in the fifth issue of the Han Solo and Chewbacca comics, used by a scoundrel for hire named Khel Tanna, who used the blaster to intimidate Han Solo. Most recently, the Bryar pistol was wielded by Cassian Andor in Andor, but with some significant modifications. The episode’s trivia gallery published on the official Star Wars website labels Cassian’s updated version as the MW-20 Bryar pistol.
Star Wars’ Bryar Pistol Connects Kyle Katarn & Cassian Andor
The presence of the Bryar pistol in Andor establishes a link between Cassian and the no longer Star Wars canon Kyle Katarn. In Star Wars Legends, Katarn, like Andor, was involved in the theft of the Death Star plans. Both figures also worked for the Empire in some fashion and became important figures in the Rebellion, playing a vital role in its first and most important victory. They are heroes that initially resisted the cause and then devoted themselves to it entirely, so the presence of the Bryar pistol in Andor makes thematic sense.
Although the Star Wars: Jedi Knight games are not a part of the new Disney canon, the recurring presence of the Bryar blaster intimates their influence. Its appearance in EA’s Star Wars Battlefront reboot felt like an affectionate nod toward an iconic piece of Star Wars game history, while its subsequent appearance in Andor should help cement its status in live action. It goes to show that even though Kyle Katarn was best with a lightsaber, his gunslinging days were just as compelling.
