Ever wonder why Kay Vess feels so much like a real person and less like a generic video game avatar? It isn’t just the motion capture. When you look at the Star Wars Outlaws cast, you aren't just seeing a list of names; you’re seeing a group of actors who had to basically live in a giant gray volume for months to bring the Outer Rim to life. It’s a scrappy crew. Honestly, it’s refreshing. Ubisoft didn't just go for the biggest A-list names they could find to slap on a poster. They went for actors who could handle the physical demands of being a scoundrel in a galaxy far, far away.
Kay Vess is the heart of it all. Humberly González is the one who brings her to life. You might recognize her from Ginny & Georgia or Slumberland, but this is her biggest swing yet. She’s not playing a Jedi. She’s not some chosen one. Kay is just a girl from Canto Bight trying to survive, and González plays that desperation with this sort of frantic, charming energy that makes you actually care if she gets shot.
Humberly González and the making of Kay Vess
Kay is messy. Most Star Wars protagonists are these stoic figures carrying the weight of the universe, but Kay is just trying to pay off a death mark. Humberly González talked a lot during the press circuits about how she approached the role. She didn't want Kay to be a female Han Solo. That would have been lazy. Instead, Kay is a bit more naive, a bit more panicked, and a lot more reliant on her wits than her aim.
González did full performance capture for this. That means it isn't just her voice; it's her facial expressions and her physical movements. When Kay trips over a crate or ducks behind a speeder, that’s Humberly. It adds a layer of vulnerability. You can hear it in her voice when things go sideways. It’s not "cool action hero" talk; it’s "oh crap, I’m actually going to die" talk.
The droid and the beast: Dee Bradley Baker and the "Nix" factor
Look, we have to talk about Nix. If you’ve played the game, you know Nix is the real MVP. But Nix doesn’t talk—at least not in English. He’s voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.
If you know anything about Star Wars, you know Dee. He is the voice of every single Clone Trooper in The Clone Waves and The Bad Batch. He’s a legend. Asking him to play a Merqaal like Nix is almost like asking a concert pianist to play "Chopsticks," but the guy is a genius with creature sounds. He gives Nix a personality that makes the bond between him and Kay feel earned. It’s not just random squeaks. There’s communication there.
Then there’s ND-5. Every scoundrel needs a droid, but ND-5 is different. He’s a veteran BX-series commando droid wearing a trench coat. Let that sink in. He’s voiced by Jay Rincon. Rincon gives him this dry, gravelly tone that perfectly counters Kay’s high-energy anxiety. ND-5 has seen some things. He’s been through the Clone Wars. Rincon plays him with this weary, mechanical weight that makes him one of the best droids we've seen in the franchise in years.
The villains and the syndicates
A scoundrel is only as good as the people chasing them. Sliro, the leader of the new Zerek Besh syndicate, is the primary antagonist. He’s played by Caolan Byrne. Sliro isn’t a Sith Lord. He’s a mob boss with unlimited resources and a terrifyingly calm demeanor. Byrne brings this corporate coldness to the role that makes Sliro feel much more dangerous than a guy with a red lightsaber. You can't outrun a debt as easily as you can outrun a Force choke.
The Star Wars Outlaws cast also includes some heavy hitters for the various syndicates you encounter:
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- Jaylen Vrax: Played by Mercedes Morris. Jaylen is the one who puts the "heist" in motion. She’s got that classic "I’m telling you the truth but also definitely lying to you" vibe.
- Vail: The bounty hunter chasing you. She’s played by Nicola Correia-Damude. You’ve seen her in The Expanse and The Boys. She’s terrifyingly efficient in this game.
- Jabba the Hutt: Yes, he’s in the game. And no, it’s not just a soundboard. The team used authentic Hutt speakers to make sure the dialogue felt right.
Why this cast feels different from other Star Wars games
If you compare this to Jedi: Survivor, the vibe is night and day. Cameron Monaghan is incredible as Cal Kestis, but Cal is a Jedi. He’s disciplined. He’s powerful. The Star Wars Outlaws cast had to portray people who are constantly punching above their weight class.
The chemistry between Humberly González and Jay Rincon is what carries the middle act of the game. It’s a buddy-cop dynamic where one cop is a panicked thief and the other is a killer robot with an existential crisis. The performance capture technology has reached a point where the subtle "looks" between characters tell more of the story than the actual script.
When Kay looks at ND-5 after a narrow escape, you see the relief. You see the burgeoning trust. That’s hard to do in a game. It requires actors who understand how to move in a way that translates to a digital skeleton.
The unsung heroes of the Outer Rim
We can't ignore the side characters. The game is packed with experts you have to recruit to upgrade your gear. These aren't just menu items; they are fully voiced characters with their own motivations. From the Sullustian who helps you with your speeder to the grumpy mechanics on Toshara, the voice acting is consistently high-tier.
It makes the world feel lived-in. In a lot of open-world games, the NPCs feel like cardboard cutouts. Here, because of the quality of the supporting Star Wars Outlaws cast, every planet feels like it has a history. You feel like you’re intruding on a world that existed long before Kay Vess showed up.
Realism in a galaxy of aliens
One thing that’s really interesting is how the actors handled the "Star Wars speak."
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Talking about hyperdrives, thermal detonators, and Kessel Runs can sound incredibly corny if the actor doesn't believe it. The cast here treats the tech like we treat a smartphone. It’s mundane. It’s just part of their world. This grounded approach is what makes the game feel more like Andor and less like the prequel movies. It’s gritty. It’s dirty.
Humberly González spent a lot of time working with the movement coaches to develop Kay's "scramble." She doesn't run like a soldier. She runs like someone who is afraid of getting hit. That physical acting is a huge part of why the cast works.
What most people get wrong about the voice acting
A lot of people think voice acting in games is just sitting in a booth with a script. For Star Wars Outlaws, it was a full-body experience.
They used a process called "Full Performance Capture." This meant the actors were on a stage together, acting out the scenes in real-time. If Kay grabs ND-5's arm, Humberly was actually grabbing Jay Rincon's arm. This is why the timing of the jokes and the emotional beats feels so snappy. You can't fake that kind of chemistry in a lonely recording booth.
Checking out the credits
If you’re looking to follow the actors' work outside of the game, here is where you’ve likely seen them before:
- Humberly González: Ginny & Georgia, In the Dark, and Orphan Black.
- Jay Rincon: Dead Island 2, Horizon Forbidden West, and Brave New World.
- Nicola Correia-Damude: The Expanse, Shadowhunters, and The Boys.
- Dee Bradley Baker: Literally everything. American Dad, SpongeBob SquarePants, and every Clone Trooper ever.
Actionable insights for fans and creators
If you’re interested in the world-building or the performances in Star Wars Outlaws, there are a few things you should do to get the most out of the experience:
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- Listen to the background chatter: The cast recorded thousands of lines for the NPCs. If you linger in the cantinas on Akiva or Tatooine, you’ll hear full stories playing out between the extras.
- Watch the behind-the-scenes footage: Ubisoft released several "Making Of" videos that show the actors in their mocap suits. It’s fascinating to see how a plastic stick becomes a blaster in the final game.
- Pay attention to the non-verbal cues: Because this was full performance capture, the characters’ body language often gives away their true intentions before they even speak.
- Support the actors: Voice and performance capture actors often don't get the same recognition as film stars. Following them on social media or checking out their other projects is a great way to show appreciation for the work they put into the Star Wars universe.
The Star Wars Outlaws cast managed to do something very difficult: they made a massive, corporate-owned franchise feel personal and human. They took the "scoundrel" archetype and gave it a fresh face. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just someone who likes a good heist story, the performances in this game are a huge part of why it sticks the landing.