Abstract

The clone is a staple of body horror: the posthuman agent that may come to supplant humanity. The clone is an
unsettling enemy – intrinsic to Gothic fear - but a pitiable one for their perceived lack of identity (Braidotti,
Tofoletti). Jedi Fallen Order depicts the defunct body – that which can no longer serve neoliberalism – through
the decommissioning of the clones. Storm troopers form the major NPC antagonists the player must face, and
they were previously made up of clones ordered by the Republic who then were activated by bio-chips to turn
against the Republic and the Jedi. The genocide of the Jedi led to the fall of the Republic and the rise of the
Empire, an empire which quickly replaced clone troopers with civilians.
This chapter explores the concept and fears of posthuman mutants, the instability of the position of
humanity and how recycled NPCs demonstrate the expendability of clones through ludo-mechanics in the Star
Wars game. The death and resurrection of the same non-playable enemies in videogames is a foundational
point of (shooter) games, an instance every single gamer will recognise, allowing this chapter to connect with
gamers and Gothic scholars alike.