Star Wars Zero Company Authored Operators List and Abilities Guide
If you’re going into Star Wars Zero Company expecting another squad-based game where every recruit is basically a reskinned version of the last one, the Authored Operators are going to be a pleasant surprise. Bit Reactor and Respawn have taken a very XCOM-like foundation and mixed it with something Star Wars games sometimes struggle to deliver: companions who actually feel like people, not just stat sheets with a lightsaber attached.
After looking closely at the seven Authored Operators revealed for the game, my biggest takeaway is that these characters aren’t simply there to fill empty squad slots. Their personalities, locked talents, combat roles, and relationships are designed to influence how you actually play missions. And considering Star Wars Zero Company features permadeath, that matters a lot.
The game launches on August 27, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, putting players in the final, increasingly chaotic days of the Clone Wars. You take control of Hawks, a former Republic captain who assembles an extremely unconventional team to investigate the Shadow Plague and confront the mysterious Infinite Coil.
Here’s my breakdown of the Star Wars Zero Company Authored Operators, what makes each one interesting, and which characters I think could become the real stars of a playthrough.
Authored Operators vs. Custom Operators
Before getting into individual characters, there’s an important distinction.
Custom Operators are essentially your blank-canvas recruits. You can create them at The Den, customize their appearance and identity, and build them around the specialization you need.
Authored Operators are completely different. These are story characters with established identities, backgrounds, personalities, and unique talents. Their defining talents cannot simply be copied onto a custom character.
That distinction is important because it gives you a reason to keep these characters around even when another randomly generated soldier might technically have better stats for a particular mission.
In a game built around tactical positioning, permanent consequences, and squad relationships, personality can become almost as valuable as raw damage.
1. Hawks – The Commander Who Builds the Team
Hawks is the obvious centerpiece of Zero Company. He’s a former captain in the Grand Army of the Republic who eventually abandons the conventional military structure and creates his own squad.
What I like about Hawks is that he isn’t treated like a traditional locked protagonist. His gender, species, appearance, and starting specialization can be customized, which makes him feel more like your commander.
His unique talent is Fearless Leader, and this is exactly the kind of ability I expect to become increasingly important on higher difficulties.
When Hawks is deployed, his presence improves the squad’s assist damage and defensive capabilities. Upgrading the talent through the Focus Tree makes those bonuses stronger.
That creates an interesting strategic question: do you always bring Hawks because his leadership buffs are too valuable to ignore, or do you eventually sacrifice the commander slot for a more specialized combatant?
Personally, I think Hawks will be one of those characters whose value becomes more obvious the harder you play.
Starting Specialization: Fully Customizable
2. Trick – The Clone Who Refuses to Stay Down
Trick, designated CT-3301, might be my favorite conceptually.
He’s a veteran Clone Trooper who served alongside Hawks and has been with Zero Company longer than anyone else. His personality sounds like the classic battle-hardened clone archetype, but with enough dry humor to keep him from becoming another generic military stereotype.
His defining talent, For My Brothers, is particularly interesting because it interacts directly with permadeath.
When Trick reaches zero health, he doesn’t immediately disappear from the fight. Instead, he remains Downed and can automatically revive on the squad’s next tactical turn with part of his health.
That’s huge.
In a game where losing an experienced operator can completely change your campaign, having one character capable of cheating death in this way could be priceless.
The upgrade path makes the talent even better by increasing his recovery and providing additional benefits after revival.
Trick’s default role is Soldier, making him the reliable ranged combatant you can put into cover and trust to hold a position.
If I had to pick one Authored Operator I’d expect players to become emotionally attached to, Trick would be near the top of the list.
Starting Specialization: Soldier
3. Tel-Rea Vokoss – The Jedi I Expect Everyone to Experiment With
Tel-Rea Vokoss is probably the character most likely to change how a player thinks about combat in Zero Company.
She’s a Tognath Jedi Padawan who lost her master during the final stages of the Clone Wars. She joins Hawks while trying to figure out what her place is in a galaxy that is rapidly collapsing around her.
She’s also the game’s only playable Jedi character.
Her unique talent, Strong with the Force, revolves around a resource called Harmony. Tel-Rea builds Harmony during combat, and those stacks improve both her lightsaber damage and her ability to deflect incoming blaster fire.
That sounds straightforward, but I think the real strength is how naturally the mechanic encourages aggressive play.
The more you build Harmony, the more threatening Tel-Rea becomes. Instead of treating her like another ranged unit hiding behind cover, you’re encouraged to think about positioning, timing, melee engagement, and Force abilities.
Her Jedi Padawan specialization is also locked, meaning she cannot simply be converted into a conventional Soldier or Sharpshooter.
Her toolkit includes Force abilities such as Push, which can remove enemies from cover or potentially send them over environmental hazards, as well as Shockwave, an area attack capable of damaging multiple targets.
For me, Tel-Rea is the character who screams Star Wars the loudest.
Starting Specialization: Jedi Padawan
4. Cly Kullervo – Mobility Is the Weapon
Cly Kullervo brings the Mandalorian fantasy to Zero Company.
She’s a bounty hunter and one of the surviving members of Clan Verminoth, driven by revenge and equipped with the kind of technology you’d expect from a Mandalorian who has spent years hunting dangerous targets.
Her defining mechanic is Jetpack Repositioning.
And honestly, this could be one of the most useful abilities in the entire game.
Cly can bypass obstacles, deal with vertical terrain more efficiently, and reposition herself rapidly across the battlefield. Combine that with dual pistols and high-damage attacks, and you’ve got a character designed to attack from unexpected angles.
Anyone who’s played an XCOM-style game knows how valuable mobility can be. A character who can reach high ground, bypass a defensive position, and suddenly appear behind an enemy can completely dismantle an otherwise safe formation.
Cly’s Mandalorian Warrior specialization is locked, so you’re getting a very specific playstyle rather than a generic customizable soldier.
I suspect experienced players will love her more than newcomers because the value of mobility tends to become much clearer once you’ve learned exactly how easily a bad position can get a squad killed.
Starting Specialization: Mandalorian Warrior
5. Luco Bronc – The Sharpshooter Who Rewards Patience
Luco Bronc is an Umbaran sharpshooter with one of the more interesting perspectives in the team.
He fought during the Republic’s invasion of Umbara and doesn’t exactly have warm feelings toward the Republic. His alliance with Hawks is therefore based more on practicality and shared interests than patriotic loyalty.
That makes him a particularly good fit for Zero Company’s morally messy story.
His unique talent revolves around Combat Gas and Sharpened Sense, allowing him to use specialized abilities that build stacks and improve his ranged performance.
As those stacks increase, Luco becomes more dangerous from a distance, with improved damage and accuracy that help him overcome defensive advantages such as cover.
His default Sharpshooter specialization doubles down on that identity.
This is the character I’d probably use when a mission gives me a good long sightline. Give Luco a strong elevated position, keep enemies exposed, and let him slowly turn the battlefield into a shooting gallery.
The key word here is patience. He’s not the character I’d send charging into the middle of a firefight.
Starting Specialization: Sharpshooter
6. Jae Mordant – The Finisher
Jae Mordant is a noble from House Mordant on Shu-Torun and one of the people responsible for getting Zero Company its initial funding and contract.
Unlike characters motivated primarily by survival or revenge, Jae has a very personal reason for fighting: she wants to reclaim her family’s industrial mining citadel from Separatist forces.
Her unique ability, Low-Health Execution, is one of those talents that looks simple on paper but could become incredibly powerful in actual combat.
When another Zero Company operator damages an enemy and leaves that target in a sufficiently weakened state, Jae can immediately follow up and execute them.
This creates a natural teamwork loop.
- One operator weakens the target.
- Jae finishes it.
That might sound obvious, but in tactical games, removing one enemy completely is often much more valuable than leaving three enemies barely alive.
Jae starts as an Assault specialist, making her a natural frontline fighter. Her abilities focus on mobility and short-range damage, which fits her execution mechanic perfectly.
If the game allows players to create efficient ability chains between operators, Jae could become one of the most satisfying characters to use.
Starting Specialization: Assault
7. Kabbney “Kabb” Uppercut – The Walking Wrecking Ball
Then there’s Kabb.
Kabbney Uppercut is a criminal, smuggler, former prizefighter, and member of the Felshi, an original alien species created specifically for Zero Company.
He’s also got a cybernetic arm and a bizarre rhyming way of speaking.
So yes, Kabb is almost certainly going to be the character players either immediately love or desperately want to throw out of an airlock.
His signature ability is Uppercut, a melee rush that allows him to close the distance and physically knock enemies backward.
And this isn’t merely about damage.
The ability can be used to manipulate enemy positioning, potentially pushing opponents out of cover or toward environmental hazards.
That makes Kabb much more interesting than a simple melee bruiser.
His Scoundrel specialization gives him additional tools for close-range disruption and battlefield control. If you enjoy playing tactical games by turning the environment against enemies rather than simply maximizing damage numbers, Kabb looks like a lot of fun.
I can already imagine using him to knock an enemy off a position just so Luco can finish the target from across the map.
Starting Specialization: Scoundrel
Star Wars Zero Company Authored Operators at a Glance
| Operator | Unique Talent | Starting Specialization | Main Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawks | Fearless Leader | Customizable | Squad-wide support |
| Trick | For My Brothers | Soldier | Survivability |
| Tel-Rea Vokoss | Strong with the Force | Jedi Padawan | Force and melee combat |
| Cly Kullervo | Jetpack Repositioning | Mandalorian Warrior | Mobility |
| Luco Bronc | Combat Gas / Sharpened Sense | Sharpshooter | Long-range damage |
| Jae Mordant | Low-Health Execution | Assault | Finishing weakened enemies |
| Kabbney Uppercut | Uppercut Melee Rush | Scoundrel | Melee disruption |
The Bigger System: Specializations and Squad Bonds
The seven Authored Operators are only part of Zero Company’s larger customization system.
The game features 12 total Specializations, including eight standard classes and four Exotic classes. Standard options include Assault, Gunslinger, Heavy, Medic, Scoundrel, Scout, Sharpshooter, and Soldier.
The Exotic side includes classes such as Jedi Padawan and Mandalorian Warrior, with additional exotic options tied to the game’s broader progression.
One feature I’m particularly interested in is the ability to eventually unlock a secondary Specialization slot. That opens the door to some seriously interesting hybrid builds.
A unit doesn’t necessarily have to remain trapped inside one role for the entire campaign.
The progression system also isn’t simply about unlocking a giant list of new abilities every time someone levels up. Instead, characters earn Focus Points, which are invested into six-tier Focus Trees to strengthen abilities they already possess.
That approach could make progression feel more deliberate.
Instead of constantly replacing old skills with newer ones, you’re essentially taking a character’s existing identity and pushing it further.
Squad Bonds Could Be the Secret Weapon
This might be the system I’m most curious to see in practice.
Specific operators can develop Squad Bonds when they’re repeatedly deployed together. These relationships aren’t just cosmetic. Stronger bonds can provide passive combat synergies, cross-training benefits, and additional Focus Points.
That means building your perfect team isn’t necessarily about choosing the seven characters with the highest theoretical damage.
You may actually want to keep certain pairs together.
For example, Luco and Jae could make an interesting combination: Luco weakens targets from range while Jae rushes in to finish them. Likewise, a highly mobile character like Cly could create opportunities for slower ranged specialists by forcing enemies to react.
And Trick’s survival ability could make him a natural anchor for squads that need somebody dependable in dangerous situations.
This is exactly the sort of system I want from a tactical Star Wars game.
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My Early Picks for the Best Authored Operators
If I were starting a campaign on day one, my priorities would probably look something like this:
- Trick – His ability to survive what should be fatal damage sounds absurdly valuable in a permadeath campaign.
- Tel-Rea Vokoss – The unique Jedi mechanics make her one of the most interesting tactical experiments.
- Cly Kullervo – Mobility is incredibly powerful in turn-based combat.
- Jae Mordant – Her execution mechanic could create devastating squad combos.
- Luco Bronc – A reliable long-range damage dealer is always useful.
- Hawks – His leadership bonuses should become increasingly valuable at higher difficulty.
- Kabb – Potentially one of the most fun characters because of his environmental disruption.
That isn’t necessarily a ranking of raw power. It’s more about who I’d personally want in my squad and who seems likely to produce memorable tactical moments.
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Final Thoughts
What makes the Star Wars Zero Company operators interesting is that Bit Reactor isn’t treating companions as interchangeable pieces.
Hawks is your customizable commander. Trick represents the surviving Clone Wars soldier. Tel-Rea embodies the Jedi perspective. Cly delivers the Mandalorian fantasy. Luco brings Umbara’s bitterness into the squad. Jae provides ruthless tactical efficiency, while Kabb is essentially a cybernetic wrecking ball with a criminal record and a rhyming problem.
That’s a pretty fantastic lineup.
The real test, of course, will be how these characters interact with permadeath, Focus Trees, secondary Specializations, and Squad Bonds over an entire campaign. A great tactical game isn’t just about having powerful abilities. It’s about making the player care when an operator gets into trouble.
And Zero Company seems unusually well positioned to do exactly that.
If the systems work as intended, I don’t think I’ll remember my first campaign because of how many enemies I killed.
I’ll remember it because Trick somehow survived a mission he absolutely should have died in, Kabb punched someone off a ledge, Cly jetpacked behind an entire enemy formation, and Tel-Rea walked straight through a hail of blaster fire with a lightsaber in each hand.
That’s the kind of Star Wars tactical story I want to create myself.
