Star Wars Zero Company character build guide: Tel-Rea, Jae and Kabb tips
Star Wars Zero Company is now available, and players are already digging into the tactical strategy title that casts them as Hawks, the leader of a mercenary band operating in the closing days of the Clone Wars. Tasked with hunting down a dangerous cult for the Republic, Hawks recruits a roster of rogues, soldiers and scoundrels along the way. Among the strongest additions are the Padawan Tel-Rea, the noble Jae Mordant and the melee-focused Kabb, each of whom demands a different approach to get the most out of their kit.
Building Tel-Rea as a mobile flanker
Tel-Rea, a Padawan Jedi investigating the same cult, wields two lightsabers and offers exceptional close-range damage alongside useful displacement effects. But she is not a frontline tank like some other operators, and players should avoid treating her as such. She is fragile when surrounded, so the early game should lean on her ability to shove enemies out of cover and, in many cases, push them clean off the map for instant eliminations.
Her Push and Shockwave abilities are the priority upgrades early on, letting her reposition enemies that are either in her line of sight or hiding behind cover. This displacement can also trigger friendly Overwatch reactions, opening up extra damage opportunities for the rest of the squad. Using the environment against foes is key, as a well-placed push can remove multiple enemies in a single turn.
The most important of her starting abilities to keep upgrading, however, is Padawan Training. Beyond granting movement and melee critical chance buffs, maxing it out unlocks her second and third Meditation slots. These function like weapon mods for Tel-Rea herself rather than her lightsabers, and equipping three of them greatly boosts her survival odds in the mid-to-late game. The Fast Healing Meditation passive is a recommended early pick, giving her extra survivability without punishing aggressive play.
Tel-Rea’s late-game power spike
Once the Wayseeker Specialization unlocks in the mid-game, Tel-Rea gains three new abilities that push her into an exceptionally strong tier. Chief among them is the Elegant Weapon passive, which sharply increases both her Critical Damage and Critical Chance. That single talent transforms her from a useful utility piece into a genuine damage threat, rewarding players who have kept her Meditation slots filled and her positioning disciplined.
Jae as a backline executioner
Jae Mordant is one of the more unusual operators in Star Wars Zero Company, a noble whose ability set takes some work to make effective. She specialises in executing low-health enemies and applying status effects across large groups, which makes her a natural fit for a backline damage role throughout the entire story. Because her first and second Specializations are fully customisable outside her unique Talent Ability, she can be built in several directions, but the most consistent success comes from turning her into a high-damage, long-range fighter.
The Sharpshooter Specialization is the recommended early pick, boosting her Overwatch damage, chance-to-hit and critical chance. Passives such as Pick Them Off pair beautifully with her Final Shot talent, letting her weaken an enemy whenever Overwatch triggers and then execute them instantly if their health has dropped low enough. Zero In is also strong, improving her critical chance and accuracy against distant or covered targets. Precision Shot exists but is not worth prioritising over the others.
Final Shot itself is the ability to max out without question. It allows Jae to instantly kill any enemy within her range once they fall below a certain health threshold, a devastating tool that eases some of the tougher missions considerably. In practice, she should sit on high ground to maximise her sightlines, focus her actual attacks on key threats such as Commando Droid Snipers or Seers, and use Overwatch to support the rest of the team.
Jae’s mid-game flexibility
After her second Specialization unlocks, Jae can be taken in several directions, none of which are poor choices. Some players have found success using her as a Medic, given that she naturally stays in the backline, while others lean into improving her offensive output further. The choice largely depends on squad composition and how much healing support the party already has.
Kabb and the missing companions
A separate build guide for Kabb has also been published, though the details of that operator’s optimal setup are not covered in full here. What is known is that Kabb is another recruitable operator with a distinct playstyle that benefits from a tailored approach.
Players should also note that during the main story, two companions will leave the party at certain points. Guides have been published explaining how to get both Jae and Trick to return, so those who find themselves short-handed mid-campaign are not permanently locked out of their preferred roster. Additional guides cover build recommendations for Luco and how to obtain Capacitors, a resource that appears to factor into progression.
Release timing for Star Wars Zero Company has not been confirmed beyond its current availability, and no further details on post-launch content have been announced.