Soulcalibur IV, a fighting game developed by Namco, holds a unique position within the series. This is due to an agreement between Namco and LucasArts that resulted in the inclusion of Darth Vader as a playable character, exclusively for the PlayStation 3 version, and Yoda for the Xbox 360 version. Furthermore, Galen Marek, known as Darth Vader's secret apprentice from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, was also featured as an unlockable character called "The Apprentice" on both consoles; the PS3 version contains a longer ending for him that features Darth Vader, a detail not present in the Xbox 360 version.
Later, on October 23, 2008, downloadable content was released to make Yoda and Vader available on the systems they were not originally on. Vader was priced at 400 MS points, while Yoda was offered for $4.99. With these additions, Yoda could now appear in Darth Vader's story mode, and vice versa, specifically in the penultimate battle. The ending of The Apprentice's story mode on the Xbox 360 was also updated to match the extended version found on the PS3.
To provide a possible explanation for the presence of Darth Vader, Yoda, and The Apprentice (referred to as Starkiller in the comic) within the Soulcalibur IV universe, an Infinities comic titled Star Wars: Visions of the Blade was published on StarWars.com.
Players take control of one character from a diverse roster to engage in battles against other characters. The game offers various modes, including the standard Story, Arcade, and Training modes, as well as a character creation feature and the new Tower of Lost Souls mode, where players can participate in specialized battles to earn rewards.
The Star Wars characters possess unique Force abilities that set them apart. Each of the three characters has a distinct Force Meter that depletes and replenishes based on their use of Force-based attacks, as well as different abilities. Darth Vader is equipped with Force push and choke abilities; Yoda utilizes the Force to propel himself higher into the air than other characters, enabling more elaborate aerial combos; and The Apprentice employs a range of dark side attacks, such as Force lightning.
One of the game's stages, Star Destroyer Docking Bay, is themed after Star Wars and depicts a space loading platform. A Lambda-class T-4a shuttle is docked nearby. In the background, a Death Star, a Star Destroyer, and TIE Fighters can be observed engaged in what appears to be a space battle.
- Several actors from the Star Wars universe reprised their respective roles for this game: Sam Witwer returned as Galen Marek. Matt Sloan once again voiced Darth Vader. Tom Kane reprised his role as Yoda. This also applies to the Japanese voice actors (seiyū) who are mainstays of the series: The late Ichirō Nagai once again voiced Yoda. Tōru Ōhira reprised his role as Darth Vader. However, Galen Marek received a one-time Japanese voice performance by Shūhei Sakaguchi. It remains uncertain whether Sakaguchi will reprise his role in future appearances, as a Japanese-dubbed version of The Force Unleashed was not considered at the time.
- Mitsurugi, Astaroth, and Taki from the Soulcalibur series are the only characters to appear in official Star Wars material related to the game, specifically the comic Star Wars: Visions of the Blade. A comprehensive list of characters can be found on Wikipedia: List of Soul series characters.
- Official English website (backup link; content now obsolete)
- Official Japanese website (backup link; content now obsolete)
- Soulcalibur IV on Wikipedia
- Soulcalibur Wiki