Far Cry: New Dawn 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Judge

With all the excitement over Far Cry 6, which got a big gameplay reveal this month and a release date of October 7, a lot of gamers are probably catching up with the previous games in the Far Cry series – in particular, the most recent game in the franchise, Far Cry: New Dawn.

As one of the few direct sequels in the series – in this case, to Far Cry 5 – Far Cry: New Dawn is uniquely positioned to feature returning characters and mysterious new ones, and the Judge manages to fall into both categories. They’re one of the most intriguing characters in New Dawn, and there is much about the Judge that the player might not find out about in a single playthrough.

10 The Judge Is The Player Character From Far Cry 5

The biggest shock in all of Far Cry: New Dawn is that the creepy mask-wearing Judge isn’t an original character or some random enforcer for Joseph Seed, they’re actually a major character from Far Cry 5. Not just any character either: the Judge is actually Deputy Rook, otherwise known as the player character from the previous Far Cry game.

This rather startling revelation can be uncovered in the bunker Joseph Seed sends the player to, where a series of notes reveals that Deputy Rook was kidnapped after Far Cry 5 and tortured by the remnants of Eden’s Gate. It’s a terrifyingly sad end for the character, but it’s a fact that informs all the other surprises about The Judge.

9 They Do Not Have A Voice For A Reason

Other than the animal companions, the main reason for having a human gun for hire around is the lively conversation. Hurk can talk up a storm, and Nana is just hilarious, for example. The Judge is the only human character in New Dawn not to say anything other than some vague noises from behind that mask.

The reason the Judge is basically mute is simply that the player character from Far Cry 5 didn’t have a voice either, which is something Far Cry 6 will be looking to change.

8 The Hero Fell To The Villain

The Judge is an inherently tragic figure in New Dawn. The whole of Far Cry 5 consisted of Deputy Rook struggling to hold back the advance of the fanatical Seed family and the Eden’s Gate zealots, saving many lives while they were at it. Rook was the hero of Hope County, but after they failed to stop the apocalyptic war from happening at the end of the game they fell to the villain, Joseph Seed.

Seed kidnapped the Deputy and held them in a bunker, whereupon they became plagued by doubt about the choices they made in Far Cry 5 and eventually joined Joseph Seed. Ultimately, the hero lost to the villain.

7 They Get On Well With Animals

The Judge is a stealth-focused character. They’re armed with a silent bow, they allow the player to move quietly, and their main perk allows them to fire three arrows quickly at a target. This is all in keeping with their character, but the weirdest perk the Judge can unlock is the ability to stop animals from attacking the player.

There is no reason given as to why the Judge has an affinity with animals, but presumably, it comes down to how well the Deputy in Far Cry 5 did with the several animal companions, including the likes of Cheeseburger the bear.

6 Their Gender Is Ambiguous

One of the first things players notice about the Judge is how they never talk, other than a series of muffled grunts and guttural sounds. This choice to not give the Judge a voice isn’t just to be cool or to disguise their identity, it’s to deliberately make their gender ambiguous too. It’s also while they wear a mask and bulky clothing to hide every part of them.

This is because the Deputy player character in Far Cry 5 didn’t have a voice but players could choose their gender nonetheless, so by disguising them altogether players can assume that the Judge is the Deputy without loading an old save game or anything.

5 Gina Guerra Gets On Well With Them

One of the other awesome guns-for-hire companions in Far Cry: New Dawn is Gina Guerra, Hurk’s long-suffering girlfriend and the mother of their son Blade Drubman. With her M60 machine gun, she’s one of the most powerful companions to have at the player’s side, and she doesn’t suffer fools kindly – probably because she’s surrounded by them.

However, for some reason, she really takes to the Judge, perhaps because they won’t offer her inane conversation. Gina actually confides in them, asking about whether the Judge thinks she will mess up her kid. The Judge will merely shrug.

4 They Are Useless In Vehicles

A big deal in the world of Far Cry is vehicles. From the very first game onwards, the series has dealt with massive open areas that the player needs to pick up some sort of vehicle to traverse – these worlds are just that big. Consequently, the player’s human companions should be able to get in a car and help defend them, like the marines in the Halo series.

Unfortunately, anyone who picks the Judge to accompany them will discover the companion’s secret shame, which is that their choice of a bow is utterly useless in vehicles. Pick Gina Guerra if you want that Halo-style action.

3 Carmina Rye Is The Judge’s Luke Skywalker

During the events of Far Cry 5, the Deputy saves the life of the Rye family, including their baby daughter Carmina. If the Deputy is the heroic and selfless Anakin Skywalker and the Judge is their Darth Vader – after they were taken by the villain and corrupted into their mask-wearing new identity – then Carmina Rye is their Luke Skywalker.

Whereas many of the Deputy’s former friends are scared by the Judge, Carmina is not and continually tries to persuade them that the Deputy is still there inside the Judge and helping them because they are good at heart, not because it is what the Emperor/Father wills.

2 Nana Can Make Them Cry

Arguably the best human companion is Nana, the 69-year-old crack sniper who can take most enemies out before the player has even noticed them. She has some fantastic interactions with the other characters in New Dawn, but perhaps the most surprising is that she can make the Judge cry.

When they are together, the Judge may start crying uncontrollably, only to be comforted by Nana. Nana suggests to the new player character that once the situation with the Twins is sorted, they should look to get the Judge some real help. Nana is the only character to directly suggest help for the Judge.

1 Players Love The Judge

Perhaps the most surprising fact about the Judge is how much players love the character. Despite the character never uttering a word – or perhaps that’s exactly the reason why – players of Far Cry: New Dawn quickly fell in love with the silent and useful companion.

Apart from being really useful for stealth-focused gameplay, the Judge’s tragic and mostly mysterious back-story deeply resonated with players. The cool design of the character probably helped, but it’s always been true that people love a strong, mute, masked character – even if they’re a killer.