Star Wars Zero Company Permadeath Guide
Permadeath gives Star Wars Zero Company real roster stakes. An Operator who loses all Health becomes Downed and suffers an Injury. On Standard difficulty, accumulating three Injuries results in permanent death. That rule makes survival a campaign resource, not just a way to finish the current encounter.
EA says Permadeath is enabled by default, but can be turned off. This guide focuses on the confirmed system, the Den facilities that manage it, and safe habits that work without inventing unreleased damage values or class details.
How Permadeath works
The official sequence is straightforward:
| State | Confirmed rule | | --- | --- | | Downed | An Operator reaches zero Health and cannot take Actions. | | Injury | Becoming Downed gives that Operator an Injury. | | Rally | An ally can Rally the Downed Operator back into the fight. | | Permanent death | Three accumulated Injuries cause permanent death on Standard difficulty. | | Memorial | The Den records Operators who made the ultimate sacrifice. |
Injuries negatively affect combat stats and must be managed carefully. EA has not published the final numerical penalty per Injury, so do not plan around preview-only accuracy percentages.
Downed vs Injured vs permanently dead
Downed is the immediate battlefield state: the Operator has zero Health and cannot act. Injured is the lasting consequence that needs campaign management. Permanently dead is the Standard-difficulty outcome after three Injuries.
The important response is timing. A Rally can get an Operator back into the current fight, but it does not erase the fact that the squad has already spent an Injury. Secure the rescue space first, prevent another enemy turn from punishing the revived ally, then return to the objective.
The three-Injury rule
EA's published rule is three Injuries on Standard difficulty, not “three low-health moments.” Do not let an Operator repeatedly reach zero Health just because the team can still Rally them. A rescue saves the mission state; avoiding the Downed state protects the long-term roster.
Permadeath is a setting choice, so players who want a more forgiving campaign can disable it. If it stays on, treat every existing Injury as a deployment constraint when choosing the next squad.
How to Rally a Downed Operator
An ally can Rally a Downed teammate, returning them to the fight. Rally is therefore a rescue action, not permission to overextend:
- Identify the enemy that can punish the rescue.
- Use cover, control, a removal, or a safe lane to reduce that threat.
- Rally only when the revived Operator can avoid immediately being Downed again.
- Rebuild the formation before chasing optional damage.
Exact AP costs, recovery values, and class-specific Rally modifications have not been fully announced by EA. The reliable rule is that an injured Operator who is still exposed creates a second emergency.
Can Authored and Custom Operators permanently die?
EA presents a company that mixes Authored Operators with Custom Operators, and its permanent-death system is described as a company-wide campaign stake. Do not assume a named story character is protected merely because they are important to the narrative. Build roster depth, keep a substitute role available, and avoid relying on a single character for every mission type.
Hawks is the practical exception: Hawks is required in story missions, and Hawks' death is an automatic mission failure that requires a restart. That ends the encounter rather than letting the campaign continue after a permanent Hawks loss.
What happens when Hawks goes Down?
If Hawks dies in combat, the mission automatically fails and must be restarted. Hawks is required on all story missions, so the rest of the squad should support the role Hawks is playing rather than leave the leader without a safe retreat.
This does not make reckless Hawks play free. A failed mission still costs time and can disrupt a carefully planned Cycle. Give Hawks a route back to cover and avoid spending the whole team's Actions before the leader is safe.
Difficulty settings and how to disable Permadeath
EA confirms that Permadeath is enabled by default and can be toggled off. Standard difficulty is the published context for the three-Injury rule. EA has not released every final interaction between difficulty settings, save restrictions, and campaign modes, so this guide does not treat preview-only mode names or rules as confirmed.
Choose the setting that makes the campaign enjoyable. Leaving Permadeath enabled emphasizes recovery, rotation, and the Memorial; disabling it is a valid way to learn Tactical Missions and the Den without losing a favorite Operator permanently.
How to heal Injuries: Medbay vs Bacta Tank
The Medbay treats Injuries sustained during Operations and Tactical Missions. Healing costs Credits, so recovery is also an economic choice.
| Den option | Confirmed behavior | | --- | --- | | Standard bed | Takes one Cycle to heal. | | Bacta Tank | Provides instant recovery. |
Before starting the next Tactical Mission, inspect the entire roster—not only the four available slots. An injured reserve may be the only safe replacement for a later objective. Reserve Credits and recovery capacity for an Operator whose absence would leave the team without a frontline, a recovery plan, or key mission coverage.
Can Operations cause Injuries?
Yes. EA specifically says the Medbay recovers Injuries sustained during Operations as well as Tactical Missions. Operations do not use the same tactical-combat format, but their choices, timing, and assigned Operators still deserve risk management. EA has not published every Operation result or exact Injury trigger, so use the available briefing information before assigning a vulnerable Operator.
Injury combat penalties
EA confirms that Injuries negatively impact combat stats. It has not published a final public table for the exact stat penalty, stacking behavior, or every way to mitigate it. Treat an injured Operator as a less safe deployment until the release build confirms more: protect cover, avoid needless exposure, and use the Medbay when the roster can afford the Credits and time.
How to protect important Operators
- End turns in cover when possible; partial and full cover make targets harder to hit.
- Flank or take elevation to improve your own chance to remove dangerous enemies sooner.
- Keep a Rally path open instead of sending every Operator down a separate lane.
- Save a recovery, control, or Advantage answer for the enemy most likely to force a Downed state.
- Rotate an injured specialist out when the mission can be solved by a safer substitute.
These are campaign-safety habits, not a promise that a perfect team can prevent every loss. Objectives, map sightlines, and enemy composition still determine the correct risk level.
Best classes for preventing death
EA describes Heavy as a durable frontline Specialist focused on surviving enemy attacks and Medic as the Specialist for healing, Injury prevention, and team boosts. Those two roles form the clearest defensive foundation when an Injury would be costly.
Scout can support safer timing through reconnaissance, while Sharpshooter can remove a priority threat from range. The best choice is mission-dependent: a Heavy and Medic cannot protect a squad that ignores cover, and a safe long-range setup may need a Scout more than another frontline role.
Medic abilities and Injury prevention
The official overview says Medics excel at healing and preventing Injuries, as well as boosting teammates physically and psychologically. That makes a Medic a strong safety choice for an unfamiliar map or a roster already carrying Injuries.
EA has not published final ability ranks, exact healing amounts, or a complete list of Medic interactions for the release build. Build around the confirmed role rather than claiming a specific preview ability will always solve a Downed situation.
What happens after an Operator dies?
The Memorial at the Den honors Operators who make the ultimate sacrifice and lets players review the stats and accomplishments that defined their service. The published campaign information does not provide a full post-death dialogue, replacement, or equipment-inheritance rule, so treat any detailed preview claim about those systems as unconfirmed.
The practical result is immediate: change the next squad around the role that was lost, recruit or prepare a Custom Operator when appropriate, and protect the roster capacity you need for future missions.
Tel-Rea and the only Jedi rule
EA confirms that Tel-Rea Vokoss is the only Jedi Padawan-class Operator in Star Wars Zero Company. That makes her a uniquely valuable story-role asset. If your campaign depends on her control tools, use the same safety rules you would use for any irreplaceable role: preserve cover, keep a rescue option, and do not turn a risky objective into an unnecessary Downed state.
EA has not published a full replacement or post-loss flow for every unique class. This guide therefore does not claim a specific recruitment outcome beyond Tel-Rea's confirmed unique class status.
Permadeath FAQ
What triggers an Injury?
An Operator receives an Injury when their Health reaches zero and they become Downed.
Can I Rally a Downed Operator?
Yes. An ally can Rally them back into the fight, but the Injury still needs campaign management.
Does Hawks die permanently?
No campaign continuation follows Hawks' death in a story mission: it is an automatic mission failure and restart.
Can I turn Permadeath off?
Yes. EA says it is enabled by default but can be toggled off.
Can Operations cause Injuries?
Yes. EA says the Medbay handles Injuries from both Operations and Tactical Missions, though it has not listed every trigger.
Does the Bacta Tank heal immediately?
Yes. EA says the Bacta Tank provides instant recovery, while a standard bed takes one Cycle.
Sources and release status
Core Injury, Rally, Standard-difficulty permadeath, cover, Medic, Heavy, Medbay, Bacta Tank, and Memorial information comes from EA's Lead Zero Company to Victory. Hawks, the Permadeath toggle, and Tel-Rea's unique Jedi Padawan class are cross-checked with EA's Answering the Internet’s Biggest Questions. Check exact values and settings in the launch build.