Star Wars Galactic Racer rivalries are essential for players trying to unlock the Best of the Best achievement. To earn it, you must defeat all 11 eligible racers in special Rivalry Head-to-Head events, which are different from ordinary races and the standard Head-to-Head challenges.
Fortunately, there is a reliable way to trigger these encounters. Rather than waiting for random events or repeatedly taking down opponents, you can deliberately build a rivalry by targeting the same racer through Sidebets across multiple planets.
Here is how the system works, which racers you need to defeat and the additional rewards you can earn along the way.
How to trigger Rivalry Head-to-Head races
Rivalry Head-to-Head events become available during Act 2 and Act 3 of the Campaign. To create a rivalry, you need to consistently challenge a particular opponent through the Sidebet system.
Follow these steps:
- Progress to Act 2 or Act 3 of the Campaign.
- Enter a Race or Eliminator event.
- When the Sidebet menu appears, select the racer you want to turn into a rival.
- Beat that racer and win the Sidebet.
- On the next planet, watch for a conversation with that opponent.
- Continue choosing the same racer in subsequent Sidebets and defeating them.
- Once the Rivalry icon appears beside their name, continue progressing to the next planet.
- Speak to your rival when the challenge becomes available to begin the special one-on-one race.
Consistency is the most important part of this process. If you want a rivalry with Soren Zaks, for example, keep choosing Soren Zaks rather than switching between different opponents.
Following the sequence across successive planets should eventually trigger the Rivalry Head-to-Head event. You do not need to rely on Mystery Encounters or deliberately perform takedowns.
All 11 rivals for the Best of the Best achievement
The Best of the Best achievement requires you to win a Rivalry Head-to-Head against each of the following 11 racers.
| Rival | Reward |
|---|---|
| Katja Mox | None |
| Griff Halloran | Victorious Loser Favor |
| Ary Quill | Family Legacy Favor |
| Soren Zaks | None |
| Sen Fira | Silent Defiance Favor |
| Biddy Blas | None |
| Malis Vazosk | None |
| Lyren Shok | Fan Club Favor |
| Nik Skandaro | None |
| Goli & 02-R0 | None |
| Fola Kanjen | High Roller Favor |
Every racer in this table counts toward the achievement. Therefore, make sure you have defeated each one in a Rivalry Head-to-Head, not merely in an ordinary Race or Eliminator.
Five of the opponents also provide named Favors, making their encounters especially worthwhile for players interested in completing more than the achievement itself.
What happens when you win or lose a rivalry?
A Rivalry Head-to-Head is a dedicated one-versus-one race against the opponent you have been targeting.
Winning rewards you with a Galactic League Token. These tokens effectively act as additional lives during your campaign progression, so collecting them can provide a useful safety net.
However, there is a risk. If you lose the rivalry race, your opponent takes one of your Galactic League Tokens instead.
For that reason, it is worth preparing your vehicle and familiarizing yourself with the track before attempting a rivalry, particularly when you are carrying a limited number of tokens.
Winning the encounter is also what matters for Best of the Best. Simply activating a rivalry or speaking to its racer is not enough.
Kestar Bool has a separate achievement
There is one important exception to the list of eligible rivals: Kestar Bool cannot become a Rivalry Head-to-Head opponent.
That means you do not need to defeat him as part of the 11-racer Best of the Best requirement.
Nevertheless, Kestar Bool is still worth targeting through Sidebets. Successfully placing and winning a Sidebet against him unlocks the separate Gathii vs. Bool achievement.
This distinction matters for completionists because attempting to build a standard rivalry with Kestar Bool would waste time that could be spent progressing toward the correct achievement.
Best strategy to unlock Best of the Best faster
The most efficient approach is to focus on one rival at a time and avoid changing your Sidebet target unnecessarily.
Begin with a racer who regularly appears in your available events, select them whenever possible and keep winning those Sidebets until the Rivalry icon and subsequent Head-to-Head opportunity appear.
Once you have defeated that opponent, move on to another name from the list. Maintaining a checklist is particularly useful because several rivals do not provide a named Favor that would otherwise make their completion easier to remember.
Players aiming for full achievement completion should also challenge Kestar Bool through a winning Sidebet, even though he does not count toward Best of the Best.
Ultimately, Best of the Best is a test of systematic progression rather than luck. Target the same racer, win the necessary Sidebets, trigger the one-on-one challenge and repeat until all 11 eligible opponents have been defeated.
Creator of the website, Pokemon trainer by nature. Trying to report on everything related to the world of video games, series and movies. Yu-Gi-Oh is my weakness, collecting cards since the dawn of time.
