Summary
This year’sStar WarsCelebration event was notably light on big surprises. At the prior Celebration, the franchise made several huge announcements, including filmmakers and returning performers for three surprise theatrical event films. But this year? They were treating things like “Hayden Christensen is returning forAhoska’s second season” like big reveals rather than widely accepted assumptions. The whole affair was pretty lackluster, right up until the final day’s animation panels, which packed an unexpected punch thanks to a genuinely surprising reveal:Star Wars: Visionswould be getting a spinoff in the form ofThe Ninth Jedi, a series devoted entirely to expanding one of the anthology show’s greatest episodes.
Star Wars: Visionsis an ongoing animated anthology series released on Disney+. The series’ first season was released in 2021 and consisted of nine animated short films, each of which was a singular, disconnected work. These shorts were labeled as non-canonical, and a different Japanese animation studio created each. To this end, each episode essentially saw a different and distinct creative voice getting total free rein within theStar Warsuniverse. The show was a critical success and well-received by numerous fans, in addition to being a creative triumph. Not every episode was great, but the sheer variety, depth, and thematic richness on display across the episodes made the series an absolute delight.
The Strengths ofStar Wars: Visions
In 2023, the show returned for a second season, following the same format. Some of the animation studios from the first season returned with new, different takes on the material. Notably, thisseason branched out even furtherin terms of what studios were making episodes and how they were making them, featuring international contributors from across the globe and episodes in multiple different styles of animation, such as hand-drawn, digital, and stop-motion. This season received similar acclaim.
So when it was announced at this year’sStar WarsCelebration thatStar Wars: Visionswould be returning for a third season, it wasn’t a huge surprise. However, it was revealed thatseveral episodes in this new seasonwould actually be sequels to prior episodes, with several animation studios returning to continue previously established stories. One of these would be the Japanese animation studio Production IG, with writer-director Kenji Kamiyana coming back to continue to the story of his episode from the first season, “The Ninth Jedi,” with a sequel episode.
But beyond just a sequel episode, it was then also announced atStar WarsCelebration thatStar Wars: Visionswould be receiving its first-ever spin-off series, in the form of a full-blownThe Ninth Jedianimated series.
WhyThe Ninth Jediis Perfect for a Series
One of the true delights ofStar Wars: Visionsis the way in which these creators have been able to tap into the true essence of George Lucas’ creation. In a truly unique way, being removed from the baggage of narrative necessities has freed up many of these episodes to feel more directly tapped into thethemes, aesthetics, and meaning ofStar Warsas a whole. While other Disney+Star Warsshows likeThe MandalorianorThe Book of Boba Fetthave spent full seasons devoted to slavish fan-service, returning to and rehashing surface-level narrative elements from earlier films,Visions’ unprecedented freedom has allowed it to feel more cohesive in craft and intent.
Kamiyana’s “The Ninth Jedi” is one of the greatest examples of this. The episode is set in a future in which the Jedi are all but entirely extinct. A mysterious beacon summons light-sideForce-users to a citadel in space, for the purpose of assembling a new Jedi order. The protagonist of the episode is Lah Kara, the daughter of a lightsaber swordsmith who is set to provide a batch of newly forged lightsabers for this collection of burgeoning Jedi. However, things go awry when it is revealed that one or more of those in attendance are not who they claim to be.
The episode is compelling, dynamic, and incredibly entertaining. In a very short runtime, Kamiyana and his team are able to establish effective emotional stakes, mine interpersonal relationships for supreme tension and conflict, and cohesively incorporate just about every form ofStar Warssetpiece an audience could hope for.There are blaster shoot-outs, speeder chases, and a massive multi-participant lightsaber duel. The episode leaves audiences wanting more, not only because it ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger, but also because it is such a strong encapsulation of greatStar Warsstorytelling.
In addition to all of this, it has numerous well-established characters and an entire world of possibilities to explore. This makes “The Ninth Jedi” an ideal candidate for Vision’s first attempt at expanding one of these established episodes into a full-blown series.The Ninth Jediseries will take what has now, for years, been an incredibly strong Star Wars short film and turn it into a fully fleshed-out new universe ofStar Warsstorytelling that is entirely unique, and that’s ridiculously awesome.
