Star Wars Celebration: ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Reveals Season 3 Release Date, ‘The Ninth Jedi’ Standalone Series

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Originally slated for a brief visit, Ronin – a past Sith Lord character from the first season of the animated anthology Star Wars: Visions – is set to make a comeback in the third season of the Lucasfilm series airing on Disney+ this October 29th.

At the Star Wars Celebration event held in Tokyo, during a panel focusing on the successful series, James Waugh, producer of Visions, announced that three fan-favorite storylines from the initial season – “The Duel,” “The Village Bride,” and “The Ninth Jedi” – will be expanded upon in the third installment of episodes set to release.

Waugh unveiled an exciting new path for “Visions” with the debut of the “Star Wars: Visions Presents” title, indicating that it would allow filmmakers to explore richer and extended narratives, beyond the limitations of the usual shorter “Visions” episodes. The initial offering will be a separate spin-off series titled “The Ninth Jedi,” set for release in 2026.

“The Duel: Payback”, is being directed by Takanobu Mizuno from animation studio Kamikaze Douga. “The Lost Ones”, the sequel to “The Village Bride”, is being led by Hitoshi Haga of Kinema Citrus. And, “The Ninth Jedi” sequel titled “Child of Hope” will be directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani from Production IG. This trio of directors discussed their respective episodes and unveiled designs for new characters, causing a wave of excitement among the audience (a four-legged AT-AT structure with a Japanese building on top received gasps of wonder).

The character of Ronin from “The Duel” has garnered significant popularity among global “Star Wars” enthusiasts, leading to the creation of statues in his honor and a figurine within the Hasbro Black Series line.

At the panel, Masaki Tachibana from Kinema Citrus unveiled an adorable new character for “Yuko’s Treasure,” his contribution to the Star Wars universe. This upcoming episode will feature a young female lead with a companion that resembles a big, teddy-bear robot, complete with a microwave hidden in its abdomen. The presentation of this character in a brief clip during the convention caused a burst of appreciative cheers.

Hiroyasu Kobayashi from Project Studio Q talked about the grim, mechanized setting in his piece “The Song of Four Wings,” which utilized the four blades of an X-Wing as its primary theme. As a studio known for mechanical creations, he emphasized that they delved deeply into the original Joe Johnston designs and showcased many robots and mechanical beings. He further revealed a snapshot that exhibited an anime interpretation of the AT-AT walker.

Essentially, Waugh mentioned that the idea for “Visions” originated from a deep-seated love for animation. Particularly, he and his team have always held Japanese anime in high regard due to the exceptional storytelling it provides through animation. As they brainstormed ways to honor this art form, they developed a concept centered around anime, with a primary focus on showcasing Star Wars from an anime perspective. This concept aimed to highlight Japanese culture within Star Wars and underscore the impact of Japanese influence on Star Wars as a whole.

2021 saw Lucasfilm take a daring creative leap with “Visions”. Instead of sticking to traditional animation, they curated a series of non-canon short films, each crafted by unique Japanese studios and showcasing diverse animation styles. The freedom in creation sparked some truly outlandish reinterpretations of the Star Wars universe, which resonated deeply with both fans and critics alike. As a gamer, I was blown away by this fresh take on a beloved franchise!

The inaugural installment of “Visions” premiered on Disney+ in September 2021. This season comprised nine episodes, each produced by renowned Japanese animation studios such as Kamikaze Douga, Studio Colorido, Geno Studio, Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G., and Science Saru. The first volume garnered widespread praise from critics, boasting a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 81% on Metacritic.

In May 2023, the second installment of “Visions” was unveiled on Disney+, showcasing collaborations with various international animation studios such as Aardman (UK), El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Studio Mir (South Korea), Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), Lucasfilm (USA), and Triggerfish (South Africa/Ireland). This volume was also highly praised by critics, boasting a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 88% on Metacritic.

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2025-04-20 05:24