Season 3 of “Star Wars: Visions,” now available on Disney+, marks a return to the animated series’ anime origins. “Star Wars: Visions” began as an opportunity for different anime studios to put their own stamps on the Star Wars saga; Season 2 expanded the scope to include animation studios from all over the world.
“Star Wars: Visions” Season 3 continues the stories of Season 1 shorts “The Duel” by Kamikaze Douga, “The Ninth Jedi” by Production I.G., and “The Village Bride” by Kinema Citrus Co. Of these, “The Duel” has notably received prior spin-offs in the form of a one-shot “Visions” comic and a novel, “Ronin: A Visions Novel,” which expanded on the episode’s story. “The Ninth Jedi,” meanwhile, is set for further continuation with a spin-off animated series, “Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi,” set to debut in 2026. After Season 2’s global detour, Season 3 marks the first time any “Star Wars: Visions” shorts have received on-screen continuations.
“The Duel: Payback,” “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope,” and “The Lost Ones” all expand on the most captivating stories in “Star Wars: Visions.” Scroll down for a deep dive on each!
The Duel: Payback pits the Ronin against a Jedi
In Season 1 of “Star Wars: Visions,” “The Duel” introduces viewers to the Ronin, a lone Sith who has turned against his kind. This episode’s vision of the Star Wars universe draws heavily on feudal Japan and Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films, which were themselves a key influence on George Lucas in the creation of the original “Star Wars” movies.
Though “The Duel” does not feature any Jedi, the tie-in novel “Ronin” reveals that, in this continuity, the Jedi were loyal servants of a peaceful Empire and the Sith were a rogue Jedi clan that rebelled against feudal lords in an effort to take power for itself. “The Duel: Payback” finally introduces a Jedi from this continuity. Seemingly influenced by Darth Vader, this Jedi Grand Master — who has become more machine than man — is seen leading a group of crusaders. It is revealed that the Jedi had been rebuilt with cybernetics after being cut down in battle by the Ronin, and is now out for revenge.
In order to best the Grand Master, the Ronin is forced to team up with one of the Sith he had been hunting. The Sith, Aneé-san, utilizes the red lightsaber crystals collected by the Ronin from his enemies to create a multi-bladed weapon, built into her cybernetic arm. This weapon is reminiscent of the lightsaber umbrella wielded by the Bandit in “The Duel,” echoing the Ronin’s last “Star Wars: Visions” appearance.
The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope sets up Kara’s continuing adventures
“The Ninth Jedi” tells the story of a lightsaber-smith’s daughter, Kara, who is tasked with delivering a batch of lightsabers to a gathering of Jedi after her father is captured by Jedi hunters. In this continuity, the Jedi had long since vanished from the galaxy, but the Jedi Master Juro was attempting to restore the Order by bringing together masterless Jedi and by recreating lightsabers. It transpired that the Jedi whom Juro had gathered were actually almost all Sith. Juro and the only two genuine Jedi who answered his call, Ethan and Homen, fought off the Sith, along with Kara, who became the group’s ninth Jedi.
The original episode ends with the four remaining Jedi setting off together in search of Kara’s father. “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope” sees their quest continue in an adventure that separates Kara from her Jedi allies. Rescued by a droid named Teto who had been left alone on a space station to guard a Jedi left in suspended animation, Kara has to fend off a group of Jedi hunters. Teto ultimately sacrifices himself to save Kara, wishing her success in her search for her father and telling her she is the galaxy’s last hope.
The episode sets up the upcoming “Ninth Jedi” animated series, which will presumably pick up where “Child of Hope” left off, with Kara and the other Jedi searching for Kara’s father and attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order.
The Lost Ones revisits F’s Jedi backstory
“The Lost Ones” is a sequel to “Star Wars: Visions” Season 1’s “The Village Bride,” which introduces a Jedi Padawan referred to only as F. This young Padawan lost her master and was living in exile on a forest planet where she befriended the explorer Valco. Together, they watch the wedding ceremony of the village chief’s daughter, Haru, who was to be married before she was taken and held as collateral by raiders who had plundered the village. F ultimately is coaxed out of hiding as the raiders come for Haru, taking up her lightsaber once more to fight them off.
“The Lost Ones” sees F embracing her Jedi ways once more, but still having to live in hiding under the reign of the Empire. The episode ultimately reunites her with her master, who was reborn as a servant of the Empire. F and her master, formerly known as Shad-Rah but now going by Zero, meet on a Star Destroyer, where Zero invites F to join him in the ranks of the Empire. F refuses, resulting in a violent lightsaber battle between the two.
The episode concludes with Zero defeated, but at a heavy cost: F manages to freeze her old master in carbonite, but loses an arm and both legs in the duel. Luckily, her ally, Ron, saves her from the crashing Star Destroyer, meaning F could return in the future.
