ThoughStar Wars: Visionsis largely a collection of one-off animated shorts exploring new corners of theStar Warsuniverse, one particularly memorableVisionsstory,“The Ninth Jedi,” will be further developed in season 3 and beyond. ThoughStar Wars’canon timeline adheres to a (not entirely strict) set of rules, the galaxy offers plenty of room to exercise our imagination. How do different creators interpret the Force? What does it mean to them to be a Jedi or a Sith? What kind of new, exciting worlds can they produce?
That’s whereStar Wars: Visionscomes in, an animated anthology series that showcases international animation studios’ intricate styles and their vision of whatStar Warscould be.Star Wars: Visionsseason 3 will return in October, but this season will function somewhat differently. While the bulk of the upcoming season will consist of new, independent short stories, a few familiar faces and worlds will be making their return, including the powerful “Ninth Jedi.”
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The Ninth Jedi Is Set In A Timeline Where The Jedi Are Almost Extinct
InStar Wars: Visionsseason 1, episode 5, “The Ninth Jedi,” viewers are introduced to a far-flung part of theStar Warstimeline when the Jedi have all but disappearedand are hunted by Sith acolytes and their Jedi hunters. One Jedi Master, Margrave Juro, is intent on uniting the galaxy’s remaining masterless Jedi and reforming the Jedi Order. He enlists the help of a sabersmith named Lah Zhima to forge lightsabers for his new allies, whom he’s summoned to an old temple.
When two Jedi hunters arrive on Zhima’s doorstep, he tasks his daughter, Kara, who is strong with the Force but untrained, with bringing the completed lightsabers to the Margrave. Though reluctant to leave her father, she eventually makes it to the temple after deftly defeating her pursuer with one of her father’s blades. The truth comes to light when the summoned “Jedi” turn on their lightsabers for the first time: of the seven who answered the Margrave’s call, five are Sith acolytes. Their lightsabers turn red the second they ignite the plasma blades.
Though “The Ninth Jedi” told a semi-self-contained story, providing an interesting new perspective on the eternal struggle between the Sith and the Jedi, there was certainly room for more.
Kara’s lightsaber becomes green as the fight continues, signaling her strengthening connection with the Force. After the Sith are defeated, the remaining four Jedi, including Kara, become intent on saving her father and scouring the galaxy for the five remaining Jedi the Sith acolytes impersonated. As such, Kara becomes the titular “Ninth Jedi.”
What’s especially interesting about this episode is how itinterprets lightsaber colors. While the color of a Jedi’s lightsaber blade has always held meaning, in this case, rather than a kyber crystal needing to be corrupted to turn red, the color almost instantly changes to suit the wielder. For instance, one of the seven summoned Force wielders was initially overwhelmed by the dark side, so their lightsaber turned red. However, as the battle continued, and they came to their senses,their lightsaber turned purple, signifying a different, more complex connection to the Force.
Though “The Ninth Jedi” told a semi-self-contained story, providing an interesting new perspective on the eternal struggle between the Sith and the Jedi, there was certainly room for more. Who were these missing Jedi? Would Kara be able to save her father? The ending was wide open. Thankfully, Kara’s and Juro’s story will officially continue.
The Ninth Jedi Timeline Will Continue In Star Wars Visions Season 3
Star Wars: Visionsseason 3 will feature three continuing season 1Visionsstories, including the sequels to “The Duel,” “The Village Bride,” and, of course, “The Ninth Jedi.” As revealed at this year’sStar WarsCelebration in Japan, the upcoming Kara-centric episode, “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope,” will follow Kara as she continues her quest to save her father.
Presumably, Kara’s story will be intertwined with the Margrave’s dream to unite the Jedi Order once more, though we’ll have to wait to see the episode to find out.Some footage was released at Celebration, including shots of Kara handling a droid companion, what appeared to be Jedi and Sith characters, and a discussion of a war before Kara’s birth.
Next Year’s Visions Spinoff Will Continue To Explore These Sith Wars
That’s not all, however. Lucasfilm has faith in Production I.G.’s interpretation ofStar Wars, as Kara’s world will not only becontinued inVisionsseason 3 but also in an additional animated spinoff, set to premiere in 2026.The Ninth Jedi, aStar Wars: Visions Presentslimited series, will further explore the state of the galaxy while the Sith reign supreme.Hopefully, it will also give us more answers about the Sith and Jedi war that allowed the Sith to take over.
The brilliance of “The Ninth Jedi’s” story is that, while it’s technically non-canonical, as allVisionsstories are, it gives us a glimpse of a possible distant future rather than an entirely alternate reality. We can imagine which events led the galaxy to this particular timeline. What happened to the Jedi? How did they lose against the Sith (again)? How do they survive, and how will the galaxy change if the Jedi Order is restored? Production I.G.’s world inStar Wars: Visionsis an endless well of opportunity, and I can’t wait to see it grow further.
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