by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
Star Wars’ first full series from its Star Wars: Visions anthology shorts is here in The Ninth Jedi, but can it hold up to a longer runtime?
Back when I initially reviewed the shorts, it was among my highlights of the first volume and I said the following:
“The longest short of the series, it’s also one of the few that appears not to be set in the rough area of the timeline we know. Taking place long after the events we know, both Jedi and Sith are looking to reestablish themselves. It feels very Star Wars — particularly when it comes to the score. It’s a very lightsaber-heavy episode, which I’ve always found fascinating in storytelling. This story also has some fantastic action moments and my favorite droid companion of the series. This one has everything.”
It really scratched the itch of wanting Star Wars to tell a new story in a new (anime) style, while still being steeped in the trappings of a galaxy far, far away, but I was fascinated to see if that could stand up to a full series order.
The series starts off right after the short introduced to us in the first volume of Star Wars: Visions, as the daughter of a lightsaber-smith, Kara (I could not find the cast listing for the Japanese version I watched), and a small band of those seeking to restart the Jedi aim to stop a warlord and save her father. There may only be eight episodes officially, but I would treat it like a nine-episode run and recommend giving the original short a watch (or rewatch) prior to starting the season, as the show kicks off in its aftermath.
Much like Maul — Shadow Lordearlier this year, the action is the star. I love the more samurai-inspired dueling style along with the anime influence. It conveys the Force-aided speed, an aspect that’s largely been limited to novels, video games, and one brief moment on screen. It’s truly something I never thought I’d see on screen in an extended manner and also something that justifies the use of animation as a medium. Besides that, every swing of the lightsaber has heft. The way a prison escape is choreographed gave me something I’ve never seen before in Star Wars and that’s exciting. I’m not one of those people who harumphs every time we see someone do something with the Force we haven’t seen before. Particularly in a property like this, innovation is encouraged. It then continues the sequence by giving us a lightsaber versus blaster fight that’s one of the best, most atmospheric I’ve seen. The series also continues what the short started, in exploring its unique fascination with the Jedi’s weapon and what makes each lightsaber unique to the owner. It was an arc my Star Wars-nerd brain found fascinating.
Another interesting stylistic change with the non-western perspective is this leans more into the fantasy aspect of Star Wars’ science/fantasy elements—particularly when it comes to character designs. We get elves and dwarves, and it is just another example of the slight tweak to the usual franchise fare. The same can be said for the music as there’s some fun riffs on what fans have come to expect.
If there’s a disappointment with the series, it’s in the story and how it uses a couple of the tropes of Star Wars. For example, if I asked you, “What do you think the big bad is using to take over the galaxy?” You already know the answer. Though the villain himself I found interesting, that aspect made me roll my eyes. Overall, the pacing for the season also leaves a little bit to be desired. There’s a time jump halfway through that confused me a bit (I’m still not sure how long it was for) and it sort of loses the mission of the week feel it had for the first couple of episodes.
Having said that, much like the first season of Visions, I hope this too is a harbinger of things to come, and I could not be more excited if it is. If you’ve been enjoying Visions, this is definitely worth a watch.
Rating: Liked It
Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi is currently available to stream on Disney+.
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Bluesky and Letterboxd