Movies

Disney Shocks Fans With Brand New Star Wars Anime Series ‘The Ninth Jedi’ in Development

BBG News

The animated Star Wars: Visions anthology series, which has been a refreshing change for long-time fans who felt underwhelmed by the latest trilogy, seems to have captured the hearts of Disney and LucasFilm too, as one of its standout shorts, “The Ninth Jedi,” is being developed into an entirely new series. At this year’s Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan, there were several surprises, including Ryan Gosling appearing on stage to discuss his upcoming Star Wars film with Shawn Levy. However, what no one anticipated was the unveiling of a completely new, previously unrevealed show.

During the third and final day of Star Wars Celebration, it was on this occasion that LucasFilm’s senior vice president of franchise content and strategy, James Waugh, announced the highly anticipated series titled “The Ninth Jedi“. This announcement was met with thunderous cheers from the captivated audience. Kenji Kamiyama, the writer and director of the short film, was brought onto the stage during the reveal. As reported on the official Star Wars website, Kamiyama expressed his gratitude to the crowd for their support and enthusiasm towards the adventures of Kara and Juro in “The Ninth Jedi“. He further announced that fans will continue to follow Kara’s journey in a spin-off titled “Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi” on a new platform.

The short film titled “The Ninth Jedi” made its premiere within the first season of Star Wars: Visions last year, in 2021. This episode centered around Lah Kara, a sabersmith’s daughter, who played a crucial role in rebuilding the Jedi Order by providing lightsabers to enigmatic Force users. In the upcoming third season of Star Wars: Visions, set to air on October 29, we will once again see Lah Kara. The next chapter in her story is called “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope,” and it serves as a prelude to the full series, The Ninth Jedi, though a release date for that has yet to be announced.

‘Star Wars’ and Anime Is a Perfect Pairing

The animated series Star Wars: Visions demonstrated the power of anime in portraying the Star Wars universe. Given that Star Wars has had extensive experience with animation through hits like The Clone Wars and Rebels, it’s surprising that a full-fledged anime adaptation hasn’t been made until now, considering it’s high time for one.

The similarity between Star Wars and anime extends beyond just imagining samurais with lightsabers. In truth, George Lucas drew significant inspiration from classic Japanese samurai films, such as Akira Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress.” This influence not only shaped some of the finest anime ever created but also led to Japan’s widely-acclaimed anime becoming a globally favored storytelling style.

In much the same way, The Clone Wars demonstrated that animation is an exceptional means for conveying Star Wars stories, as it provides writers and directors with fewer limitations compared to live-action or subpar CGI. Notably, the most thrilling lightsaber duels in the Star Wars galaxy (with the exception of Anakin versus Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith) have all unfolded within animated projects. Fingers crossed that The Ninth Jedi will pave the way for more Star Wars anime!

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2025-04-23 02:33

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