Disney just quietly released a full series based on this lesser-known Star Wars spinoff ‣ Diverse Daily

If there’s one thing that Disney has made sure of since its acquisition of the entire Star Wars franchise, it’s that the galaxy far, far away will always be plodding along front and center for years to come. The House of Mouse has proliferated the force with an abundance of new live-action series on Disney+ since The Mandalorian’s introduction in 2019. But live-action films and series aside, animation has become a maintstay in the franchise with series like Rebels, Resistance, and The Bad Batch. These series continued the animated foundation George Lucas began with The Clone Wars back in 2008.

In 2021, Star Wars received a stylistic makeover with the anthology series Visions. The first volume of episodes were all given the anime treatment. In particular, the fifth episode, titled The Ninth Jedi, resonated strongly with fans. It’s an episode that felt like something much larger and more significant than a singular episode in an anthology series. The episode set the stage for a narrative that begins generations removed from the near-extermination of the Jedi Order. It follows the exploits of Lah Kara, the daughter of a sabersmith. Within this distant small splinter of the Jedi Order, Kara and a fellow young Jedi, Ethan, find that they must defend all they hold dear from an incursion from the Sith. In the third volume of Visions, Lah Kara, Ethan, and other notable characters from the first episode in volume 3 returned for another episode entitled The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope.

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Out of a popular anthology episode, an entire series is born

The Ninth Jedi returns as a full series

At the end of the day, The Ninth Jedi was always going to be bigger than a singular episode in an anthology. It had all the makings of a full-fledged series. For starters, this stellar Visions episode introduced one of the most interesting concepts in Star Wars lore to-date. Since the main character is the daughter of a sabersmith, lightsabers were a focal point of the original episode. The lightsabers crafted in this episode enabled each saber to change colors on the fly as a representation of the wielder’s immediate inner disposition or headspace. If Star Wars lore has taught us anything, it’s that red lightsabers align with the Sith and the Jedi can wield an array of other colors. The force doctrine explains that the constant rage of the Sith corrupts the kyber crystals through a process called “bleeding,” hence the crimson red color. But with The Ninth Jedi, these particular sabers are crafted with a special acuity tuned to the wielder’s state of mind and heart.

The original Visions episode also established a cast of vibrant and sympathetic characters. Within the episode, Kara, Ethan and the rest were the soul of the narrative, making them incredibly fascinating to watch. Building a series adding to the lore behind these characters only makes creative and financial sense, in the eyes of Disney. So, that’s what they did. The new series, Star Wars: Visions presents The Ninth Jedi is now available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. Chances are, if you’re a Star Wars fan, you likely already have access to Disney+. But if that’s not the case, and the idea of a dedicated anime series in the Star Wars universe intrigues you, a Disney+ subscription can be yours for $11.99/month. But if you’re going to drop $11.99/month, you might as well throw down an extra $1 to bundle Hulu and ESPN with the service.

Should you watch The Ninth Jedi?

It’s absolutely Star Wars without the millstone that is the Skywalker Saga weighing it down

The Ninth Jedi feels like a natural evolution of the franchise. Anime is more popular than ever. Blending the biggest sci-fi franchise in pop culture with anime is only logical. After all, lightsaber battles are absolutely made for the flashy, colorful styling of anime. Should you decide to give this new series a chance (which I recommend that you do), be sure to check out the original episodes that kickstarted this series. While they’re not required to understand the narrative arc of the new series, they provide a solid foundation for the characters and useful context. You can find these episodes under the Star Wars: Visions series. The first episode is from volume 1 and is episode 5. The “second” short set in The Ninth Jedi world is in the third volume and is the third episode.

The Ninth Jedi is your opportunity to enter the world of Star Wars right now with a narrative arc that is unconstrained from decades worth of Skywalker lore. And the animation is a spectacle to behold. At the end of the day, there’s absolutely a reason why two standalone anthology episodes morphed into an entire series. The characters are rich, the setting and world are compelling, and the series is traversing ground that hasn’t been covered by previous entries in the franchise.