By Ben Wright (@Iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
Set generations after the fall of the Jedi, Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi follows the daughter of a master sabersmith whose unique gift places her at the centre of a growing conflict between the light and dark sides of the Force. Expanding on one of Star Wars: Visions’ most beloved stories, the series introduces new allies, dangerous enemies and a fresh corner of the galaxy while still feeling unmistakably Star Wars.
Ever since The Ninth Jedi first aired as part of the original season of Star Wars: Visions, it became an instant fan favourite. It didn’t take long for people to start asking for a continuation, so when Lucasfilm announced it was finally getting its own standalone series, it felt less like a surprise and more like something that simply had to happen.
I’m happy to say it more than lives up to the wait.
The animation is incredible.
Production I.G have absolutely knocked it out of the park. Blending 2D and 3D animation together, they’ve created something that feels completely at home within Star Wars while still having its own visual identity. I’ve been a huge fan of the studio ever since Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Psycho-Pass, so it’s been fascinating watching their style evolve over the years. This honestly feels like some of their strongest work to date.
What I loved most was how naturally everything fits into the wider Star Wars universe. The costumes, droids, vehicles, cities and starships all look like they belong in a galaxy far, far away, but at the same time it feels like it’s its own thing. That’s a really difficult balance to strike, and it’s one the series absolutely nails.
One thing I wasn’t expecting was just how much this reminded me of Tolkien’s work at times. There were moments where it felt closer to Middle-earth than traditional science fiction and, honestly, I loved that. It gives the series a completely different flavour while still feeling unmistakably Star Wars.
You can tell Kenji Kamiyama loves this corner of Star Wars, and that passion comes through in almost every episode. Mitsuyasu Sakai’s scripts become stronger as the series progresses, taking a couple of episodes to settle into a rhythm before everything really clicks into place. Once it does, the story becomes genuinely gripping.
The score from Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi is another huge highlight. There were moments where it genuinely gave me goosebumps. Rather than trying to imitate John Williams, it captures that same sense of adventure and emotion while still sounding completely unique. That’s no easy task in Star Wars.
One criticism I can understand is that some of the story beats feel very familiar. Certain themes and plot points have been explored across Star Wars before and, for some viewers, that may stop the series from feeling truly groundbreaking.
For me, it never became an issue.
What really drew me in was the way the series explores the idea of the Grey Jedi. That’s an area of Star Wars lore I’ve always wanted to see explored more in mainstream stories and, while this doesn’t completely reinvent the mythology, it offers some genuinely interesting ideas that help separate it from the Skywalker Saga.
The voice cast are excellent throughout. Kimiko Glenn is the standout for me as Lah Kara, but Andrew Kishino, Masi Oka and Simu Liu all bring plenty of personality to their respective roles. It’s a cast that’s incredibly easy to become invested in, which only makes the emotional moments land even harder.
As always, I also revisited several of the bigger moments in Japanese, and the original voice cast deserve just as much praise. Both versions are excellent, and it’s well worth checking out whichever language you don’t start with.
If I had one criticism, it’s that the familiarity occasionally holds the series back. There are moments where you can see the story heading towards a destination that feels very Star Wars, but because the characters are so likeable and the world is so beautifully realised, I never found that to be a major issue.
More than anything, I just wanted to spend more time with these characters.
Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi may revisit familiar ideas, but stunning animation, memorable characters and a fantastic score ensure it never feels like it’s simply repeating the past. It expands one of Visions’ best stories in exactly the way I’d hoped, and I genuinely hope this isn’t the last time we visit this corner of the galaxy.
