September 22, 2021 (2021-09-22) – May 4, 2023 (2023-05-04)
Star Wars: Visions is an animated anthology television series created for the American streaming service Disney+. Produced by Lucasfilm, the series consists of original animated short films set in, or inspired by, the Star Wars universe, with each episode being a self-contained narrative produced by various studios.
The first volume of nine anime short films were produced by seven Japanese animation studios: Kamikaze Douga, Studio Colorido, Geno Studio, Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G, and Science Saru, with Trigger and Science Saru producing two shorts each. The second volume expanded the series to animation studios around the world, featuring shorts from El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea), Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D'art Shtajio (Japan) along with Lucasfilm (United States), and Triggerfish (South Africa/Ireland). The creators at each studio are given free rein to re-envision the ideas of Star Wars as they see fit, while receiving guidance from Lucasfilm's executive team.
The first volume was released on September 22, 2021, while the second was released on May 4, 2023. Both volumes have received critical acclaim.
Premise
Star Wars: Visions is a collection of animated short films presented "through the lens of the world's best anime creators" in the first volume that offers a new, diverse perspective on Star Wars.[1] Created outside of the constraints of the franchise's traditional canon, the films provide creative freedom to each director and production studio, while maintaining fidelity to the themes and emotional identity of the Star Wars saga.[2] Additional volumes feature animation styles from various companies around the world.[3]
"The Duel" Transliteration: "Dyueru" (Japanese: デュエル)
Takanobu Mizuno
Takashi Okazaki
Kamikaze Douga
September 22, 2021 (2021-09-22)
Set in an alternate history, 20 years after a war between the Feudal-Jedi Empire and a renegade Jedi sect called the Sith.[5] A lone wanderer known only as the "Ronin" witnesses a legion of former bandit stormtroopers attempt to extort a small village. The villagers fight back but the leader of the bandits, a self-declared Dark Lord of the Sith armed with a heavily modified lightsaber turns the tide. While his droid saves the villagers, the Ronin, a former Sith himself, lures the bandit leader into a trap and kills her. The Ronin is shown to be collecting red kyber crystals from each Sith he has killed and decides to give the bandit leader's crystal to the young village chief, citing that it can ward off evil.
During the Clone Wars, a Jedi Padawan named Jay attempts to escape from the war, only to stumble upon a Hutt named Gee. Gee offers to take Jay in if he becomes the lead singer of Gee's rock band, Star Waver, and Jay accepts. Years later, during the reign of the Galactic Empire, the members of Star Waver are hunted by the bounty hunterBoba Fett. Fett eventually captures Gee and reveals that Gee's relative, Jabba the Hutt, wishes to execute him due to Gee not wanting to be a part of his family's crime syndicate. Jay inspires the other members of Star Waver to go to Tatooine and attempt to save Gee; they manage to convince Jabba to let them play one more song together before Gee's execution. The song is loved by the execution's audience, and Jabba ultimately spares Gee and becomes the band's first sponsor.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Exegol, the remnants of the First Order and Sith Eternal begin the construction of two conjoined Star Destroyers that house a large superlaser capable of destroying planets. Using Sith alchemy, they are also able to create two Force-sensitive biological twins named Karre and Am, who they then train in the dark side of the Force. The twins eventually become the leaders of the remnant and plan to use their superweapon to destroy the New Republic. However, Karre goes rogue on the day the weapon is supposed to be fired due to him having a vision of the future involving his sister's death; he also steals the large kyber crystal that powers the superweapon. Am confronts Karre outside of the Star Destroyers in outer space and they duel. During the battle, the crystal is split in half and Am uses a piece to power a metalexoskeleton, despite Karre's warning that he has foreseen this causing her death. Using his X-wing and the power of hyperspace, Karre is able to destroy Am's sliver of the crystal and the superlaser; he crash-lands on Tatooine and vows to rescue his sister from the dark side. Cast : Karre (Japanese: Junya Enoki; English: Neil Patrick Harris), Am (Japanese: Ryoko Shiraishi; English: Alison Brie), B-20N (Japanese: Tokuyoshi Kawashima; English: Jonathan Lipow)
4
4
"The Village Bride" Transliteration: "Mura no Hanayome" (Japanese: 村の花嫁)
On a remote planet, an explorer named Valco[6] explains to his guest, a former Jedi Padawan named F, the connection of villagers to the planet's environment. The village chief's granddaughter Haru and her fiancé Asu have their wedding, but the next day she must surrender herself as collateral to a group of bandit raiders who have reprogrammed old Separatist battle droids to take control of the planet. Haru's sister Saku tries to fight the bandits, but just as she is about to be executed, F cuts her padawan braid, removes her mask, and declares herself a Jedi. With the aid of Valco, she intervenes and defeat the bandits and then bids farewell to the villagers and departs the planet.
Many generations after the Jedi Order became almost extinct, Margrave Juro, ruler of the planet Hy Izlan invites seven Jedi to his aerial temple to receive lightsabers made with kyber crystals from his planet. Meanwhile, on the planet below, the sabersmith Lah Zhima finishes constructing another six lightsabers, including another one for his Force-sensitive daughter. She flees with the remaining lightsabres just as he is captured by hunters working for the Sith. Juro's droid gifts the first lightsaber to one of the Jedi, Ethan, and promises that the others will arrive shortly. Kara arrives at the temple and presents the lightsabers to the other six Jedi, who reveal themselves as Sith imposters intending to kill Juro and any surviving Jedi. Juro emerges from hiding within his droid and together, he, Kara and Ethan succeed in killing five of the Sith. The last remaining one, Homen, is spared as he confesses to having been a Jedi survivor corrupted by the imposters' influence. Ethan, Kara, and Homen join Juro's new Jedi Order and prepare to rescue Lah Zhima, who is being held on a Sith-controlled planet.
Shortly after the Great Jedi Purge, a droid named T0-B1 (Tobi) lives on a deserted planet with his armless creator Professor Mitaka, and dreams of becoming a Jedi Knight. One day, Mitaka tells him that in order to become a Jedi, he must find a kyber crystal so he can forge a lightsaber. T0-B1 scours the planet, but finds nothing. He defies Mitaka's orders to never enter his basement, discovers a starship, and accidentally sends a signal that alerts a Sith Inquisitor to their presence. Mitaka reveals himself to be a former Jedi and hides both T0-B1 and his old lightsaber hilt. When T0-B1 leaves his hiding spot, he discovers that the Inquisitor has ransacked Mitaka's lab and killed him. T0-B1 continues his research and successfully terraforms the planet, but is confronted by the Inquisitor. Upon fixing Mitaka's lightsaber, T0-B1 is revealed to be powered by a kyber crystal and designed by Mitaka to be able to wield the Force, and igniting the lightsaber, kills the Inquisitor in a duel. He then departs the planet to explore the galaxy and uphold Mitaka's legacy. Cast : T0-B1 (Japanese: Masako Nozawa; English: Jaden Waldman), Mitaka (Japanese: Tsutomu Isobe; English: Kyle Chandler)
7
7
"The Elder" Transliteration: "Erudā" (Japanese: エルダー)
Masahiko Otsuka
Masahiko Otsuka
Studio Trigger
September 22, 2021 (2021-09-22)
Centuries after the death of Darth Bane and the initial extinction of the Sith, Jedi Tajin and his Padawan Dan are sent to explore the Outer Rim when Tajin senses a disturbance in the force. They land on an isolated planet and arrive at a remote village, where they learn of a mysterious elder visitor who hiked to the mountaintop. Dan follows the Elder's trail and meets the man, who reveals himself to be a former Sith who left the order before it fell apart. The Elder wounds Dan, and Tajin arrives to fight the Elder. Tajin narrowly manages to kill the Elder, who detonates an explosion which destroys his ship as he decomposes into a rocky sediment and dies so all evidence is destroyed. As they leave the village upon Dan's recovery, Tajin tells Dan that being a Jedi means being kindhearted so they do not end up like the Elder.
During the reign of the Empire, a rabbit-like alien slave named Lop escapes her captors on the planet Tau. She is discovered by the planet's clan leader Yasaburo and his daughter Ochō, who convinces her father to adopt Lop as his daughter. Seven years later, the Empire has occupied their planet and is exploiting its natural resources. Yasaburo wants to drive the Empire off their planet, while Ochō wants to cooperate with the Empire. Ochō enlists in the Imperial navy despite her father and Lop's protests. With Ochō gone, Yasaburo gives her the family treasure, an ancient lightsaber passed down through the generations. Ochō blinds her father Yasaburo in a duel, then the Force-sensitive Lop confronts Ochō and injures her. forcing her to flee. Lop then vows to bring Ochō back home.
Prior to the initial extinction of the Sith, a Jedi named Tsubaki, has been haunted by visions of an unidentified individual dying in front of him. He reunites with his old love Misa, a princess who has been overthrown by her aunt Masago who has embraced the dark side. With the aid of guides Senshuu and Kamahachi, Tsubaki and Misa make their way to the royal palace. Masago captures Tsubaki's friends and overpowers him, then offers him a place as her apprentice. When Tsubaki refuses, Masago's masked henchmen attack him, but Tsubaki retaliates and kills them, also accidentally killing Misa whom Masago had dressed in their uniform - as he had foreseen. Completely broken, Tsubaki agrees to join Masago, forming a dyad to return Misa to life, before he departs with Masago.
As the Sith remain in hiding during the reign of the High Republic, Lola, a former Sith apprentice, lives in solitude on a desolate planet with her droid E2 and is trying to channel the Force into painting her base. However, despite her efforts, the paint keeps forming dark smudges that don't go away. While investigating a droid that crashed on the planet, she is suddenly visited by her former Sith Master who chases her down to her base with two droids and forces her to fight him. Inside, he insists that she is to become the new Sith Master by killing him, enforcing the Rule of Two. Lola comes to the realization that she needs to accept both light and dark halves and promptly kills the Sith Master when her double-edged lightsaber produces one yellow and one red blade, with him telling her "You are the Sith Master now." before crumbling to dust. Now in control of her own destiny, calling herself simply "the Master", Lola finishes the painting and leaves the planet with E2.Cast : Lola (Úrsula Corberó), Sith Master (Luis Tosar)
Prior to the initial extinction of the Sith, a young girl named Daal lives in a workhouse with her friends Baython, Quinn, and Keena. Tired of living there, Daal convinces her friends to head out to Screecher's Reach, a remote cave, with her by stealing some land speed vehicles. The cave is rumored to hold a ghost within its walls, and the friends are eager to find it. Throughout the journey, Daal is motivated by an unusual necklace she carries. They find the cave and run into the Ghost, who turns out to be an elderly Sith apprentice woman that has been trapped inside. Daal has her friends run away, then using the force, she crushes the Ghost with a boulder and then finishes her off with her own lightsaber. After Daal escapes the cave, the necklace is revealed to be a communicator to a Sith Lord called the Sith Mother, who had given Daal the task to finish off her own apprentice and take her place by the Mother's side in exchange for refuge from the sweat shop. Despite Daal's efforts, the Sith Mother refuses to also take her friends, leaving them feeling betrayed. As Daal reluctantly leaves, she looks back at her friends one last time.Cast : Daal (Eva Whittaker), Baython (Alex Connolly), Quinn (Noah Rafferty), Keena (Molly McCann), Sith Mother (Anjelica Huston), Ghost (Niamh Moyles)
During the reign of the Empire, two sisters, Koten and Tichina, are the last of their kind after the Empire conquered their planet and committed genocide on their species. Their mother, a Force-sensitive, led a failed rebellion against the Empire, who have created a factory that took their clean water; she was killed in the resulting conflict, and the factory has since caused severe light pollution as well as water pollution for the sea. While Tichina is convinced that they can defeat them with the Force, the elder and jaded Koten is solely focused on keeping them both alive. After they run out of water, Koten is forced to sneak into the factory to take water from the factory's water purifiers. However, Tichina follows her inside and gets spotted by the Stormtroopers. Exposed, Koten and Tichina attempt to flee, but Tichina runs back inside, intending to destroy the primary water tank with the Force and with it the base. Subsequently caught, she is nearly executed, but Koten awakens her own Force abilities to save her sister and together, they destroy the factory and flood everyone within. As the sisters happily embrace, they see that life is returning to the planet and their mother, who they believe is a star, looks down on them.Cast : Koten (Valentina Muhr), Tichina (Julia Oviedo), Officer (English: Kate Dickie, Latin American Spanish: Amparo Noguera)
13
4
"I Am Your Mother"
Magdalena Osinska
Story by : Magdalena Osinsaka Teleplay by : Holly Walsh & Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Some years after the defeat of the Empire, Wedge Antilles has formed a Flight Academy for new pilots. One of the cadets, a Twi'lek named Anni Kalfus, was inspired to become a pilot by her single mother Kalina but has since come to find her coddling and embarrassing; consequently, she neglects to tell her about a starship racing event from the Flight Academy where families compete against each other. Anni is also picked on by fellow student Julan Van Reeple, whose mother Dorota, pilots a much more sophisticated ship. When Kalina suddenly shows up to return Anni's lunch, she learns of the race and is egged on by the Van Reeples when they insult her ship. During the race, Anni admits to her mother that she embarrasses her, but she takes in stride and has her win the race for them, defeating the Van Reeples. Anni apologizes for what she said, but Kalina tells her that embarrassing her is what moms do best. During credits, Wedge is heard over the announcement selling his merchandise, claiming that all profits go to a "pilot-specific veteran support fund".Cast : Kalina Kalfus (Maxine Peake), Annisoukaline "Anni" Kalfus (Charithra Chandran), Dorota Van Reeple (Daisy Haggard), Julan Van Reeple (Bebe Cave), Wedge Antilles (Denis Lawson), the robot cooker from the Wallace and Gromit short A Grand Day Out appears as a background character
14
5
"Journey to the Dark Head" (Korean: 어둠의 머리를 벨 수 있다면)
During the initial war between the Jedi and Sith, an adolescent monk named Ara believes that the statues on her home planet, whose stones around its base have foretelling abilities, control both light and dark, as one is lit in blue light and the other in red. She resolves to destroy the dark head in the belief it can turn the tide of the war. Years later, Ara, now a teenage mechanic, requests the Jedi Council for a bodyguard on her quest; they assign a young Padawan named Toul to the task. Toul has recently lost his Master at the hands of a sadistic Sith Lord, Bichan, leaving him traumatized and in constant fear. The two of them collect supplies and head to the planet where Bichan chases them. They make it to the statues, but Ara realizes that both light and dark evenly flow between them, making it impossible to destroy. Toul overcomes his fear and with Ara's help manages to kill Bichan. The two of them decide to continue journeying together.Cast : Ara (Korean: Jang Ye Na; English: Ashley Park), Toul (Korean: Lee Kyung Tae; English Eugene Lee Yang), Bichan (Korean: Yun Yong Sik; English: Daniel Dae Kim), Interpreter (Korean: Chwang Kwang; English: Albert Kong), Master Leesagum and Shopkeeper (Korean: Shin Young Woo; English: Greg Chun), Training Partner (Korean: Lim Chae Hon; English: Greg Chun), Master Duta (Korean: Choi Soo Min; English: Jonella Landry), Master Moru (Korean: Lee So Young; English: Judy Alice Lee)
15
6
"The Spy Dancer"
Julien Chheng
Julien Chheng
Studio La Cachette
May 4, 2023 (2023-05-04)
Around twenty years after the formation of the Empire, a group of aliens with heterochromia and small horns run a high class club which is frequented by stormtroopers. It is revealed that the club's primary dancer, Loi'e, leads a faction of the Rebel Alliance that consists of the rest of her staff, and she places trackers on the stormtroopers' armor during her dance performances. One night, she spots a familiar looking officer and in flashback it is revealed that, twenty years prior, her infant child was taken from her by the supposed officer. Against her allies' wishes, she plans to kill the officer, only to realize that it is her child now fully grown and integrated into the Empire. As her group battles through the soldiers and the officer's KX-series droid, Loi'e takes the officer to the roof and offers proof that he is indeed her child, leaving him confused. The club's maitre'd, Hétis, helps Loi'e escape. Loi'e reveals that she left him a holo-device of him as an infant, which itself has a tracker on it. The officer views the hologram, and uncovers his severed horns.Cast : Loi'e (Camille Cottin), Jon (Lambert Wilson), Hétis (Kaycie Chase), The Officer (Rudi-James Jephcott), Mee'ma (Barbara Weber-Scaff), Additional voices (Bruce Edward Sheffield), Additional voices (Taylor Gasman)
16
7
"The Bandits of Golak"
Ishan Shukla
Ishan Shukla
88 Pictures
May 4, 2023 (2023-05-04)
During the Galactic Civil War, Charuk and Rani are siblings that were forced to flee their home and are headed to the city of Golak for refuge. Rani is being targeted because she is Force-sensitive which Charuk desperately tries to hide and are nearly caught when on the train ride to Golak, only to be saved when a Rebel group called the Jangoris attack the Stormtrooper-guarded train. They eventually make it to a small oasis setting run by an elderly woman named Rugal, but an Inquisitor arrives, knowing of Rani and the incident on the train. After tricking the siblings into exposing themselves, the Inquisitor attempts to kill them, but Rugal - revealed to be an Order 66-surviving Jedi - evacuates the area with her powers and fatally defeats the Inquisitor in an intense lightsaber duel. Afterwards, Rugal tells Rani that she must come with her through a tunnel to keep her hidden with other Force-sensitives, but leave Charuk behind. The siblings have a tearful parting with Charuk giving Rani a jalebi-shaped lollipop and Rani giving Charuk their father's flute to remember her by.Cast : Charuk (Suraj Sharma), Rani (Sonal Kaushal), Inquisitor (Neeraj Kabi), Rugal (Lillete Dubey), Maghadi and Scavenger (Sahil Vaid), Conductor, Jangori Leader, and Dhoona (Sumanto Ray), Helper (Rajeev Raj), Stormtrooper (Aviral Kumar), Stormtrooper and Alien (Ish Thakkar), Stormtrooper and Alien (Additya Sharma), Crowd (Shivani Darbari)
17
8
"The Pit"
LeAndre Thomas and Justin Ridge
LeAndre Thomas
D'Art Shtajio and Lucasfilm
May 4, 2023 (2023-05-04)
Just after the Empire is conquered, a large group of Imperial slaves are forced to dig a giant pit in the middle of the desert for kyber crystals, which the Stormtroopers use to build a nearby city. After years of digging, they hit the bottom, only for the Stormtroopers to completely abandon them in the deep pit. One of them, Crux, tells his daughter Livy that he will escape the pit and ask help from a nearby city. He successfully does so and manages to get the attention of the citizens of the clean futuristic city, but Stormtroopers stun him and drag him back to the pit, tossing him to his death. Livy inspires everyone in the pit to chant "follow the light", which echoes to the people of the city. They overpower the stormtroopers and rescue the people from the pit. As they leave, Livy is revealed to have kept a kyber crystal which responds to her touch, revealing she is Force-sensitive.Cast : Crux (Daveed Diggs), Eureka (Anika Noni Rose), Livy (Jordyn Curet), Old Prisoner (Cedric Yarbrough), Commander (Steven Blum), Stormtroopers (Matthew Wood)
Not long after the initial extinction of the Sith, the people of the mountain planet Korba are helping the Jedi purify the kyber crystals, which have been bled by the Sith. A young native girl named Aau seems to have an unusual effect on the crystals when she sings. Her father, Abat, is trying to help a Jedi named Kratu with finding a way to heal the crystals, but warns Aau that her singing is dangerous. While Abat is in the mines, Aau discovers another cave entrance with crystals and begins to sing, only for Abat to interrupt her, causing the caves to react violently. Kratu attempts to save them, but Aau realizes what she must do and sings again, which manages to finally purify the crystals. Kratu reveals that Aau must come with her to fulfill her destiny as she and Abat have a tearful goodbye.Cast : Aau (Mpilo Jantjie), Aau's Singing (Dineo Du Toit), Abat (Tumisho Masha), Kratu (Cynthia Erivo), Attu (Faith Baloyi)
Production
Development
Development of the Star Wars: Visions project began when James Waugh, vice president of franchise content at Lucasfilm, pitched the idea to Kathleen Kennedy at the beginning of 2020. To facilitate the international production, Lucasfilm collaborated with independent producer Justin Leach and his company Qubic Pictures, which helped facilitate the discussions between the US-based executives and Japanese studios; this became particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when planned in-person collaborative meetings had to be canceled. Production of the shorts took place in Japan throughout 2020 and 2021.[2]
On December 10, 2020, it was announced that Star Wars: Visions was an animeanthology series of ten short films by different creators set in the Star Wars universe.[7] It was previewed by producer Kanako Shirasaki and the executive producers at Anime Expo Lite in July 2021.[8] At the event, it was revealed that the number of episodes had decreased from ten to nine, due to "The Ninth Jedi" originally starting development as two episodes, but was eventually combined into one episode. The animation studios creating shorts for the first volume are Kamikaze Douga, Studio Colorido, Geno Studio, Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G, and Science Saru.[9]
A second season of Visions was announced at Star Wars Celebration in May 2022, to include shorts from studios based in Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Chile, France, South Africa, South Korea and the United States. Waugh described the second volume as "a celebration of the incredible animation happening all around the globe".[10][11] The animation studios for the second volume are D'Art Shtaijo (along with Lucasfilm), El Guiri, Cartoon Saloon, Punkrobot, Aardman, Studio Mir, Studio La Cachette, 88 Pictures, and Triggerfish. The second volume was released on May 4, 2023.[3]
Writing
We really wanted to give these creators a wide creative berth to explore all the imaginative potential of the Star Wars galaxy through the unique lens of anime. We realized we wanted these to be as authentic as possible to the studios and creators who are making them, made through their unique process, in a medium they're such experts at. So the idea was, this is their vision riffing off all the elements of the Star Wars galaxy that inspired them — hopefully to make a really incredible anthology series, unlike anything we've seen before in the Star Wars galaxy.
—James Waugh on the creative freedom for Visions.[9]
Star Wars: Visions's stories were not required to adhere to the established Star Wars timeline. The story of "The Duel" was specifically billed as "an alternate history pulled from Japanese lore".[12] "Lop and Ochō" is set during the reign of the Galactic Empire between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.[13] "The Elder" is set "sometime before" The Phantom Menace while "The Twins" involves "remnants of the Imperial Army" after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.[13] "The Ninth Jedi" explores "what became of the Jedi Knights" after The Rise of Skywalker;[13] director Kenji Kamiyama was particularly focused on wanting to use "the original lightsaber sounds" that are known to children throughout the world.[2] For "T0-B1", director Abel Góngora sought to combine visual and narrative elements of the classic trilogy with those of classic anime by drawing parallels between the anime and manga of the 1960s, and the cinema tradition of the late 1970s.[14] In planning her episode "Akakiri", director Eunyoung Choi noted that "creating visuals that combined both the fairy tale-style lessons of Star Wars with the advanced technology found in this universe... was particularly important."[2]
Music
In July 2021, the Vol.1 composers were revealed: Kevin Penkin would be composing the score for "The Village Bride",[15]Michiru Ōshima for "The Twins" and "The Elder",[16] while Yoshiaka Dewa would compose the score for "Lop and Ochō" and "Tatooine Rhapsody", Keiji Inai to compose the score for "The Duel", A-bee and Keiichiro Shibuya to compose the score for "T0-B1", U-zhaan to compose the score for "Akakiri", and Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi would be composing the score for "The Ninth Jedi".[17] Soundtracks for Volume 1 were each released digitally on October 15, 2021.[18] In May 2023, the Vol.2 composers were revealed. They included Dan Levy for "Sith", Leo Pearson for "Screecher's Reach", Andrés Walker & Patricio Portius for "In the Stars", Jean-Marc Petsas for "I Am Your Mother", Jang Young Gyu & Lee Byung-Hoon for "Journey to the Dark Head", Olivier Derivière for "The Spy Dancer", Sneha Khanwalkar for "The Bandits of Golak", Daniel Lopatin for "The Pit", and Markus Wormstorm for "Aau's Song". Soundtracks for Volume 2 were each released digitally on May 4, 2023 where the volume was also released.[19]
Star Wars: Visions, Vol.2 – Aau's Song (Original Soundtrack)
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Aau's Song Intro"
0:55
2.
"Run Home"
1:00
3.
"Ride Home"
1:00
4.
"Sneaky Girl"
0:48
5.
"Cave to Outside"
2:01
6.
"Healing the Kyber"
1:45
7.
"It's a Gift"
2:33
Release
Star Wars: Visions was released on September 22, 2021, on Disney+.[9] From September 21 to 27, Disney screened "The Village Bride" along with movies playing at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.[20][21] By November, the studio had submitted the film for consideration for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.[20] The second volume of shorts was released on May 4, 2023.[3] The first volume of the series began streaming on Hulu on May 4, 2024.[22]
Reception
Viewership
Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 18 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, calculated that Star Wars: Visions was the fifth most-streamed original series in the U.S. during the week of September 26, 2021.[23] According to market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, Star Wars: Visions experienced a notable 56% increase in demand following its release on September 22 during the week of September 25-October 1, 2023. The animated series garnered significant anticipation and positive pre-launch reviews, achieved a demand level 33.1 times higher than the average series in the US. This surge placed it among the most in-demand digital originals for the week, highlighting its strong reception and fan interest.[24]
Critical response
Season one
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 8.2/10, based on 52 reviews for the first season. The site's critical consensus reads, "Gorgeously animated and wildly creative, Visions is an eclectic, but wholly enjoyable collection of Star Wars stories that breathe new life into the galaxy."[25]Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on reviews from 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26]
Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter praised the anthology for "a love of Star Wars that runs so deep it's bound to make new fans of the young and uninitiated, and remind old fans why they fell so hard for this universe in the first place," and highlighted "The Duel" and "T0-B1" as particularly strong installments.[27] Tyler Hersko of IndieWire hailed the anthology as "one of, if not the best, titles - television, film, or otherwise - to come out of the franchise's era under Disney ownership," calling it "beautifully animated and smartly written" with "phenomenal" action scenes.[28] Mike Hale of The New York Times wrote that the individual films "play like auditions for continuing series rather than organic wholes," while calling "The Duel", "T0-B1", "Lop and Ochō", and "Akakiri" the most interesting and exciting films, and noting the "handcrafted beauty" and "visual variety" of an anthology which achieves "both cross-cultural collaboration and mutual homage."[29] Writing for CNN, Brian Lowry called the shorts "striking" and noted that "Star Wars: Visions does indeed present unique and intriguing visions, indicating there's plenty of room to experiment."[30]
Jake Kleinman of Inverse called Star Wars: Visions "a revelation" and "Lucasfilm's best new story since the original trilogy," and highlighted "The Twins" as the project's best film.[31] Writing for The A.V. Club, Juan Barquin praised the anthology for sparking "a kind of endless wonder" and rekindling "a child-like fascination with Star Wars", while highlighting "T0-B1", "The Twins", "The Village Bride", "Lop and Ochō", and "Akakiri" as standouts.[32] Jordan Woods of The Harvard Crimson identified "The Ninth Jedi", "Tatooine Rhapsody", and "The Twins" as the highlight segments, and called the project as a whole "Star Wars at its best: bold, ambitious, creative, and, most importantly, innovative."[33] Amon Warmann of Empire spotlighted "Akakiri", "T0-B1", "The Duel", and "The Ninth Jedi" as the best installments, rating the overall anthology with 4 out of 5 stars, and concluding that "the galaxy far, far away has never looked more stunning in animation, and at its best Visions folds core Star Wars tenets into compelling stories with characters you instantly want to see more of. Here's hoping this isn't the only season we get."[34]
Rotten Tomatoes gave the second season a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.9/10 based on 21 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Animated with all the vibrancy of a crackling lightsaber, Star Wars: Visions' second volume is the work of Jedi Masters."[45] Metacritic gave the second season a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 based on five reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[46]
Maggie Lovitt of Collider gave Volume 2 an "A" rating, stating that it "delivers some of the most inspiring Star Wars stories of this decade, simply by blending together the beauty of a story-rich globe and setting it free among the stars." She also praised the second season for exploring stories in "corners of the galaxy" that did not involve familiar elements and characters such as lightsabers and the Skywalkers. Lovitt also praised three Volume 2 stories for emphasizing motherhood: "I Am Your Mother", "The Spy Dancer", and "In the Stars". She also gave a favorable review of "Sith"'s animation for capturing the mood and conflicts of the story. Lovitt also praised LeAndre Thomas's "The Pit" for blending art with storytelling and messaging.[47]
Brett White of Decider gave a positive review, describing the series as "the most straightforward proof of Star Wars' legacy and enduring relevance. It is repeatedly remarkable to watch animation studios tell Star Wars stories that are freed from the usual Star Wars trappings." White also described each Visions installment as a "self-contained story that still feels wholly part of the franchise and in tune with George Lucas' original, well, vision." White compared Visions Volume 2 favorably to canonical recent Lucasfilm productions The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian Season 3.[48]
Kambole Campbell of Empire gave Volume 2 four out of five stars, stating that "this kaleidoscopic anthology for the most part makes Star Wars feel new again. She praised the second season for building on the success of the first season by drawing upon several "international animation houses working across a variety of mediums." Campbell observed that the anthology format of the series allowed for a mixture of stories that blended various genres, historical and contemporary political references such as the Nazi occupation of France in "The Spy Dancer" and indigenous rights in "In the Stars", and cultural references such as Irish folklore in "Screecher's Reach" and Ndebele dress in "Aau's Song".[49]
Samantha Nelson of IGN gave Volume 2 nine stars, stating that "alternately goofy, political, sweet, and thrilling, the show celebrates the broad reach of Star Wars and provides plenty of characters and plots compelling enough to anchor their own spinoffs." While Nelson noted that the season's themes were repetitive, she praised the diversity of the stories' characters and animation style.
Nelson expressed concern about insufficient coordination among the studios to avoid overlapping themes in their stories, observing that a third of Volume 2's stories revolved around young girls finding mentors to teach them how to use the Force. Nelson praised Volume 2 for exploring the political aspects of Star Wars more than Volume 1, citing the theme of indigenous resistance in "In the Stars", forced labor in "The Pit", and resistance in "The Spy Dancer". Nelson also described Screecher's Reach as an inverse of Joseph Campbell's "hero's journey" and "I Am Your Mother" as a lighthearted "mother and daughter" story that differed from the higher-stakes drama of the other stories.[50]
In May 2022, it was announced that Marvel Comics will publish a Visions comic about the Ronin. The one-shot prequel comic was written and illustrated by Takashi Okazaki, the writer of "The Duel". The issue was published on October 12, 2022.[64][65] An art book with creator interviews and selected production materials from all nine shorts was published by Dark Horse Comics on that same month.[66]
The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022; under and with Lighthouse Studios, as well as with Bento Box, Golden Wolf, Mercury Filmworks, and Tonic DNA, among others)
