Across three volumes, Star Wars: Visions has brought to the screen some incredible and visually stunning stories set in the sci-fi franchise, but it was The Ninth Jedi that caught Lucasfilm's attention. Now, the short film and its sequel The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope (included in the recently released Volume 3) are being adapted into its own limited series at Disney Plus.
According to Polygon, Lucasfilm is "much more involved" in the production of the new show than it was in the creation of the two previous shorts. Visions executive producer and Lucasfilm's vice president for animation development and production, Josh Rimes, told the outlet this was "a big endeavor", as production is now under way.
"It was such a big endeavor – the first full on anime Star Wars series, so we would support the team from early pitch stages through designs and production as the story was built out. It truly is coming together in spectacular fashion and we can't wait for the world to experience it next year," he said.
Released in 2021, the original The Ninth Jedi short is set a thousand years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and shows how the Jedi Order is almost non-existent. Sabersmith Lah Zhima builds six lightsabers to bring back the order before he is captured by the Sith. His daughter Kara grabs his creations and sets off on a journey to find other Jedi to help her rescue her father.
Rimes said that the short "felt so epic-scaled", with the ending promising "a grand journey to come", that "discussions with director Kenji Kamiyama and the team at Production I.G naturally evolved."
"We were just excited to hear their enthusiasm about Kara’s journey to find her father and her quest to restore the Jedi Order and how those two missions might dovetail or even come into conflict," he continued.
The sequel The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope, which takes place less than a year after the events of the first short, was included in Volume 3, released on October 29. The story follows Kara as she ends up sucked into space after an unexpected attack.
The Ninth Jedi limited series will arrive on Disney Plus in 2026. In the meantime, check out our guide on all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.
