Star Wars: Visions episodes guide: Everything we know about all 9 stories
Everything you need to know about Star Wars’ anime series.
The joy of Star Wars comes from just how vast its galaxy far, far away really is.
Within Lucasfilm’s most beloved franchise, there’s ample room for podracing, space Westerns, video games, books, and even immersive theme park rides. Now, the saga is expanding yet again with Star Wars: Visions, an anime anthology series following nine new stories — each visualized in a classic anime style.
With the trailer for the series out now (in both subtitled and dubbed versions), here’s everything you need to know about the next nine chapters in Star Wars history.
Disclaimer: this episode order isn’t confirmed; neither are the lengths of these “short films.”
Episode 1: The Duel
“The Duel” follows an unnamed Sith known only as Ronin, a term typically used to refer to a wandering samurai. As the title suggests, this character will head toward a terrifying fight described as calling upon “an alternate history pulled from Japanese lore,” so this episode may reinterpret a previously seen, much-beloved fight from Star Wars history.
This episode will also be expanded upon in Star Wars: Ronin, a novel slated for release on October 12, 2021.
Episode 2: Tatooine Rhapsody
“Tatooine Rhapsody” brings back probably one of the most maligned locations in Star Wars history: Mos Espa Circuit. But there isn’t a podrace to be had; instead, there’s a rock concert. A previous “first look” at the series described the episode as a rock opera.
This episode is well-aware of Tatooine’s canonical significance, however. On top of a musical adventure (starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bobby Moynihan in the English dub), this story will also include appearances by Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett.
Episode 3: The Twins
Hiroyuki Imashi, the co-founder of Studio Trigger, said in a press conference in July that his animation studio’s two episodes, “The Twins” and “The Elder” will bookend the existing Star Wars canon. “The Twins” provides an epilogue to the Skywalker Saga, showing what happened after Rey defeats Palpatine for (hopefully) the final time.
“‘The Twins’ is set after Episode IX, after the Empire has been vanquished by the Resistance,” said Imaishi. “The remnants of the Imperial Army have raised a pair of twins on the Dark Side of the Force, and the story goes from there.”
Episode 4: The Village Bride
Star Wars loves a ceremony. Whether it's a regal medal presentation helmed by Princess Leia or an impromptu Yub Nub session with the Ewoks after the Battle of Endor, exploring the strange customs of different planets and civilizations is what science fiction as a genre does best.
Why haven’t we seen a Star Wars wedding? We saw Anakin and Padmé wed in secret, but there’s never been any Star Wars story focused entirely on a wedding, until now. “The Village Bride” is centered around a wedding on an unknown planet, with action-packed results.
Episode 5: The Ninth Jedi
“The Ninth Jedi” was originally intended to be a two-parter, but the two stories were merged into one, so expect this episode to be on the longer side. It’s also set after Rise of Skywalker, as a sort of epilogue exploring the future of the Jedi Knights after the fall of the New Order. Described as a “galactic-level adventure,” it stars Kimiko Glenn and Marvel’s newest hero Simu Liu.
Episode 6: T0-B1
“T0-B1” makes no fuss about its inspirations. The art style and character are both extremely reminiscent of Astro-Boy. But the story is as Star Wars as it gets, a feel-good story about a droid who discovers what he’s truly capable of. It’s hard to imagine a coming-of-age story for a character who is essentially a robot; if any series can do it, it’s Star Wars: Visions.
Episode 7: The Elder
“The Elder” is a prologue, showing the events before The Phantom Menace. It’s Studio Trigger co-founder Masahiko Otsuka’s last project before retiring. It follows a Jedi and padawan as they encounter a mysterious foe — the kind of one-off story Star Wars loves.
This episode also boasts a fabulous voice cast for the English dub, including David Harbour, Jordan Fisher, and James Hong.
Episode 8: Lop and Ocho
This episode is set in that murky liminal period of Star Wars history, between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It follows Ocho, the daughter in a space yakuza family, as she meets Lop, a rabbit-hybrid alien. This episode explores the futuristic technology that made Star Wars so famous but combines it with the surrealism and found-family tropes of classic anime films.
Episode 9: Akakiri
Another Anakin and Padmé parallel is found in “Akakiri,” described as “an ephemeral love story between a Jedi and a princess.” It’s unclear when this episode will be set, but it could fix the most frustrating part of the Jedi lifestyle — the disavowal of “commitment.” Could this love story have an end so tragic it changes the way the Jedi think about love and marriage?
This sweeping love story will be brought to life in English with a star-studded cast, including Henry Golding, Jamie Chung, and George Takei.
Star Wars: Visions premieres on Disney+ September 22.
