“Star Wars” fans can prepare for another excursion to a galaxy far, far away as the franchise expands even further.
The latest is a unique new project that’s part of the ongoing “Star Wars: Visions” series, animated standalone stories set within the “Star Wars” universe.
‘The Ninth Jedi’ is an Anime Masterpiece
An eight-episode limited anime series from Lucasfilm and Production I.G, “Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi,” the series will stream exclusively on Disney+.
The series’ supervising director Kenji Kamiyama, director Shunsuke Tada and producer Hitoshi Ito debuted the trailer during a recent panel for the show during Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles.
The new series will expand on two earlier animated shorts, reviving those characters in a full-fledged series.
‘The Ninth Jedi’ is ‘An Epic Journey of Self-Discovery’
The series surrounds Jedi-in-Training Lah Kara as she inadvertently winds up in the midst of an intergalactic war. As the trailer indicates, she will face a Darth Vader-like villain while discovering what it truly means to become a Jedi.
“Part of an all-new ‘Star Wars: Visions Presents’ banner, which will be used to tell longer-form ‘Star Wars: Visions’ stories, the limited series picks up not long after the events of the ‘Visions’ shorts ‘The Ninth Jedi’ and ‘The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope,'” notes a press release.
“In the new series, Lah Kara continues to train in the ways of the Jedi under Margrave Juro,” adds the release. “Kara goes on an epic journey of self-discovery as she and Juro’s small fellowship of Jedis-in-training embark on a quest to save her father.”
The Original Voice Cast Has Returned
Disney+The Japanese anime series has been dubbed into English. Returning voice talent includes Kimiko Glenn (Lah Kara), Andrew Kishino (Juro), Masi Oka (Ethan), Patrick Seitz (Homen), JP Karliak (Gramps), and Simu Liu (Lah Zhima). Neil Kaplan is also back as narrator.
New English-language voice actors include Feodor Chin (Gennoh), Young Mazino (Nawaam), Chase Sui Wonders (Tafflah) and Keone Young (Kwana).
‘The Ninth Jedi’ Has a Cinematic Feel
Disney+The team behind the series recently spoke about “The Ninth Jedi” for StarWars.com.
“I was very happy to hear that fans from all over the world especially liked The Ninth Jedi,” said producer Ito.
“When I got offered to make a short at the very beginning, I worked on it as if I was working for a feature film,” added supervising director Kamiyama. “I was already building a lot of character backgrounds and settings.”
According to Tada, the film’s director, the character of Kara hearkens back to an iconic figure in the “Star Wars” franchise: Luke Skywalker.
“Luke was also an unknown boy and not talented in the beginning, [and] he gradually becomes a true Jedi,” said Tada. “We tried not to make Kara look like a Master from the beginning, but she’s gradually growing. In the original story of ‘The Ninth Jedi,’ Kara’s not trying to win over her father or somebody else. She’s trying to win over herself and grow as a person.”
When Will ‘The Ninth Jedi’ Premiere?
Look for “Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi” to debut Wednesday, August 5 on Disney+.
