The Ninth Jedi was one of the standout episodes of the first volume of Star Wars Visions, and as well as crafting a follow up in the form of The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope in Volume 3, Lucasfilm are developing a limited anime series based on the characters and storylines. Speaking with Polygon, executive producer Josh Rimes explained how Child of Hope fits in with the original episode, and how Lucasfilm are more involved in the sequel ahead of the series.
The original “The Ninth Jedi” short is set a thousand years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker at a time when the Jedi Order has become nearly extinct. Hoping to restart the organization, the sabersmith Lah Zhima builds six lightsabers, including one for his daughter Kara. When her father is captured by agents of the Sith, Kara brings the lightsabers to a gathering of Jedi, only to discover that most of the people there are actually Sith. After defeating the Sith, Kara travels with the surviving Jedi to try to rescue her father.
This new episode is meant to bridge the gap between the original Visions entry, “The Ninth Jedi,” and the upcoming series, which is currently in production. As a result, Lucasfilm was much more involved in the production of the new show than it was in the creation of the two shorts.
“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,” Rimes said. “It truly is coming together in spectacular fashion and we can’t wait for the world to experience it next year.”
