Star Wars Visions: Ronin
A mysterious former Sith wanders the galaxy in this stunning Star Wars tale. An original novel inspired by the world of The Duel from the Star Wars Visions animated anthology.
The Jedi are the most loyal servants of the Empire.
Two decades ago, Jedi clans clashed in service to feuding lords. Sickened by this endless cycle, a sect of Jedi rebelled, seeking to control their own destiny and claim power in service of no master. They called themselves Sith.
The Sith rebellion failed, succumbing to infighting and betrayal, and the once rival lords unified to create an Empire . . . but even an Empire at peace is not free from violence.
Far on the edge of the Outer Rim, one former Sith wanders, accompanied only by a faithful droid and the ghost of a less civilized age. He carries a lightsaber, but claims lineage to no Jedi clan, and pledges allegiance to no lord. Little is known about him, including his name, for he never speaks of his past, nor his regrets. His history is as guarded as the red blade of destruction he carries sheathed at his side.
As the galaxy’s perpetual cycle of violence continues to interrupt his self-imposed exile, and he is forced to duel an enigmatic bandit claiming the title of Sith, it becomes clear that no amount of wandering will ever let him outpace the specters of his former life.
Author: Emma Mieko Candon
Cover artist: Kotaro Chiba
Release date: July 14, 2022
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781529157598
What’s it about?
A nameless Sith, tied to no clan, wanders the stars as a masterless samurai with his trusty droid and katana-like lightsaber, entering the lives of similarly broken inhabitants of the galaxy.
Should I read this book?
Absolutely. It’s a twist on the classic ingredients we know so well, but looking at the saga from the different angle only makes us appreciate those ingredients even more. Star Wars owes as much to its eastern influences as it does its western ones, and that DNA infuses Ronin as much as it does its canonical brother. Don’t be surprised if Lucasfilm and Del Rey greenlight more offshoot projects like this, given how effectively it works.
What did you like?
While this is recognisably set in the Star Wars galaxy – a Visions version, but still undoubtedly the GFFA – the book feels like a new chapter being opened in the broader Star Wars story. Author Emma Mieko Candon has clearly been given significant latitude to craft something fresh and new while adhering to the tone and feel of Star Wars as well as the Japanese influences that define the Visions project, or at least the first season of. There are new characters introduced that quickly grab your interest, while deeper dives into some of the unspoken elements of the Visions short ‘The Duel‘ only enhances further viewings of the episode. It’s only emboldened by the writing style of Candon, poetic but clear with a rhythm that makes the read a pleasurable experience.
What did you not like?
There’s nothing I could point to as a negative. As the opening gambit in what could / should be a bold new avenue for Star Wars storytelling it’s effective and impressive, retaining the tone of the short and blossoming into its own.
What’s next?
On the printed page we will soon have the comic from Marvel as well as the Monthly Big Gangan adaptations of the first season, and The Art of Star Wars: Visions ahead of the second season in early 2023. As for further adventures from Ronin, nothing has been announced but like Star Wars has always taught us, we can only have hope.
