By George & Josh Bate
Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 arrives October 29 on Disney+, making it a perfect time to revisit the best shorts of the acclaimed animated series. Here are our Top 10 Favorite Episodes/Shorts across the first two volumes of Star Wars: Visions….
10. Lop and Ochō
Geno Studio helmed a cute, endearing short with “Lop and Ochō.” The Volume 1 installment follows Lop, a rabbit-like creature, who roamed the streets for years after escaping from being a slave of the Empire. Eventually, Lop is adopted by the lord Yasaburo and becomes the adoptive sister of Ochō. Seven years later, the sisters find themselves at odds as Lop sides with her adoptive father, who is against Imperial control, and Ochō makes a deal with the Empire. The short is uniquely told and has something to say about the way in which governments can destroy natural resources of places they occupy. The characters, especially Lop, are quite likable and the dynamic between sisters on two sides of a conflict proves compelling.
9. THE TWINS
From Trigger, Inc., THE TWINS tells the story of twins born into the dark side who clash aboard a massive Star Destroyer when one gains possession of a powerful weapon. The idea of siblings, and even twins, isn’t exactly novel for Star Wars, but this story stands out for pitting two family members against each other who grew up seeped in the dark side of the Force. The short is action-heavy, but that’s okay given how impressive and fluid the combat is.
8. The Bandits of Golak
Perhaps the most overlooked and underappreciated Visions installment is “The Bandits of Golak,” a short from Indian studio 88 Pictures and director/writer Ishan Shukla. The story follows brother and sister duo Charuk and Rani (voiced by Life of Pi’s Suraj Sharma and TheMotorMouth voice actor Sonal Kaushal respectively), who travel on a train to flee their home village and escape the clutches of insidious Imperial forces. The first part of “The Bandits of Golak” revolves around this train and showcases the stunning animation brought to life by 88 Pictures. The movement is sleek, the colors are poignant, and the facial animation is nuanced. The sibling duo at the heart of this short are also extremely likable and easily two of the best new characters introduced in Star Wars: Visions Volume 2. Older brother Charuk has adopted a paternal role overseeing his little sister Rani, whose innocent difficulties keeping her secret Force abilities at bay get them in all sorts of trouble.
As the short progresses, the duo seek refuge in a vibrant dhaba, a sequence that encapsulates one of the most impactful and powerful aspects of Star Wars: Visions. For those unfamiliar, dhabas are roadside eateries that are often found off highways and near gas stations in India. “The Bandits of Golak” takes this piece of Indian culture and fuses it together with a Star Wars story to make for an experience unlike anything told in this universe so far. To top off an already excellent short, “The Bandits of Golak” features an incredible villain in an Inquisitor voiced by Indian actor Neeraj Kabi. Fingers crossed this Inquisitor shows up in other Star Wars stories in the future.
7. The Village Bride
Japanese studio Kinema Citrus crafted a slow, meditative short with “The Village Bride.” Set after Order 66, the short follows F, a former Jedi who hides her identityy. Upon journeying to a planet with strong connection to nature, F finds herself threatened by a group of outlaws, reprogrammed Separtist battle droids, and the chief’s daughter who holds her hostage. “The Village Bride” was chosen as one of the few shorts to get a sequel in Visions Volume 3, which speaks to the intrigue and emotion of this story. Some may find it to be too slow and uneventful, but, for us, it was a welcomed change of pace from other installments that put a nice spin on the post-Order 66 Jedi-on-the-run trope.
6. Screecher’s Reach
Irish studio Cartoon Saloon brought a sense of dread to the Star Wars univers with “Screecher’s Reach.” Set thousands of years before the Skywalker Saga, the short follows Daal and her three friends, who live difficult, oppressed lives. One day, guided by a mysterious necklace, Daal sneaks away to Screecher’s Reach, a place rumored to be haunted by ghosts. What lies in Screecher’s Reach is far more terrifying than ghosts, however. Perhaps more than any other Visions short, “Screecher’s Reach” concludes on a truly unsettling note. Plenty of Star Wars stories conclude in a dark manner, but Cartoon Saloon manage to get under your skin with a more quietly unnerving ending ending.
5. Sith
“Sith” comes from Spanish studio El Guiri Studios and writer/director Rodrigo Blaas. The short follows a former Sith apprentice named Lola (voiced by Money Heist’s Úrsula Corberó), whose peaceful and isolated life is interrupted when her old Sith master (voiced by Spanish actor Luis Tosar) tracks her down. “Sith” is, initially, a visually jarring Star Wars story. Overwhelming whiteness fills the screen like a blank canvas as Lola has chosen to pursue art after leaving the dark side of the Force behind. As the short progresses and Lola’s art comes together, reds, oranges, and yellows begin to populate the screen and deliver some of the most impressive visuals ever seen in an animated Star Wars project. If Lola and her art represent beauty and renewal, the old Sith master symbolizes the disturbing and distorted past coming back to haunt her. The Sith master, who sports a look not dissimilar from Knights of the Old Republic’s Darth Malak, is ominous and terrifying and his showdown with Lola doesn’t disappoint. Similar to the likes of “The Elder” and “The Duel” of Visions Volume 1, watching “Sith” will make one eager to see more from these characters and this world.
4. The Elder
The Elder, from Studio Trigger and director Masahiko Otsuka, is another standout installment of the series. The short film follows Jedi Master Tajin (voiced in David Harbour in the English-speaking version) and his apprentice Dan (voiced by Jordan Fisher) in a story set sometime before The Phantom Menace. The Master and apprentice are trekking through the galaxy when they feel a dark presence on a nearby planet and investigate, only to have a run-in with a Sith. Tajin, Dan, and the titular Elder are some of the most exciting characters introduced in Star Wars: Visions and we’re desperate to see more of them in the future. Tajin evokes the composure and comfort of Alec Guinness’ Ben Kenobi or Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon, while Dan represents the confident and buoyant apprentice who has to confront his hubris in the face of an unnatural evil. The Elder, brilliantly voiced by legend James Hong, could easily be a character from a Star Wars-themed horror film. The character is threatening, ominous, and brings a level of menace not seen in other episodes of Visions. Fans of darker Star Wars stories will love this episode.
3. The Ninth Jedi
The short from Japanese studio’s Production I.G. will be the first Visions to be expanded into a full-fledged series, such is the strength of this story. Set thousands of years after the Skywalker saga, the story follows Kara, daughter of lightsaber crafter Lah Zhima, meet seven of the remaining Jedi to gift them new lightsabers. But there’s a twist to this story that, if you don’t know about already, we won’t spoil for you here. Let’s just say it’s a twist that’s up there with some of the best in Star Wars history. On top of that, the short features stunning animation and character designs and treats lightsaber as the revered part of Star Wars history that they are. The story of “The Ninth Jedi” will continue in Visions Volume 3.
2. In the Stars
The award for the most emotionally impactful short in Visions easily goes to “In the Stars.” Directed and written by Gabriel Osorio and from the Chilean creative team at Punkrobot Studio, “In the Stars” follows big sister Koten and little sister Tichina (voiced by Valentina Muhr and Julia Oviedo respectively), who struggle to survive on their home planet after it has been decimated and exploited by the Empire. The planet’s population has been largely killed off and the remaining survivors are deprived of water as the Empire uses the resource in their massive factory. The two sisters mourn their mother, with little sister Tichina desperate to hold onto the memory of her mother through a water painting. With a genuinely tear-inducing score by Andrés Walker and Patricio Portius, “In the Stars” is unbelievably endearing and has an ending that’s up there with Luke and Leia’s reunion scene in The Last Jedi as possibly the most touching moments ever in a Star Wars story.
1. The Duel
The very best Star Wars: Visions short as to be “The Duel.” Billed as “an alternate history pulled from Japanese lore,” “The Duel” is directed by Takanobu Mizuno and animated by Kamikaze Douga and tells the story of a Ronin who takes a stand against a Sith Bandit Leader and her mercenaries. The short film is in black-and-white, with the exception of a few startling bursts of color, including the red hue of lightsabers. The Duel is largely devoid of music, using long stretches of silence to build tension in a manner similar to Gendry Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars series. It feels as if you’re watching an animated Akira Kurosawa film that is tenuously related to the Star Wars universe. In fact, remove the lightsabers and it would be easy to mistake “The Duel” as a completely unrelated project. And yet, somehow, “The Duel” feels distinctly Star Wars. The punchy dialogue, the quirky droid companion, the culture on display – this is truly an intersection of modern Star Wars and Japanese cinema. Thankfully, we don’t need to wait much longer for more adventures in this world as Volume 3 will feature a sequel.