By George & Josh Bate
With the debut of Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 on Disney+, it’s the perfect time to revisit the best shorts of the acclaimed animated series. Here are our Top 10 Favorite Episodes/Shorts across the three volumes of Star Wars: Visions….
10. The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope
Production I.G. follows their praised short from Volume 1 with “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope.” The original “The Ninth Jedi” featured one of the best plot twists in Star Wars history, revealing that all the Jedi who came to gather were not actually Jedi, but, rather, Sith. It remains arguably the most shocking moment across Volumes 1-3 and set the stage for a sequel fans have been begging for. In another surprising turn, “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope” subverts expectations in opting for a smaller, more intimate story, as opposed to one that continues the grand tale of Lah Kara and the Margrave re-starting the Jedi Order and finding Kara’s kidnapped father.
The story finds Kara (voiced by Kimiko Glenn and Chinatsu Akasaki) blasted into space away from her newfound Jedi colleagues, after which she lands on an abandoned planet and helps a kind-hearted droid. As a result, the short seems to stall the overarching narrative of interest, which may come as a disappointment to some (although we do have a full-fledged series dedicated to “The Ninth Jedi” coming soon).
However, “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope” eventually finds it footing and evolves into the most moving installment of Volume 3. This is thanks to Kara’s growing bond with Teto (voiced by Freddie Highmore and Akira Ishida), an endearing relationship that conveys the strength in being able to acknowledge our weaknesses. It’s moving, gut-wrenching, and exactly what the best Star Wars stories deliver – fusing style and spectacle with genuine, resonant emotion.
9. Yuko’s Treasure
In addition to crafting “The Lost Ones,” Kinema citrus Co. also helm “Yuko’s Treasure,” Volume 3’s most heartwarming installment. The short follows an orphan named Yuko (voiced by Liam Karlsson and Momoka Terasawa), who is taken care of by BILY (voiced by Harvey Guillén and Mitsuru Houfu, a teddy bear-like droid, on the planet Tatooine. Yuko and BILY’s peace is disrupted when a group of pirates led by Fox Ear (voiced by Steve Buscemi and Kenichirou Matsuda) arrive in search of a long-lost treasure hidden by Yuko’s parents.
The highlight of Yuko’s Treasure (arguably the cutest droid we’ve ever seen in Star Wars history) is BILY, whose name is an acronym standing for ‘Baby I Love You.’ It actually took us a few minutes into the short to even realize that BILY was a droid and not the member of a teddy bear-looking species we’ve yet to be introduced to. In the wake of the deaths of Yuko’s parents, BILY serves as an all-loving caregiver for Yuko, who reciprocates BILY’s care with unconditional love. Their bond is beautifully realized by the voice actors and the animators at Kinema citrus Co., with the short filled to the brim with endearing moments of the two lovingly interacting with one another. Found family has been a theme in Star Wars dating back to the original trilogy, but “Yuko’s Treasure” plays with this theme in a warmer and kinder manner than we’re used to.
When threat arrives at their front door step, in the shape of the humanoid fox-like alien Fox Ears, the stakes ramp up considerably and, given the audience’s swift emotional investment in Yuko and BILY, the danger is felt palpably. Hearing Steve Buscemi’s unmistakable voice in a Star Wars story, voicing an extremely distinctive antagonist no less, makes the short all the more gripping.
When the danger finally subsides, the short concludes beautifully with an ode to Yuko’s deceased parents and details about their sacrifices to make Yuko’s life as happy and safe as possible. Even the most cynical of viewers will be hard pressed to not be moved by this ending and pleased to see Yuko and BILY’s bond grow even stronger than it already was.
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 Duel: Payback
Kamikaze Douga + ANIMA’s “The Duel: Payback,” probably the most anticipated of the new crop of shorts, retains the distinctive visual storytelling and quiet tone of the acclaimed “The Duel.” Even though this is the second short featuring the Ronin, there’s still something undeniably effective about seeing a Star Wars story designed to mirror the Akira Kurosawa films George Lucas was inspired by. As such, “The Duel: Payback” is once again a beautiful full circle moment for the franchise, filled to the brim with gorgeous black-and-white visuals, selective bursts of color, amazing character designs, and clever use of core fixtures of Star Wars. The use of the feet of a flipped over AT-AT as a battleground for a lightsaber duel is easily one of our favorite visuals from the Volume.
The story, meanwhile, interestingly expands upon the lore of Ronin (voiced by Brian Tee and Masaki Tersaoma) and pits him against a formidable foe (voiced by Will Sharpe and Daisuke Namikawa). This foe, known as the Grand Master, is unique from other Star Wars villains and even from other fallen Jedi in that he truly doesn’t believe he has fallen to the dark side. Grand Master is relentlessly driven by revenge, a pursuit that stands antithetical to Jedi principles, and yet he is blind to the corruption of his values. It’s an interesting take on an antagonist and, ultimately, one that leads to an inversion of the Sith and Jedi’s standing in the Force in a way we’ve never seen from a Star Wars story before.
You add in an Anzellan (the same species as Babu Frik from The Rise of Skywalker) gambling hall owner/Yakuza leader and the wildest lightsaber in Star Wars history (think Rose McGowan’s character from Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror if she was in Star Wars) and you arrive at a short as stylish as it is transfixing and one more than worthy as a successor to “The Duel.”
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.