– Spoiler Review –
After the original “The Ninth Jedi” short left such an indelible impression, I still haven’t quite recovered from the announcement it will have a full series in 2026. To whet our appetites until then, Production IG returns for Star Wars: Visions Vol. 3 with director Naoyoshi Shiotani’s “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope,” an intriguing follow-up I quite enjoyed that expands the short’s world and pushes us towards what the series might be like, though it left me wishing this had just been part of the series.
To my last point, don’t get me wrong, I really did like “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope,” but given how it’s more a halfway point to get us from a self-contained short to what might come in the limited series Star Wars: Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi, I’d rather this had been an opening episode for the series itself, as it departs from how Visions feels. “The Duel: Payback” was our first experience (and a later episode will be the final sequel in Vol. 3) of how a sequel episode would be handled, and it was self-contained again while building off what came before. “Child of Hope” isn’t self-contained, as while it does showcase a story with a clear beginning and ending, having the “To be continued…” show up, and how many other lingering threads are left, it hypes viewers up for the series without resolving too much. As much as I liked the episode, had it been one in the limited series, then there could’ve been room for Vol. 3 to have another new short instead. It didn’t feel unnecessary because of its content, but rather it did for being something to bridge the gap, as we’re already invested enough for the limited series and I’m sure its opening episode will have to fill in new and returning fans anyways, much like this sort of did. So in short, happy we got it, rather we had the series already!
Lah Kara is separated from Margrave Juro, Ethan, and Homen early in “Child of Hope” and left drifting in space, eventually pulled aboard a derelict starship by its Master’s droid, Teto. As Teto recruits her help to gain access to his Master, who’s been in a bacta tank for some time, we learn more about Kara herself, something I really appreciated about “Child of Hope” ahead of the upcoming series. This entry allows Kara to take a breather and consider what’s happened and what’s still left to do, as she was basically on the run ever since her father was taken in the opening entry. After she helps reunite Teto with his Master, who they learn had passed some time ago, they discuss wars and becoming a Jedi over a meal (which is very rare in Star Wars!). Through their talk, Kara reveals she’s not confident in herself, viewing her actions in the opening short as cowardice, as she ran instead of fought to protect her father, but we see why she was so willing to help and fight with Juro against the Sith because she knows, regardless of why a war is being fought, helping those who need it can put the galaxy on a path towards the light. Teto tells Kara her ability to admit her weakness makes her stronger than most and he’s able to help convince her see her own potential, as she promises him to become a great Jedi. Juro, along with Ethan and Homen, want to restart the Order, and while Kara isn’t as invested in that as she is in finding her father, her time with Teto has helped build her confidence about becoming a Jedi, at the very least.
Teto’s Master’s ship is an interesting design, as a portion of it almost recalls the planet Kara called home at the opening of the original short, as there’s an icy lake and forests nearby. I love the idea of the interior having natural elements to it like that, though it makes me wonder why Teto’s Master did it and was able to have such an opulent ship in the first place. Watching the Filmmaker Focus, while the ship already felt like a giant mausoleum, learning this area is full of callbacks to his home planet and species gives it a spooky edge and this left me very interested to see how else the limited series expands on and builds out this unique vision of the galaxy. Also, Kara’s fight with the Jedi Hunters, with help from Teto, while not as big as the lightsaber battle in the first one but a great yet short piece of action nonetheless, helps show how much more she has to learn if she hopes to save her father and be a great Jedi. Lastly, I hope the limited series will have Kara make references to Teto given his actions in “Child of Hope,” as it’s clear it’s left a mark on Kara and even made me a little sad we won’t see the little droid who looks like he’s wearing a tuxedo.
Will Kara become a great Jedi? And bring light back to the galaxy? Or will the Sith still rule despite her and the others’ best efforts? Will she find her father? Also, since Juro and the others sense Kara is stronger than any of them, I’ll be interested to see what that means for her and the story ahead too. While we might not know those answers yet, we do have the limited series ahead to explore them and it’s compelling stuff I’m eager to see what Production IG does with it! We’ll bring you more about Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi, including news and reviews, as we learn more!
I’m glad both the Japanese cast and the English Dub could return to reprise their roles, something I really hope holds into the limited series as well! Chinatsu Akasaki and Kimiko Glenn voice Kara, in the Japanese and English Dub respectively, and both provide a more layered performance the first short, not only in flashing back to a younger version of Kara, but in how she must confront her insecurities. Akira Ishida and Freddie Highmore both have a tough job of being cutesy as Teto but also bringing emotion as well, all adjusted by the sound team to sound more droid like, and while I feel like Ishida of the Japanese cast balance the extremes a touch better, both will leave viewers as Teto fans before the credits roll in “Child of Hope.” We didn’t spend too much time with the rest of the cast, but like I said, hopefully they’ll all be back for the limited series so they can flex their chops in the roles!
Here are a few other things:
- I was a little surprised no one noticed the hole in the hull and Kara being sucked out of it in the opening, while it seemed so sudden due to the editing, I was surprised it happened myself. I’m also unclear how the Jedi Hunters found Kara and the ship, or why they were even after her instead of Juro’s ship, but thankfully these things aren’t that important overall.
- The Episode Guides are live and there’s some neat concept art included, I particularly enjoyed the look at the interior of the ship and the natural habitat it includes, while there’s some trivia as well.
Star Wars: Visions Vol. 3‘s “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope” is a change of pace from the first short which might throw viewers off at first, and while it left me just wishing this had been the upcoming limited series already, it gives fans a glimpse at how the world might expand and allows us more time with Lah Kara.
+ Exploring Kara more before the series
+ Unique setting and Teto’s help
– Small editing moments leave questions
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on on Bluesky and Instagram @mynockmanor.
STAR WARS VISIONS REVIEWS
Vol. 3: “The Duel: Payback” | “The Song of Four Wings” | “The Bounty Hunters” | “Yuko’s Treasure” | “The Lost Ones” | “The Smuggler” | “The Bird of Paradise” | “BLACK”
Vol. 2: “Sith” | “Screecher’s Reach” | “In the Stars” | “I Am Your Mother” | “Journey to the Dark Head” | “The Spy Dancer” | “The Bandits of Golak” | “The Pit” | “Aau’s Song”
Vol. 1: “The Duel” | “Tatooine Rhapsody” | “The Twins” | “The Village Bride” | “The Ninth Jedi” | “TO-B1” | “The Elder” | “Lop & Ochō” | “Akakiri”
Related Material: Takashi Okazaki (one-shot) | Peach Momoko (one-shot) | Art of Star Wars: Visions Vol. 1 (book) | Star Wars: Visions #1 (comic) | Ronin: A Visions Novel (novel)