Review for Star Wars Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi

Originally published August 7, 2026. This article reviews the Star Wars television series The Ninth Jedi, a continuation of Star Wars: Visions.

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The Force is with fans of the Star Wars™ franchise with the arrival of Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi™. The eight-episode miniseries (or first season, if you’re an optimist like me) is now streaming on Disney+.

It’s a breath of fresh air, exploring what’s beyond the general canon and the Skywalker Saga. The show is proof positive that there are countless stories to tell in this galaxy far, far away.

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A World in Which the Jedi and Sith Are No More

The Ninth Jedi seamlessly continues the narrative established in Star Wars: Visions™ season 3. It’s interesting to explore this Jedi-less and Sith-less world, as it were, and how the Force is defined in this new age. The stakes are astronomical right out of the gate — Kara and her friends must establish a new Jedi Order to combat the warlord Nawaam and his ever-increasing allies. It’s pure, unadulterated Star Wars. We have this scrappy, ragtag crew of underdogs with the odds stacked against them (although you should never tell them the odds). Season 1 tells a well-crafted story of good triumphing over evil; what’s more Star Wars than that?

Perhaps what makes The Ninth Jedi stand out from its contemporaries is its delving into the nuances of the Jedi and Sith. The lines between each side aren’t as clearly defined as in shows and movies past. There’s more room for splashes of gray on the morality front. Kara’s journey, in particular, digs deep into human complexities. After Nawaam slays her Master, Margrave Juro, in combat, Kara’s lightsaber™ blade turns red, and she kills multiple people in her rage-filled grief.

The Force Is a Spectrum

The series deftly asks us to consider what’s inherently good and what’s inherently evil. Are the light and dark sides of the Force separate entities, or are they two halves of the same whole? Bee-Toh tells Kara that the Jedi and Sith are cut from the same cloth — they both leave destruction in their wake. Of course, this is before Bee-Toh joins Team Jedi, but it’s interesting to consider an outsider’s point of view on both orders, who believe they’re starkly different from each other. It’s an intriguing contemplation on the nature of the Force and the people who are in touch with it.

Juro returns as a Force ghost to remind Kara that being angry isn’t intrinsically bad, but it’s more about what one does with that anger. Kara believes she’s irredeemable since she “gave in to the dark side” after Juro’s death. However, if this franchise has taught us anything, it’s that it’s never too late for redemption. The Ninth Jedi conveys this beautifully.

The show also explores the different colors of lightsabers and how red doesn’t exclusively belong to the Sith. By the same token, blue isn’t solely Jedi. Kara bounces from blue to red to silver to green. Nawaam and Zhima are also silver-bladed. Even Bee-Toh’s blade is blue after Kara orders him to serve her. It’s a profound statement on our collectively complicated nature. We contain multitudes.

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A Force-Filled Balance Between Action and Drama

The Ninth Jedi kicks off the festivities with high-octane action, setting the tone and pacing for what’s on the horizon. It maintains a steady clip throughout, and its shorter runtime was a good choice on the show’s part. This ensures it never lags. However, despite the somewhat short episodes, it doesn’t feel like the series favors action over character development. There’s a nice balance between said action and drama.

Kara’s arc packs an emotional punch. Because we’re going into this with awareness of who she is, The Ninth Jedi can spend less time explaining who she is and more time fleshing her out as a character. Juro’s death is heartbreaking, too, and we mourn his loss along with her. We see her cultivate her bond with the Force as her combat skills improve, especially in scenes like Kara’s fight with Gennoh in the premiere.

I’d be remiss if I omitted the action sequence featuring Kara and Eht, which puts Kara’s skills to the test. It’s one of the best sequences in the series. Kara learns to sense her foe among the mist, relying on everything but her sight to rise victorious. She becomes one with the Force, and it’s beautiful to see. The showdown between Nawaam and Kara in the finale is a tense, pulse-pounding affair, complete with both trying to persuade the other that their respective causes are just. Animation opens doors for action sequences bigger in scope and scale, making them feel larger than life. The possibilities are endless. I also love how fluid the movements of these characters are when they’re fighting — they move like acrobats, in a way.

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Lively Performances and Vivid Animation

Kimiko Glenn is pitch-perfect as Lah Kara. She infuses Kara with vigor and bright optimism — precisely what one would expect from a Star Wars heroine. You can feel the emotion in her voice. She’s the vocal highlight for me. Young Mazino is also great as Nawaam. There’s a smooth yet calculated edge to his vocal performance. He gives it gravitas without going over the top or sounding like a mustache-twirling villain. Andrew Kishino delivers a compelling performance as Juro, and he sounds every bit of what you’d expect a Jedi Master to sound like.

Anime is a fantastic medium for Star Wars. They go hand in hand. From the vibrant color palette to the anime-esque voice acting to the story structure — even down to the one character who provides comedic relief — anime works well for this franchise. Star Wars boasts soap opera-like elements, just like anime. The elevated drama deserves an expressive animation style like anime. As I said above, the possibilities are endless, and there’s so much more you can do with anime than live action.

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Subverts Expectations

The Ninth Jedi subverts storytelling expectations by having Kara struggle to understand her emotions, but more importantly, the finale turns everything we’ve come to expect on its head. Zhima survives his confrontation with Nawaam, but the episode keeps us on the edge of our seats, wondering if he’s actually dead. This suspense keeps things interesting. However, we know that science fiction loves to get rid of the protagonist’s parents, so it’s a breath of fresh air that Zhima lives.

Additionally, Kara doesn’t kill Nawaam and uses the Force to turn off her lightsaber before it actually cuts through him. Her refusal to kill anyone else turns her blade green. So, the villain emerges unscathed, although certainly not free. It’s an interesting choice to keep someone like Nawaam alive. It’s not the obvious choice, though, making this a delightful departure from audience expectations.

That said, The Ninth Jedi leaves the door open for season 2 despite being labeled a miniseries. Nawaam contemplates Kara’s lesson while imprisoned, and Zhima gives him his lightsaber. Nawaam turns it on, but the scene cuts to black before we see the blade color. Is he still a baddie? Or could Nawaam join Team Jedi? I hope the story continues, and if it does, I can’t wait to see where it takes us next.

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What did you think about The Ninth Jedi?

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