Lucasfilm Is "Much More Involved" in New STAR WARS: THE NINTH JEDI Animated Series - “It Was Such a Big Endeavor”

Across three volumes, Star Wars: Visions has given fans a wild mix of stunning and imaginative stories from across the galaxy, but one of the great ones was The Ninth Jedi. The short captured the imagination of both fans and Lucasfilm, and now it’s being expanded into a full limited series on Disney+.

According to a report from Polygon, Lucasfilm is “much more involved” in the upcoming The Ninth Jedi series than it was with the original Visions shorts. Executive producer Josh Rimes, who also serves as Lucasfilm’s Vice President for Animation Development and Production, explained that the studio has been closely supporting the creative process from the start.

“It was such a big endeavor – the first full on anime Star Wars series, so we would support the team from early pitch stages through designs and production as the story was built out. It truly is coming together in spectacular fashion and we can't wait for the world to experience it next year.”

Originally released in 2021, The Ninth Jedi short was set a thousand years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It follows Sabersmith Lah Zhima, who builds six lightsabers in a desperate attempt to revive the Jedi Order before being captured by the Sith. His daughter Kara takes the weapons and sets out on an adventure to find other Jedi and rescue her father.

Rimes said the story’s ambitious scale made it clear there was potential for something bigger. Rimes explained:

“The short felt so epic-scaled, with the ending promising a grand journey to come, that discussions with director Kenji Kamiyama and the team at Production I.G naturally evolved.”

“We were just excited to hear their enthusiasm about Kara’s journey to find her father and her quest to restore the Jedi Order and how those two missions might dovetail or even come into conflict.”

The sequel short, The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope, which was released as part of Star Wars: Visions Volume 3, picks up less than a year after the original story. It follows Kara as she’s pulled into space after a sudden attack, teasing even more danger and mystery ahead.

Now with Lucasfilm heavily involved and Production I.G returning to bring the series to life, The Ninth Jedi limited series could end up being a pretty awesome Star Wars project. Fans can expect it to debut on Disney Plus in 2026.