5 Years Ago, Star Wars Canon Was Blown Wide Open
An experimental Star Wars series proved that it really is adaptable to all art forms.
Star Wars is a global phenomenon, but it has always been undeniably American. Maybe it’s the story of rebellion and hope, maybe it’s the influence taken from Westerns, maybe it’s just the homegrown accents of Luke, Han, and Leia.
But behind those elements is a story that is classic no matter where — or when — you are, influenced by stories from all over the world. It is, after all, a story from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Now, Star Wars is recognizable no matter where you are, even in the era of the sequels and The Mandalorian.
In 2021, Lucasfilm decided to take advantage of this global appeal with a truly revolutionary series: Star Wars: Visions, an animated anthology that handed over creative control to different studios. It may not technically be canon, but it showed just how adaptable this sci-fi world is, and established a new pocket of the franchise that is still ongoing.
“The Duel” was the first episode of Star Wars: Visions and soon got a tie-in novel.
Star Wars: Visions Season 1 handed over the keys to the sci-fi franchise to different anime studios, and the results were astounding. The first episode, “The Duel,” from Kamikaze Douga, the studio behind the opening sequences of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, followed a wandering Jedi Ronin as he faced off against the Sith in a small village. The second episode, “Tatooine Rhapsody,” was a family-friendly musical adventure following a group of young musicians.
Every episode had its own unique take, and while none of them were technically canon, they’re still a joy to watch. At this point in the Star Wars fandom, the vast majority of the extended universe is no longer canon, but that doesn’t mean that cracking open an old book is any less fun.
Volume 2 of Visions went beyond anime studios and instead highlighted the work from animation studios across the globe, including Ireland, Spain, India, and South America, while Volume 3 went back to its roots, even showing sequels to stories in Season 1. Now, some of those stories live on: “The Duel” was spun off into a tie-in novel entitled Star Wars: Ronin, and the episode “The Ninth Jedi” was spun off into a full animated miniseries.
The art style of Visions varies greatly from episode to episode.
Star Wars: Visions is proof of what sets Star Wars apart from every other movie franchise. It’s gone beyond recognizable imagery or costumes. Now, if a character uses telekinetic powers, even if they’re speaking something other than Galactic Basic (aka English), then it’s recognizable as the Force. Star Wars is a big universe, and there’s room for all kinds of stories from all corners of the storytelling world.
Five years later, these shorts may not be part of the official Star Wars timeline, but they’re a crucial part of the fandom. We don’t have an announcement of a Season 4, but rumors are swirling, and now any story could be the start of something greater. It may show stories from all across the galaxy, but what Star Wars: Visions really celebrates is just how wonderful creations can be from all over our small planet.
