Entertainment

New ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Takes Jedi Back to Their Samurai Roots

September 25, 2021Mac Caltrider
Visions

The Elder (voiced by Kenichi Ogata in Japanese and James Hong in the English dub) in a scene from the Star Wars: Visions short The Elder, exclusively on Disney+. Image courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.

It’s no secret George Lucas drew heavily on Japanese film when he began creating Star Wars. Between taking entire scenes from legendary director Akira Kurosawa to modeling Darth Vader’s appearance after samurai armor, Star Wars is essentially a samurai movie with a sci-fi facelift. Star Wars’ most famous figures — the Jedi — even take their name from jidaigeki, the Japanese word for period dramas. In line with so many aspects of Star Wars being taken from Japanese culture, Lucasfilm is now giving its galaxy far, far away an anime installment.


Visions
Ronin (voiced by Masaki Terasoma in Japanese and Brian Tee in the English dub) in a scene from the Star Wars: Visions short The Duel, exclusively on Disney+. Image courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.

The new series from Disney+, titled Star Wars: Visions, takes all the familiar iconography from Star Wars and builds nine anime short films. Each film has a different director, and each of the directors works with one of seven major Japanese animation studios. Anime is a pillar of Japanese entertainment and makes up a large portion of Japan’s multibillion-dollar film industry. The highest-grossing film in Japanese history is a feature-length anime film. By telling Star Wars stories through anime, the show’s creators hope to take George Lucas’ universe in new directions that pay homage to the franchise’s Japanese roots.


“I think the essence of a Star Wars story is not that far off from the essence of an anime story,” Jacqui Lopez, one of the series’ executive producers, told The New York Times. “Anime lets you go further out there, but the reason you care about it is because you care about that character in their journey.”


Star Wars Visions
Visions is full of Easter eggs, like this poster for A New Hope in the background of episode one. Screenshot from Disney+.

Each of the nine short films breaks away from official canon, meaning that, although they share many of the same features as other Star Wars stories — Jedi, lightsabers, the force — the Visions stories don’t impact existing plotlines. Visions is purely an artistic venture into Lucas’ space opera that leans into the franchise’s Japanese influences. 


Although none of the films are canon, Visions is full of Easter eggs and nods to the original films that will make superfans happy. Familiar faces, such as Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett, make appearances, while keen ears may recognize familiar sounds, such as the Wilhelm Scream and the signature sound effects of igniting lightsabers.


Star Wars Visions
A cave drawing resembling Gen. Grievous can be seen in the background of episode six. Screenshot from Disney+.

Visions is the latest in Star Wars content since Disney bought the rights to the franchise in 2012. Several Star Wars projects are expected to follow Visions. Season three of The Mandalorian is currently scheduled to release on Christmas of 2021, and the long-awaited Obi-Wan Kenobi series is expected to be released in 2022. Visions is currently streaming on Disney+.


Read Next: The 5 Movies That Gave Us ‘Star Wars’



Mac Caltrider
Mac Caltrider

Mac Caltrider is a senior staff writer for Coffee or Die Magazine. He served in the US Marine Corps and is a former police officer. Caltrider earned his bachelor’s degree in history and now reads anything he can get his hands on. He is also the creator of Pipes & Pages, a site intended to increase readership among enlisted troops. Caltrider spends most of his time reading, writing, and waging a one-man war against premature hair loss.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Curtis LeMay
Curtis LeMay: The World War II General Who Firebombed Japan

Who exactly was Gen. Curtis LeMay? And how did he become the commander who razed more than 60 Japanese cities during World War II?

eric smith marine corps commandant nominee
Highly Decorated Marine Officer Nominated To Be Next Commandant

President Joe Biden has nominated a highly decorated Marine officer who has been involved in the transformation of the force to be the next Marine Corps commandant.

USS Arizona
Profile of a Ship: USS Arizona

When the USS Arizona sank, it took 1,177 crew members with it. Today it remains beneath the water as a memorial to all those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.

b1 bombers bosnia
US Bombers Fly Over Bosnia in Sign of Support Amid Continued Secessionist Threats

A pair of U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers flew low over Sarajevo and several other Bosnian cities...

SR-71 Blackbird
SR-71 Blackbird: The Spy Plane That Could Outrun Missiles

Lockheed Martin’s SR-71 Blackbird was a government secret for years. Now retired, a newer version plans to take its place.

medal of honor recipient remains returned
Missing 73 Years, Medal of Honor Recipient's Remains Return To Georgia

Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Regiment made a desperate retreat as North Korean troops closed in arou...

dear jack
Dear Jack: My Battalion Is Out of Control

In this installment of “Dear Jack,” Marine veteran and amateur life coach Jack Mandaville advises a lieutenant colonel on how to restore order in the lower ranks.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved