PLOT: In the new series, Lah Kara continues to train in the ways of the Jedi under Margrave Juro. Kara goes on an epic journey of self-discovery as she and Juro’s small fellowship of Jedis-in-training embark on a quest to save her father and stop a mysterious Sith leader from unleashing darkness upon the galaxy.
REVIEW: I’ve been asking myself the same question for about an hour, ever since I finished watching Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi: Is animated Star Wars better than live-action Star Wars? There are definitely times when it could be. Earlier this year, I had a blast with Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, and now, thanks to Lucasfilm and Production I.G., a limited series picking up not long after the events of the Visions shorts ‘The Ninth Jedi’ and ‘The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope’ is some of the best Star Wars anything I’ve seen in a hot minute.
Much like other Star Wars stories, The Ninth Jedi is a tale of good versus evil. However, the dividing line tends to blur as we follow Lah Kara (Kimiko Glenn), the daughter of a legendary master sabersmith, and Nawaam (Young Mazino), a Darth Vader-like Force-sensitive general, down a difficult path of questionable morals and a lack of self-control. While training under Juro, a patient and nurturing Jedi, Lah Kara is still finding her way in a world ripped apart by war. She wants more than anything to become a force for good after discovering Nawaam’s plot to obliterate planets with a kyber crystal-powered laser cannon. Meanwhile, Nawaam is scarred by a past event, allowing the memory to draw him toward the Dark Side.
As the focal points of this eight-episode series, Lah Kara and Nawaam are complex, mirror-image characters whose evolution keeps the narrative locked in place. Lah Kara enters the story as a bubbly, starry-eyed Padawan. Still, as push comes to shove, events send her thoughts spiraling, forcing her to question everything about her father’s tarnished legacy. Meanwhile, Nawaam’s dark path stems from witnessing Lah Kara’s father commit a terrible murder in his youth—a trauma that corrupted his mind into believing violence is the ultimate means toward dominance. He doesn’t care who gets caught in the kyber-powered weapon’s path, so long as he and his followers are pulling the trigger. When things take a turn at the mid-season mark, Lah Kara is forced into action with her emotions a hurricane, putting her on a direct collision course with Nawaam’s righteous crusade.
The story, written by Mitsuyasu Sakai, was slow at first, with Lah Kara and Nawaam’s confrontation taking up half the season to crystallize before the cracks start to show. The drama is solid, and there’s a ragtag cast of support players that keep things interesting while contributing to the mounting tension. Still, when you reach the halfway mark, the series takes on a new pace, with narrative pieces positioned for significant character development and stunning lightsaber battles.
While I’m not the most learned Star Wars fan, I know what I like, and Lah Kara is easily one of my favorite Star Wars characters to date. Throughout the series, Lah Kara experiences a gauntlet of emotions as violent acts reveal the strife within her fragile heart. She oscillates between idealistic and bloodthirsty as her rage and pain take over, reluctantly transforming her into a living weapon. Watching her grow into something I’d say is more than a Jedi is satisfying as hell, and I wish more live-action Star Wars characters contained her level of depth.
Nawaam is also engaging, his moral compass spinning as he lets an ambiguous act of violence shape his entire worldview. He clearly needs a hug, but with so many loyal followers and world-ending artillery at his command, he’s forgotten what it’s like to bestow kindness instead of pain. I know I’m supposed to hate him, but he gives the illusion of a silver lining that’s difficult to ignore. I can change him, dammit! Well, probably not, but is he beyond redemption? He makes me want to try and find out.
The art and animation in The Ninth Jedi are often gorgeous, nuanced, and fluid. The characters are extremely expressive, and the studios’ use of color gives every environment an extra bit of verve and panache. I did balk at a few of the CG-generated ships, but the feeling didn’t last for long, as vibrant hand-drawn animation dominates the presentation. All the action and emotion are driven by Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi’s thrilling score, while apt and exciting vocal performances serve up drama.
As the first project launched under the new Star Wars: Visions Presents banner, The Ninth Jedi is an exciting expansion of a universe that begs to be explored further. Unshackled by the core elements of the Star Wars franchise, The Ninth Jedi carves its own branching paths with potential waiting at every fork and hard left turn. It’s a total package anime with enigmatic main characters, eye-popping visuals, political intrigue, mystery, and a climax that makes the whole trip worth taking. As I said, I might not be the most learned Star Wars fan, but I know when I walk away from a story told in a galaxy far, far away that makes me want to pick up a lightsaber and launch myself headlong into battle. The Ninth Jedi makes me want to cauterize a bitch.