Star Wars‘ most recent new Jedi Order story completely ignores Disney’s franchise canon. The destruction of the Jedi Order after the events of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is one of the most significant and impactful events in Star Wars’ galactic history, arguably even more so than the downfall of the Republic. It completely altered the balance of power in the galaxy, lifting the Sith to the top of the food chain for the first time in millennia.
While the Jedi Order was an undeniably flawed organization, there’s plenty of reason for the Order, or something like it, at least, to be resurrected from the ashes of the past. As long as new leadership learns from the Jedi’s mistakes and overcomes the Order’s fatal flaws, a rebuilt Jedi Order could have an incredibly positive impact on the galaxy. Famously, of course, Luke Skywalker’s attempt to recreate the Order during the New Republic era failed, but his final apprentice, Rey, could create something new and improved in Star Wars‘ previously announced theatrical film, tentatively titled Star Wars: New Jedi Order.
The reconstruction of the Jedi Order is a wonderfully compelling prospect. It represents a fresh start, not only for the Jedi but for the franchise as a whole, a launchpad for a new era of Star Wars storytelling. What kind of Force users will populate its ranks? How will their ideals compare to the ideals of the ancient Jedi? Will the galaxy accept their presence once more, or reject them in the wake of the galaxy’s most violent, terrible conflicts?
Unfortunately, until Lucasfilm actually moves ahead with Daisy Ridley’s and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order movie, these questions will never be answered in canon. Luckily, though, Disney has produced an intriguing alternative.
Lucasfilm’s animated anthology series, Star Wars: Visions, is a non-canonical exploration of the Star Wars galaxy’s endless narrative and creative possibilities. Numerous world-renowned animation studios have contributed to the three-season project, putting their own spin on well-known Star Wars concepts, including the Force, the Jedi, the Sith, the Empire, the Rebellion, lightsabers, and more.
While most Visions stories are one-off shorts, a few have been granted sequels, including Production I.G’s “The Ninth Jedi” saga. Interestingly, “The Ninth Jedi” is a story about rebuilding the Jedi Order in the wake of a devastating conflict with the Sith. However, because of Visions’ non-canon status, it isn’t beholden to Star Wars‘ established history. This new Jedi Order can be anything, and that’s an undeniably exciting prospect.
The Ninth Jedi Fills The Gap Left By New Jedi Order’s Stalled Development
“The Ninth Jedi’s” story currently consists of two episodes, with a third full-season sequel series, Star Wars: Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi, still to come later this year. “The Ninth Jedi” follows titular Jedi apprentice Lah Kara, who allies herself with a group of scattered Jedi when her father, a lightsaber smith, is kidnapped by Sith-appointed Jedi Hunters. Much like Rey, Kara is strong with the Force; her interim Master, Margrave Juro, even admits she has the capacity to become the strongest of all remaining Jedi in the Visions season 3 episode, “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope.”
In that respect, Kara is a lot like Rey, too, a symbol of the future of the Jedi Order and its role in the galaxy. As the group continues the search for the Jedi destined to take up the remaining lightsabers fashioned by Kara’s missing father, the upcoming spinoff will have the space to explore what it means to be a Jedi when their kind is almost extinct, how their connection to the Force differs from the Sith, and how they can use that to restore peace to the galaxy and overcome the threat of their greatest enemy once and for all.
In other words, it’s very similar to what Rey would be doing if New Jedi Order ever moved forward in development.
Given the impending premiere of the full-length Ninth Jedi anime series, it’s clear that Disney and Lucasfilm recognize the narrative potential of the Jedi Order’s recreation. It’s just a shame that New Jedi Order hasn’t been able to get off the ground since its enthusiastic but clearly premature announcement at Star Wars Celebration 2023. Still, while Star Wars: Visions may not have been afforded canon status — understandably so, as it would needlessly complicate Star Wars‘ timeline and lore — at least the Jedi Order is being rebuilt somewhere, at some point, in the galaxy far, far, away.
Star Wars: Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi will premiere in 2026, only on Disney+.
