Everything You Need To Know Before the Release of Star Wars: Visions Volume 3
The galaxy far, far away is about to get animated again. Star Wars: Visions returns to Disney+ on October 29, bringing six new stories – and three sequels – from some of Japan’s top animation studios.
If you haven’t heard of Visions (how?), it’s Lucasfilm’s creative dive into the anime world. Each short tells its own story, with no ties to the Skywalkers or the canon timeline at all – it’s completely separate. From samurai-inspired duels to mythic yet emotional tales of the Force.
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The entirety of Volume 1 was created by nine Japanese studios (1 per episode), with thrilling tales such as “The Duel” as the introduction to the Visions universe. In just that episode, its black-and-white style – with primarily the lightsabers in colour – paid homage to classic samurai films by director Akira Kurosawa, whose work heavily influenced George Lucas during the making of the original trilogy.
This upcoming season marks a full return to that, dropping global studios in favour of nine Japanese ones. Volume 2’s global mix brought variety and fresh perspectives, but only one Japanese studio was present, which lessened most, if not all, of the excitement from the anime community. By leaning into the recognisable, expressive style of anime, Visions breaks boundaries about what Star Wars stories can be told on screen.
Volume 3 retraces its steps by revisiting past stories. Familiar faces return: Ronin from “The Duel”, F from “The Village Bride”, and Lah Kara from “The Ninth Jedi”. The latter is also set to receive a standalone series, branching off from Visions titled Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi.
The nine episodes in Volume 3 include: The Duel: Payback, The Lost Ones, The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope, Yuko’s Treasure, The Smuggler, The Bounty Hunters, The Song of Four Wings, The Bird of Paradise, and Black.
Returning production partners are Kamikaze Douga, Kinema Citrus Co, Production I.G, and Trigger. Joining them are five fresh voices: Anima (co-producing with Kamikaze Douga), David Production, Polygon Pictures, Project Studio Q and WIT Studio.
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Even if some fans may miss the international variety, the Visions volume 3 trailer looked like the kind of stylised, emotional, and action-packed storytelling we all love — and who doesn’t want that?
But what makes Visions uniquely special is how it redefines Star Wars without the weight of legacy. Just pure world-building freedom. In a franchise, more often than not, torn between nostalgia and reinvention, Visions acts a way to throw all of that out the window and simply enjoy the surprises in store.
Star Wars: Visions volume 3 drops on the 29th October — Make sure to check it out! (and tell us what you’re most excited for)