The directors of the upcoming anime series Star Wars: Visions have shared new details about each of the nine episodes in the anthology series. One of the most intriguing takeaways from these new details is that two of the episodes will take place after Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.
Hiroyuki Imaishi’s episode “The Twins” follows two twins who have been raised on the Dark Side of the Force by the remnants of the Imperial Army after Episode IX. Kenji Kamiyama’s episode “The Ninth Jedi” focuses on what became of the Jedi after Episode IX through the lens of a brand new character.
As of now, no canon stories take place after Episode IX, and the non-canon LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is one of the only stories to partially take place in this time period. Since it appears that Star Wars: Visions will not be canon, it is fascinating that some of the first post-Episode IX stories to be told will not be canon.
This is a good thing from a storytelling perspective. The Visions creators were told that their stories didn’t need to fit in with the established timeline, so they already had a lot of creative freedom to begin with. Since the galaxy after Episode IX is a blank slate right now, it gives the creators of these specific episodes even more freedom to tell the stories they want to tell without worrying about contradicting existing characters and stories.
It also leaves all options on the tables for when Lucasfilm inevitably begins telling canon post-Episode IX stories. In fact, if the characters and stories of “The Twins” and “The Ninth Jedi” resonate with fans, there is always the possibility that these characters and stories will become part of the canon. Lucasfilm could also potentially use these episodes to gauge whether there is significant fan interest in exploring stories in this era.
Regardless, it is a surprising and exciting choice to have Visions episodes taking place after Episode IX.
Look out for more Star Wars: Visions coverage on Dork Side of the Force’s TV Shows category!