Star Wars is looking to get its groove back after so many years of divisive content releases under Disney. Of the many attempts to introduce new Star Wars film and TV projects, there’s been one that’s been an unabashed success. More than that, however, this successful breakout project has opened the door to another potentially great spinoff project, one that the overwhelming majority of the Star Wars fan base seems to want. These days, that kind of unity amongst fans is rarer than Kyber crystals, and Disney-Lucasfilm may want to lean into that sooner before later.
Star Wars: Visions is the animated anthology series that has been streaming on Disney+ since 2021, with Season 3 dropping just a few weeks ago (at the time of writing this). Each season of Visions offers fans a collection of animated shorts, produced by some of the most acclaimed or up-and-coming animation studios. Season 1 focused on Japan’s diverse formats of anime storytelling; Season 2 took a more global approach, with studios from Latin America, Ireland, France, the UK, Korea, Mumbai, South Africa, and Japan all contributing shorts. Season 3 has returned the focus to Japan and anime, and it kicks things off with a sequel to its most acclaimed segment from Season 1.
“The Ronin” is a character who has broken out of the Star Wars: Visions universe to become an up-and-coming icon of the franchise. With two epic Visions segments now under his belt, a prequel comic story, and a spinoff novel that have added compelling backstory, The Ronin has the perfect combination of foundation lore and untapped potential to really carry his own lane of the franchise.
The Ronin’s world and story are also non-canon, taking place in an alternate version of the Star Wars universe that is more akin to Feudal Japan. That’s a blank enough canvas for a talented filmmaker and/or studio to build an entire feature film around the Ronin (or “Grim” as he’s also known). More importantly, it’s a free creative space unencumbered by the weight of the franchise’s canon demands; a space in which something truly new could be offered to fans.
The film could be live-action, bringing an Eastern period aesthetic to the Star Wars franchise (think Shogun with lightsabers). Or, Disney and Lucasfilm could take a bold, big swing and keep Ronin’s film in the same anime-influenced visual style that Kamikaze Douga and ANIMA created for the two Visions shorts. With anime officially establishing itself as a dominant force at the American box office, Star Wars could ride the wave and revitalize the possibilities for its own big-screen greatness, all in one move. The global appeal of such a project speaks for itself.
Of course, there’s the option of going the route of doing a Disney+ spinoff; Star Wars: Visions already has a spinoff like that in the works: Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi, based on the Visions Season 1 segment, “The Ninth Jedi”. However, we feel The Ronin is a character who deserves something bigger than a streaming feature can offer. How about you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, or over on the ComicBook Forum!
You can stream the Ronin’s shorts “The Duel” and “The Duel: Payback” in Star Wars: Visions, Seasons 1 & 3 (respectively) on Disney+.
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