The schedule of upcoming Star Wars shows has been somewhat light as of late, which runs in stark contrast to the constant stream of titles fans have seen in recent years. As is the case with any franchise, there are peaks and valleys, and the small-screen entries set in the galaxy far, far away have been hit or miss. However, the franchise’s newest series is receiving a considerable amount of praise upon its debut. It even has a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and, as a fan, I couldn’t be happier.
A New Star Wars Series Just Notched 100% On Rotten Tomatoes
Wednesday marks the release of Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi, which is a spinoff series of the critically acclaimed Visions anthology series. As of this writing, the anime series has a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes out of 10 reviews. That may not be a high tally of write-ups thus far, but it’s still impressive nonetheless. As for the audience score, that number has yet to be notched, and I’m incredibly curious as to how general audiences are feeling about the eight-episode, Disney+ show thus far.
For the uninitiated, Production I.G.’s The Ninth Jedi continues a story told in two episodes of Visions, one from its first season and another from its third. The series is set in an alternate continuity in which the Jedi have long been extinguished, but the noble Margrave Juro seeks to revive the Order. Joining him are several allies, including his padawan, Lah Kara, who seeks to save her father, skilled sabersmith Lah Zhima. And, over the course of the series, Juro, Kara and co. seek to recruit others as they seek to challenge Sith Lord Nawaam.
Considering my own love of Visions (and continued hope for another short to be highlighted in this spinoff), I find it wonderful that pundits seem to be digging this 2026 TV schedule entry. I’m not exaggerating when I say that quite a bit of this praise has been effusive.
Critics Share Their Thoughts On The Ninth Jedi
It goes without saying that The Ninth Jedi is quite different from some of the usual fare Lucasfilm releases, and that’s significant, given Star Wars fatigue has been discussed over the last few years. Ryan Britt of Inverse acknowledges that the series does utilize elements that will be familiar to faithful viewers. However, that doesn’t seem to extinguish his admiration for this anime:
Like the two short episodes that birthed the series, The Ninth Jedi is great because it simply is Star Wars, without trying too hard to figure out what that means. Refreshingly, The Ninth Jedi treats the tone and concepts of Star Wars as given, but weaves a new story with all-new characters and new planets, with a wonderful sense of mythology come to life. Is The Ninth Jedi derivative of various Star Wars ideas we’ve seen over the years? Yes, but not in a slavish, fan-service-y way.
It’s obviously hard not to make note of the fact that it exists outside the established Skywalker Saga, and that’s significant coming off years of shows set within the Mandalorian timeline. IGN’s Jesse Schedeen seems to be pleased with this fresh continuity, as he seemingly finds it refreshing – even if it needs some time to get going:
While the series definitely experiences some early growing pains, Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi is well worth a watch for anyone who craves a clean break from the Skywalker Saga. The deeper it moves into its story, the more the show breaks away from the pack and explores some of the more fascinating concepts in the franchise. The Ninth Jedi may dabble in many familiar tropes, but it knows how to take advantage of its far-flung setting and spin those tropes into something new.
It goes without saying that a compelling story should be a key component of any Star Wars project, but action sequences are also important. I mean, after all, this franchise is well known for its excellent lightsaber duels, which are present in both live-action and animated productions. Collider critic Aidan Kelley argues that The Ninth Jedi provides some of the IP’s best saber-based moments:
Apart from the lightsaber colors themselves, The Ninth Jedi shows off the weapons in some truly impressive and jaw-dropping fight sequences. Star Wars: Visions Season 3 set the bar incredibly high for visually striking lightsaber duels, and The Ninth Jedi may very well set that bar even higher. The Disney era of Star Wars has faced some criticism for its lightsaber fights, with the more recent duels lacking a lot of the weight and verticality of the prequel era. That's certainly not the case for The Ninth Jedi, as every fight oozes with depth and personality.
Chase Hutchinson of The A.V. Club seems enamored with this show as well. In his own review, he cites the creative team’s deft use of the anime art form, and he also shares positive sentiments about the characters:
Even the most deceptively simple frames of The Ninth Jedi have a distinct spark. It’s not just that each character is uniquely designed and lovingly animated—though that is refreshing. No, it’s that the series makes full use of its form. One minute, it’s finding exciting thrills in characters leaping through the air in battle; the next it’s evoking a subtle terror with the striking colors of its violence.
This praise is definitely significant in a landscape where The Mandalorian and Grogu received middling reviews, and many are unsure what to make of the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter. At the very least, though, it feels like Lucasfilm has struck critical gold with Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi, and I’m eager to see what lies ahead in future seasons of this anthology show. Check it now, alongside its parent series, using a Disney+ subscription.
