What ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Means For The Future Of Star Wars Legends
There is a new Star Wars show about to hit our screens. The much anticipated Star Wars: Visions is slated for release on Disney+ on the 22nd of September this year and it has a lot of fans excited, myself included. More Star Wars content. What is not to love, am I right? One of the most intriguing things about Visions is the unknown element. All the information we have so far is that the creative team behind it were given free rein to tell stories they wanted to tell meaning. They could draw from Legends, established cannon, or develop original ideas. This is all very exciting for Star Wars fans
For the first part of this article I am going to look at Visions itself and what we have been told so far. Then I will get to what Visions could mean going forward for the franchise. We will look into some Legends stories and characters that could make to jump to established canon. As there has not been any hints or leaks that this will happen, this will mostly be what Legends and lore I hope to see. Pardon my fanboying a little here, but I love this franchise so much. I hope to share my passion through this article!
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What Is Star Wars: Visions?
Visions is a collection of short films tied together as an anthology. Their only connection is the shared Star Wars universe. A total of seven different anime creative teams have come together to create this labor of love. The released titles of the short films are "The Duel," "Lop and Ocho," "Tatooine Rhapsody," "The Twins," "The Elder," "The Village Bride," "Akakiri," "T0-B1," and "The Ninth Jedi." We will take a closer look at a few of these works, which have the most interesting concepts, in my opinion.
"The Duel" seems to involve a Samurai style of Star Wars. This is very interesting as George Lucas was heavily inspired by Kurosawa's classic The Hidden Fortress. The episode will focus on an alternative history of the Jedi and Sith intertwined with Japanese lore. The world of this episode will tie in directly into the novel Star Wars Visions: Ronin by Emma Mieko Candon.
Not too much is known about "Lop and Ocho" other than how it will focus on the clash between natural beauty and industrialization. The Empire will represent the sinister encroaching of technology. Of note, the main protagonist Lop will be of a unique bunny race.
"Tatooine Rhapsody" is venturing into a previously unexplored premise for Star Wars. It is said to be a rock opera and centering on a band trying to make it big in the galaxy. Boba Fett is rumored to make an appearance.
"Twins" is one that I find particularly interesting. It will be a twist on the Luke and Leia story. The brother is seeking to save the sister from the Dark Side. There is promise of epic space battles.
Visions And Star Wars Legends
Visions is delving into alternate history, exploring lore that is not in the established canon. In theory, there is a possibility for many beloved characters and stories making their way back from Legends into canon.
One of the first characters I hope to see is Galen Marek, Starkiller from the Force Unleashed game. Marek was a Force sensitive child born to two Jedi Knights on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk during the aftermath of the Clone Wars. Darth Vader killed his parents, and sensing his power, took him in as his secret apprentice. Vader would send him out on missions to seek out and destroy the remaining Jedi. In the end, after being betrayed by Vader, he would end up fighting on side of light, and his actions would lead to the formation of the Rebel Alliance.
There is a lot of potential in the story of Starkiller. We could have a faithful retelling of his background. We could also have an alternate history based on the Force Unleashed II DLC where Starkiller never switched sides, and ended up hunting down our favorite trio from the original trilogy. His use of dual lightsabers and his ability to utilize both Light Side and Dark Side Force techniques, especially Force lightning, made him a sight to behold.
Another possibility I would like to see happen is the return of Revan from the videogame Knights of the Old Republic. He was a Jedi hero who fell to the Dark Side and returned as a Sith. Then, his mind was wiped and he was given a new identity as a Republic soldier. Eventually, his Force powers would return, and he would become a Jedi once more (although the game gave players freedom to determine his alignment in the end). Visions could provide a fantastic canvas for this rich character with such a unique backstory. We could delve into the internal struggle between Light and Dark in a character who is torn between both sides.
The Star Wars franchise appears to be branching out into its own expanded universe, bringing many stories into canon. The creative freedom given to Star Wars: Visions is a great way to do this. I am excited to see where this new path takes us.
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Source: StarWars.com, BBC, Wookieepedia