Disney’s Latest Anime Project is Perfect For Star Wars Fans

For more than a century now, The Walt Disney Company has produced some of the most iconic and beloved animated shorts, series, and feature films of all time. That being said, almost every single production that Disney has added to its expansive catalog in that time can hardly be called anime. As unsurprising as that might be, this doesn’t mean that Disney hasn’t already and isn’t continuing to venture into the realm of anime for itself, nor that it isn’t producing some truly remarkable works in the process.

Among the few anime produced by Disney to date is Star Wars: Visions, which has been so resoundingly successful that it is currently headed into its third season on Disney+. Better yet, it’s paving the way for both more anime in general and more anime set within the bounds of the Galaxy Far, Far Away, or at least one version of it, and it may not be alone in receiving a full-fledged spin-off depending on the fan response to Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3.

What Is The New Disney Star Wars: Visions Anime?

Star Wars: Visions premiered on Disney+ in 2021, offering fans a decidedly different kind of Star Wars experience. With nine episodes written, directed, and animated by some of the biggest names in the industry, Star Wars: Visions immediately cemented itself as the animated anthology series that fans didn’t know they were missing. While not every episode of Star Wars: Visions takes place in anything resembling the mainline Galaxy Far, Far Away from the Star Wars feature films, each of them has something to offer fans not just of the Star Wars franchise, but those of a plethora of genres.

Star Wars: Visions was lauded upon its premiere, so much so that a second volume was quickly rushed into production. In 2023, another nine-episode volume of Star Wars: Visions arrived, earning even higher reviews than its predecessor. As of the time of writing, Volume 1 of Star Wars: Visions holds a 96% “Certified Fresh” rating via review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, whereas Volume 2 boasts a staggering 100% “Fresh” rating of its own.

What Fans Can Expect from Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3

While Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3 will continue the anthology format, with studios ranging from David Production to Trigger to WIT Studio joining in on the spectacle, only six of its nine episodes will truly be unique unto themselves. The other three will serve as follow-ups to hit entries from the first volume of Star Wars: Visions. Among these are “The Duel: Payback,” which will see the iconic Ronin from “The Duel” return to claim some long overdue revenge, “The Lost Ones,” which will continue F’s journey after the events of “The Village Bride,” and “The Ninth Ninja: Child of Hope.”

“The Ninth Ninja: Child of Hope” is exciting enough on its own, as “The Ninth Ninja” from Volume 1 was widely regarded as one of the best entries from Star Wars: Visions, yet it is just the beginning of a whole new chapter of the wider Star Wars saga. As it turns out, “The Ninth Ninja: Child of Hope” will be getting its own follow-up in the form of a full-blown animated series, Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Ninja. The series will follow Lah Kara’s search for her missing father, all while uncovering further secrets about The Ninth Ninja‘s particular vision of the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars: Visions is Just the Beginning of Disney Anime

If all of this weren’t enough for Star Wars and Disney fans alike, the latter can look forward to even more Disney anime coming out on the very same day as Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3. Also slated to debut on Disney+ on October 29 is Disney Twisted-Wonderland the Comic: Episode of Heartslabyul, the first chapter in the hotly anticipated anime adaptation of the Disney Twisted-Wonderland mobile game from Aniplex. Though there isn’t a whole lot of overlap between Star Wars: Visions and Disney Twisted-Wonderland on the surface, the specific creative avenues that the potential success of the latter and (presumably) continued success of the former could open up tie them together on a far deeper level.

Assuming Disney Twisted-Wonderland the Comic: Episode of Heartslabyul is even half as much of the breakout hit that Star Wars: Visions has been, it won’t be long before another Disney anime is receiving its own comic book adaptations and tie-in merchandise beyond what the original mobile game has already managed to amass. In turn, it is likely just a matter of time before more fan-favorite properties that Disney has creative license over are receiving their own anime adaptations or reimaginings. And, while there are sure to be fans who are wary this might mean a return of something like the Marvel Mangaverse, even that kind of worst-case scenario would be a boon to the greater fandom as a whole.

Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3 premieres on Disney+ on October 29.