Hit-maker Kamiyama Kenji serves as general director for Star Wars: Visions – The Ninth Jedi, produced by Production I.G (known for Ghost in the Shell and Kaiju No. 8). The series will launch globally on Disney+ on August 5, 2026, with all episodes streaming simultaneously in Japan and the United States. This marks the first feature-length series to emerge from Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Visions project, where top anime studios bring their own unique visions to the galaxy far, far away.
The story is set in a war-torn galaxy where neither Jedi nor Sith remain. A young girl named Kara, who possesses strong Force abilities, sets out with companions who hope to revive the Jedi Order, seeking a new Jedi to rescue her father Zima, a saber smith who has been kidnapped.
Standing in their way is a mysterious general named Nawam, who believes that power is justice and seeks to reshape the galaxy with overwhelming Force. Director Tada Shunsuke revealed that the team’s top priority in designing this villain was showing respect for the legendary Darth Vader. Nawam wears a black mask and cape reminiscent of Vader, but with a distinctly Japanese twist.
“The original Darth Vader himself was designed by George Lucas with a helmet in mind, so we wanted to keep that same ‘enemy’ motif while making it something different. That was quite challenging,” Tada recalled. To infuse the work with Japanese elements as the latest Star Wars entry from Japan, the team collaborated with character designer Nishio Tetsuya, known for his work on the Naruto series. “When thinking about the helmet design, we were very conscious of making it Japanese-style. Designer Nishio created about seven or eight different designs for us,” Tada shared.
Another key point is Nawam’s lightsaber. While Star Wars villains like Darth Vader and Darth Maul typically wield red blades, Nawam uses a blue lightsaber. In this series, lightsabers have the property of changing color in response to the wielder’s Force and nature. Since the trailer’s global release, fans on social media have expressed surprise and curiosity: “It’s unexpected that a guy in black armor uses a blue lightsaber,” “The lightsaber reflecting the owner’s heart is an interesting idea—so this is how it plays out!” and “A former Jedi as a villain? I’m definitely intrigued.”
Tada explained that this reaction was exactly what the team aimed for. “The lightsaber was actually very important. For example, with Sith characters like Darth Vader or Darth Maul, adding red accents makes it easy to tell ‘that’s the enemy’ or ‘that’s a Sith opposing the Jedi.’ But in the first episode of The Ninth Jedi, when Nawam takes down a spy who has infiltrated, the lightsaber he uses is not red. We wanted the audience to think, ‘It’s not red. Wait—he looks like Vader, but he’s not a Sith?’ That was a conscious choice to make the introduction of a new Star Wars villain memorable.”
The character of Nawam was born from a fusion of respect for the legendary Vader and the Japanese cultural roots that inspired Star Wars creation. Who is he really? With its blend of light and dark, the series promises to keep viewers watching the new villain’s every move.
Star Wars: Visions – The Ninth Jedi begins streaming exclusively on Disney+ on August 5, 2026, with all episodes released simultaneously in Japan and the United States.
General Director: Kamiyama Kenji
Director: Tada Shunsuke
Cast: Akasaki Chinatsu (Kara), Oomori Nao (Nawam), Miki Shinichirou (Zima), and others
(C) 2026 Lucasfilm Ltd.
