What's in this guide
The Ninth Jedi dropped today, all eight episodes at once, and it has landed with a 100% critics score. It is also the first Star Wars anime built to run at series length rather than as a short. Here is where to watch it and what it actually is.
The Ninth Jedi Release Date
Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi released in its entirety on Disney+ and Hulu on August 5, 2026. All eight episodes arrived at once rather than weekly, so the full series is available now.
It premiered ahead of streaming at Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 1, where Lucasfilm and Production I.G showed the first trailer.
What The Ninth Jedi Is About
The story is set in the distant future, long after the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, in a galaxy where the Jedi have faded into myth and lightsabers are almost impossible to find.
Lah Kara, the daughter of a sabersmith, continues training under Margrave Juro. When her father Lah Zhima, the only known sabersmith left in the galaxy, is taken by Jedi hunters, Kara and Juro's small fellowship of Jedi-in-training set out to free him. The masked antagonist Nawaam plans to weaponise kyber crystals against a Jedi Order that barely exists.
The idea holding it together is the one that made the original short stand out: a blade takes its colour from the wielder's connection to the Force, rather than from the crystal. The final trailer ends with Kara's blade turning red, which is either a genuine tease or a very good misdirect.
Where It Fits in Star Wars
This is the first release under the new Star Wars: Visions Presents banner, created so filmmakers can expand a well-received short into something longer. It follows the Volume 1 short The Ninth Jedi from 2021 and the Volume 3 continuation Child of Hope from 2025.
One important detail: like all of Visions, it is not part of Star Wars canon. That freedom is arguably why it works. Of the 27 shorts across three volumes, The Ninth Jedi was the one with real mythology attached, which is why it got picked for expansion.
A 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes across its first reviews, for a Star Wars story that sits deliberately outside canon.
Cast and Crew
Production I.G animates, with around 200 people on the series. Kenji Kamiyama supervises, Shunsuke Tada directs, and Mitsuyasu Sakai writes. Kamiyama and Tada previously worked together on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.
- Kimiko Glenn as Lah Kara, with Chinatsu Akasaki in Japanese
- Simu Liu as Lah Zhima, Kara's father
- Young Mazino as Nawaam, the antagonist
- Andrew Kishino as Margrave Juro
- Masi Oka as Ethan, Patrick Seitz as Homen, JP Karliak as Gramps
- Neil Kaplan returns as The Narrator
Most of the English dub cast returns from the original short, which is unusual and a good sign for continuity. Kazuma Jinnouchi composed the score.
Where to Watch The Ninth Jedi
You can watch The Ninth Jedi full series on Disney+ and Hulu now, included with a standard subscription on either. All eight episodes are available, in both the original Japanese with subtitles and the English dub. The earlier Visions shorts are on Disney+ too, if you want the context first.
Should You Watch It?
The early critical response is about as strong as it gets, and eight episodes released together makes this an easy weekend watch rather than a commitment.
You do not need to have seen the Visions shorts, though the two Ninth Jedi episodes are roughly 30 minutes total and worth watching first. What you definitely do not need is knowledge of the wider Star Wars timeline, since this sits far outside it by design.
The Ninth Jedi FAQ
Where can I watch The Ninth Jedi?
Disney+ and Hulu, included with a standard subscription. All eight episodes released together on August 5, 2026.
How many episodes is The Ninth Jedi?
Eight. They were all released at once rather than weekly.
Do I need to watch Star Wars: Visions first?
Not required, but the Volume 1 short The Ninth Jedi and the Volume 3 continuation Child of Hope set up Kara and Juro. Both are on Disney+ and total about half an hour.
Is The Ninth Jedi canon?
No. Like all of Star Wars: Visions, it sits outside official Star Wars canon, which gives the creators more freedom with the setting.
Who made The Ninth Jedi?
Production I.G, with Kenji Kamiyama supervising and Shunsuke Tada directing. Around 200 people worked on the series.
Is there an English dub?
Yes. Most of the original short's dub cast returns, including Kimiko Glenn as Kara and Simu Liu as her father.
For more anime streaming now, see our guides to The Ribbon Hero and Bleach: The Calamity.
