The long-anticipated Volume 2 of Star Wars Visions has been released and it’s just as good as the first season and offers even greater variety!
Volume 1 of Star Wars Visions was made entirely by different anime studios from Japan. For Volume 2, Disney and Lucasfilm decided to give an opportunity to other animation studios from different parts of the world.
All of them have unique styles and approaches to storytelling, characters, and obviously the visual aspect. Some are heavily influenced by their cultural roots while others decide to try completely new things.
Here’s the list of every studio involved, the episode in which they work, and where they are from.
| Studio | Country | Episode |
|---|---|---|
| El Guiri | Spain | Sith |
| Cartoon Saloon | Ireland | Screecher’s Reach |
| Punkrobot | Chile | In The Stars |
| Aardman | United Kingdom | I Am Your Mother |
| Studio Mir | South Korea | Journey To The Dark Head |
| Studio La Cachette | France | The Spy Dancer |
| 88 Pictures | India | The Bandits Of Golak |
| D’art Shtajio/Lucasfilm | Japan/US | The Pit |
| Triggerfish | South Africa | Aau’s Song |
Without further due, here are my thoughts on every episode and a brief breakdown of the most important things.
Sith
Lola is a former Sith Apprentice and a painter, a strange combination that I’d never thought of. She ran away from a dark path to pursue something that fulfilled her but to do this, Lola had to hide in a distant world where she couldn’t be easily found.
It seems that being a Force user and having a peaceful life are mutually exclusive. Obi-Wan, Cal Kestis, Jolee Bindo, Ahsoka Tano, and even Grogu are good examples of how hard it is to stay away from conflict when one can wield The Force.
From what is shown in the first few minutes, Lola is trying to live in a quiet and isolated place where she could improve her painting skills. At least until a beacon started to fail and she had to investigate. This is where a Sith Master and two individuals I assume are bounty hunters ambush Lola and E2.
The Sith Master’s design is awesome, it is simple but to me, it looks like a combination of a Sith from the Old Republic and an Inquisitor. He embodies fear, hate, and anger just like Darth Vader or Darth Malgus do in their respective eras.
I love how as soon as the enemies appear, the color changes from a calm white to a deep orange that anticipates the fight that’s about to happen. The duel between Master and former Apprentice is brief but intense.
Since the beginning of the episode, it was made clear that colors have a deeper meaning and importance. They help us understand what’s going through Lola’s mind and her development as a character.
Light and darkness can’t exist without the other. Most Jedi fail to understand that the same amount of darkness should always accompany the light. It is not right or wrong, but simply what keeps everything in balance.
I got super excited when Lola embraced both the light and darkness inside of her, not only to defeat the enemy in front of her but to define who she is and what she really wants.
Screecher’s Reach
Four kids who are tired of being forced to work as miners for a greedy corporate monster decide to go on an adventure, what could go wrong?
Things begin pretty light-hearted, despite their misery these kids still find the time to laugh, play and do goofy things just like any other kid of their age. Well, almost all of them. Daal is tired of working in the mines and she doesn’t want to do it for the rest of her life, things can always be worse but they could also be a lot better.
It doesn’t take much to figure out that they are basically slaves, they might not be chained but they are only able to work and there’s nowhere else to go. The first scene showed that all of the workers are kids so I’m assuming that all of them are orphans.
I don’t think it’s too crazy to think considering that we recently saw kids and teenagers working under precarious conditions on Season 2 of The Bad Batch.
Daal just wants a different life which is completely understandable, but different doesn’t mean better. She and the other kids go to a place surrounded by mystery. Once inside the cave, she’s “called” into the heart of the mountain unsuspecting of the horror she’s about to encounter.
I remember being very young and afraid of the dark, the idea of something horrible coming out haunted me for the first years of my life, and the thing that attacks Daal looks very close to what I imagined as a child. The fact that I saw my idea of horror as a child embodied in an animated series made this episode one of my favorites.
When part of the mountain succumbs, the light reveals the true face of evil. A woman that has probably been tormented until reason abandoned her. Daal has no other option but to use the woman’s red lightsaber to cut her down. After everyone’s out, it is revealed that Daal has been talking to a very odd-looking talisman.
The moment I listened to the voice in the talisman I knew that this story has no happy ending. Seconds later, a weird ship appears on the horizon, and a very unsettling being comes out of it. A graceful and imposing figure presents herself to Daal, while she is calm and has good manners, it is undeniable that his entity is the manifestation of the Dark side.
Charismatic, tempting, and a way to a “better life”. Don’t get me wrong, she looks creepy as hell but I’m sure that this is her “good-looking” appearance. My first thoughts are that the thing that was in the cave used to be this thing’s apprentice, pursuing the same thing as Daal just to end up as a slave, again.
In her innocence and foolishness, Daal accepts the offer and boards the ship but as soon as the ship takes off, we see Daal realize that she just made the biggest mistake of her life. In a few years, she might end up just like the creature from the cave and no one will know what happened to her.
In the Stars
This episode is a great example of how powerful countries and corporations arrive in foreign lands that have lots of natural resources and strip them of everything. The native population is exterminated, expelled, or enslaved and the new occupants slowly destroy the entire biome.
The extermination of the Gauls during the time of the Roman Empire. The removal of Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee, Chikasaw, and Seminole tribes from their homelands in the 1800s. And the indoctrination of the many indigenous people of Latin America that were conquered by the Spanish between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries are just a few examples of what the big and powerful empires can do to those weaker than them.
This process of “change” comes with violence and those who dare to oppose end up being destroyed. Tichina and Koten lost their mother and everyone else because of the Empire’s expansion, but this hasn’t broken Tichina’s spirit.
Despite everything, she is still a joyful and positive girl that wants to remember the good old times when her mother was still alive. But her sister is more conscious about their situation and knows how dangerous it is to mess up with the Empire. Tichina is everything Koten has left and she doesn’t want to lose her little sister too.
What was supposed to be a mission to obtain some clean water turned into something completely different when Tichina was caught trying to sneak into the base.
As an older brother, I got so annoyed by Tichina’s stubbornness and unwillingness to listen to Koten. My nervousness increased significantly when the younger sister decided that she must be a hero just like her mother.
Thankfully, everything turned out well thanks to the combined strength of the sisters. Tichina talked multiple times about the “strength of their mother” which happens to be the Force. But they don’t know what the Force is. For them, these powers are the strength that they inherited from their mother and I think that is so wholesome.
The ancient (and not-so-ancient) cultures of the world influenced a lot of the Star Wars mythology and I’m very glad that Punkrobot used that as an influence for this episode.
A great example of this is the idea of loved ones becoming stars and being with Koten and Tichini, which is very similar to what the Jedi believe: There is no death, only the Force.
I Am Your Mother
After the first three very intense episodes, “I Am Your Mother” serves as a way to calm things down. Thanks to the efforts of her hardworking mother, Anni is able to attend a top Flight Academy where the best pilots go.
Anni is going through puberty and most of us know how tough that period can be when it comes to the relationship with the parents. Anni’s mother is a very expressive woman that is clearly not afraid of what other people might say or think of her, a sentiment that is definitely not shared by the young aspiring pilot.
Right before the family race begins, Anni’s mom arrives in what I think is the ugliest ship ever seen in Star Wars history. The young Twi’lek probably thinks the same but this doesn’t stop the enthusiast mother from joining the race, especially after the mean comments made by Julan and her mother.
The race isn’t that interesting by itself, what I think is important is the interaction between the two of them and how they managed to talk about their differences while also defeating everyone else in the race.
“I Am Your Mom” value isn’t in its story but in how relatable it is. I watched it with my mom and we both laugh because of how it reminded us of my time as a teenager and our relationship during those years.
Aardman Animations (Chicken Run) is the studio behind “I Am Your Mother”. Their sense of humor is very characteristic and I really enjoyed its subtlety. For example, this scene includes a bathroom for Jawas, people, and Wookies.
Not only that, but this episode has so many cool easter eggs. Just in this picture, we can see two X-Wings, a T-16, Max Rebo, and a picture of Hera Syndulla. I’m also wondering if “Anni” is a reference to how Anakin Skywalker’s mother referred to him during The Phantom Menace.
Out of all nine episodes, this is the one that I think small kids could enjoy the most. But that doesn’t mean that we grown-ups can’t appreciate it.
Journey to the Dark Head
Unlike every other episode of Visions Volume 2, the setup of “Journey to the Dark Head” was a little confusing to me.
There’s a group of kids and teens learning how to interpret some visions that appear on stones, and one of them argues about them not doing more to help in the war instead of just interpreting stones.
A girl expresses concerns about not helping the Jedi to defeat the Sith, but the leader responds that their role is only to keep a record of everything that happens throughout different eras.
I’m not sure if these people are Guardians of the Whills or something similar. Not that it matters too much but I would have liked to have more context.
The girl that questioned the role of this group is called Ara and she proceeds to pay a visit to the Jedi Council. Ara tells them who she is, where she comes from, and her plan. Despite knowing her for less than two minutes, the Council approves the mission and sends a Jedi named Toul to escort her.
This young Jedi Knight struggles with managing his emotions, and mainly the fear he has of a fallen Jedi named Bichan. This man betrayed the Order and slaughtered many Jedi, including Toul’s master. After this encounter, Toul’s fear has fed his inner darkness and he is constantly thinking of the man that ended his master’s life.
Toul and Ara are pretty reserved about the usefulness of the other but it doesn’t take too much before they have to work together in order to survive. After taking a detour to buy supplies, Toul is located and tracked down by Bichan. The Sith warrior ambushes them right before they reach their destiny.
While Toul holds Bichan, Ara heads to the Dark Head but before blowing it up with explosives she realizes that their energies are connected. Just like in “Sith”, the first episode of this series; Ara realizes that both light and dark are directly connected. There can’t be one without the other.
Toul also has a revelation, he’s not only fighting Bichan but also the darkness within him and thankfully, he’s able to overcome both. This is probably my favorite part of this episode; it’s very common to see stories where the Sith or the Galactic Empire are the villains but watching Jedi having to face and confront themselves is something that sadly isn’t that common nowadays.
The Spy Dancer
Within the first two minutes, I was already thinking of its similarities with Andor. An Imperial occupied world where the locals have to “behave” while also plotting against the Empire that destroyed their homes and families.
Loi’e is an incredible performer and her talents make it easy to deceive every Imperial in the place. She, Hétis, Jon, and the guys behind the scenes all secretly work to help the rebel alliance hoping that their small contribution might help in the process of defeating the evil Galactic Empire.
Loi’e’s son was taken from her by a high-ranking imperial officer and he’s now at the theater, or at least that’s what she believes. Armed with a lethal but discrete weapon, Loi’e attempts to assassinate her “distinguished guest” until she realizes that it’s her own son.
The Empire is known for kidnapping kids to enlist them in the Stormtrooper program but I don’t think that it’s common to see Imperial Officers raising some of these kidnapped victims as their own sons.
What makes it even more strange is that this now grown man is not a human. This is a big deal because there is very little tolerance for alien species within the Galactic Empire. In fact, you can see that his horns were cut down and he’s covering his left eye with a patch. This is to make him look like any human being, even when he’s not one.
Imperials really dislike any non-human species, it doesn’t matter if they’re loyal to the Empire or not. In their eyes, they are inferior and the Imperial army is no place for them. It’s no coincidence that the only renowned non-human that served Palpatine is Grand Admiral Thrawn. Even with his brilliance, he still had to face colleagues that looked frown upon him simply because of his blue skin.
Watching Loi’e “fight” with his son reminded me of the face-off between Senya Tirall and her daughter Vaylin on Star Wars The Old Republic. It’s not as heartbreaking but I still feel bad for Loi’e.
This style of animation might not be as “accurate” as others when it comes to human faces and expressions. This is why it’s even more impressive that every character is able to transmit their emotions without needing to say a word. I wasn’t too excited about this episode during the first seconds of watching but I’m so glad to be proven wrong.
The Bandits of Golak
As you know, every episode of Visions Volume 2 is made by a different studio. 88 Pictures from India did an amazing job of combining the Star Wars theme with their own culture.
The music, clothing, names, bright colors, and physical appearance of the characters were on point. I wish more studios would’ve done that but it’s something that is probably easier said than done.
The story is about two brothers called Charuk and Rani that are running from the Empire. Charuk is cautious and is always worried about getting caught while the force-sensitive Rani is reckless and naive, just like any child of the same age.
During the time of the Galactic Empire, every force-sensitive person was relentlessly pursued by the Empire and there are many people that don’t care about informing about a kid with powers as long as their compensated.
After a small incident on the train, the siblings arrive at their destination. It’s a small village in the middle of the desert. This is where they meet Rugal, a strange old lady that offers them food. Charuk hasn’t even started to eat when Rani is already using her powers for fun again.
I won’t lie, watching Rani playing with her powers right after they were almost captured for the same reason made me so mad. One more time, people around them start to call her out and an Inquisitor with two Purge Troopers appear out of nowhere.
It looks like everything has gone out but it turns out that Rugal is the most badass elder lady. She exposes herself as a Jedi in an attempt to protect Charuk and Rani. Rugal ignites not one but two blue lightsabers, this is so awesome because dual-wielding requires an incredible amount of speed, precision, and agility.
The duel lasts less than a minute but it’s so fun to watch; the blue and red lightsabers colliding in the middle of the sandstorm reminded me of the fight between Ahsoka and Maul during The Siege of Mandalore on Season 7 of the Clone Wars. It is obviously not as spectacular but you know what I mean.
The overconfident Inquisitor attempts to strike the old lady but he’s no match for the Jedi. Despite her old age, Rugal has no problem dispatching the Imperial enforcer.
With the Inquisitor defeated there’s no immediate threat to Charuk and Rani but it’s time for her to say goodbye. Things will not be any easier in the future. This Inquisitor was the first but certainly not the last one and she must be prepared for what is coming next.
Letting go of a brother/sister is not an easy thing to do when the bond is strong, but Charuk understands that this is the only way for her sister to get relatively safe. It’s a sad moment but Rani leaves the flute so that Charuk can think of both her and their father even when separated.
The Pit
This episode also reminded me a lot of Andor. A group of prisoners is brought into the middle of nowhere to excavate the rare and precious Kyber crystals. The Kyber crystals used to be the power source of every Jedi Lightsaber, but it’s also what the Empire uses when shooting the Death Star.
The Imperials establish a nearby outpost that eventually turns into a developed city. It should have been years after they arrive there because the little girl doesn’t appear in the first scenes. At this point, the small hole has become an enormous tunnel that not even the sunlight is able to reach.
When they can no longer dig, the Imperial commander simply releases them and leave. Crux, one of the youngest of the group, has a pretty positive mindset and believes that the people living in the city nearby might help them.
Maybe I’m just being too picky but I don’t buy the idea of an entire city not knowing about them. After so much time not a single soul has ventured out of the city? Especially when none of the citizens are forced to stay inside?
I know that due to the time restraints the creators had to choose wisely what parts of the story are more important but the other episodes were done under the same conditions. For me, this is the weakest episode of the series by far.
But there are also things that I really liked about it. Learned helplessness is a syndrome that people who are prisoners or slaves often suffer. This syndrome basically makes those who suffer from it firmly believe that nothing can be done to improve or change their situation.
Sometimes it takes someone brave and lucky enough to prove that this is not the case. Crux decides to give it a try and go to ask for help. An elder argues that there’s no point in looking for help but I don’t that there’s any option. It’s not like the Empire is going to provide them with supplies, they were left to die and unless someone gets help that’s what is going to happen.
Crux desperately calls for help but sadly, he pays with his life. Surprisingly, the people of the city actually come to the rescue and they even risk their lives by defying the Stormtroopers that were aiming point blank at them.
This is a great reminder that good people will always outnumber the selfish, greedy, and corrupt individuals in our society. Sometimes it might appear impossible, but one single person can change the entire fate of everyone.
After being rescued, Livy is holding a kyber crystal and this turns blue. Kyber crystals are clear and they only adopt a color after they’re found by the right person. In a way, they are alive and it said that the Jedi is chosen by the crystal and not the other way around. It’s a subtle detail but I absolutely loved it.
Aau’s Song
As soon as this episode begins, we’re given context about the story. The people in this settlement dig and find kyber crystals that were once corrupted by the Sith so that the Jedi can purify them.
Let’s remember that for kyber crystal to turn into that distinctive crimson color it first must be “bled” by a dark side user. After a Jedi purifies it, the crystal turns white. This is how Ahsoka Tano got her white lightsabers.
If I understood correctly, almost everyone works at the deposits extracting the red kyber crystals. This includes Abat, he’s a patient and caring father that is devoted to what he calls “the call” and his greatest concern is the safety of Aau.
Like Rani (The Bandits of Golak) and Tichina (In the Stars), Aau is a curious and reckless child that does everything except what she’s told. The important thing is that she has a strange power that isn’t fully understood by either Aau or Abat, but they know that the corrupted crystals react to her singing in a negative way.
Kratu is a Jedi that every now and then visits Korba to purify some crystals. During her visit, Aau can’t control herself and starts to sing, causing the crystal to burn Abat’s glove.
Kratu figures that Aau isn’t a normal kid but she also knows that there is a time and moment for everything so she leaves the kid and her father.
Her obsession to understand more about this thing that happens when she sings makes Aau go into a very big cave where thousands of corrupted kyber crystals are waiting to be extracted.
Aau is very different from the rest, she can hear the “voices” of the crystals. She starts to sing but is again interrupted by Abat, causing the cave to collapse and put everyone in danger. It’s only after they’re saved by Kratu that Aau realizes that only she can do something to calm the raging crystals.
When talking about “The Pit” episode, I mentioned that kyber crystals are “alive” and have a will of their own. My understanding is that when they are bled, they turn to madness and anger just like any Jedi that embraces the dark side of the Force.
Aau’s voice may be calming and beautiful but for the crystals, it’s everything but pleasant. It is trying to silence them and they react in a negative way because they are fighting back. That’s why every time Aau is interrupted the crystals burn for a little while. But at this moment everyone’s lives depended on her and Aau finally shows what she can actually do.
Sometimes we forget that immense power isn’t manifested only through destructive ways. Being able to use the Force to heal is something that very few can do and I think it’s one of the greatest powers someone could ask for.
Out of all nine episodes, this is the one that I find the most unique. The bright colors and textures of the characters make them feel so “alive” if that makes sense. The music enhances every scene and the fact that there are no antagonists or armed conflicts makes it stand out from the rest.
Final Thoughts
Star Wars Visions is an incredible and special project that lets us watch unique stories made by people with diverse cultures and backgrounds. It’s so refreshing to see how different studios envision Star Wars in their own particular style.
There are some episodes that I liked more than others, but I don’t think there’s a single one that is bad or even boring.
The Force, light vs dark, rebellion, being selfless, and finding purpose are recurrent topics in Visions Volume 2 but also in Star Wars media. Andor, Jedi Survivor, The Original Trilogy, The Bad Batch, Knights of the Old Republic, the prequels, etc.
One of my favorite things about Star Wars is how easy it is to relate to and that there’s always a lesson to be learned and applied in our daily lives. It’s crazy to think that what started in the seventies as a movie that many thought wouldn’t succeed has evolved into a gigantic universe that is only getting bigger.
Disney and Lucasfilm have their fair share of mistakes when it comes to Star Wars media but Star Wars Visions is not one of them. It’s full of creativity, passion, and hard work that is reflected in every single frame of each episode. I really hope that they have plans for a Volume 3!!
