Lucasfilm is returning to Japan in Star Wars: Visions as the third volume in the animated anthology series, unveiling nine new anime shorts helmed by Japanese studios. Fans at Anime NYC were treated to a special screening of one of these episodes made by David Productions. Titled “Black,” it is being helmed by veteran animator Shinya Ohira, known for his work on classic animated films like Akira and Spirited Away. Other surprises were in store for attendees, including a first look at the visual art for volume three. Releasing on Disney+ on October 29, 2025, these new installments would also feature both old and new Japanese animation studios, giving their own interpretations of the Star Wars lore.
Panel host Lexi Neito brought out the showrunner and executive producer, James Waugh, to talk about what fans can expect in the new volume of the Star Wars animated anthology series. He spoke about how it was the right time to go back to Japan to tell more stories in the Star Wars universe, including working with studios they haven’t worked with yet. He described it as a mixtape blending some fresh stories along with some popular shorts from familiar storylines off of volume one.
After showcasing the episode “Black,” Waugh described this installment as their most experimental one yet and was pleased by how Shinya Ohira and his team delivered an incredible piece of work for the upcoming volume. The episode is set during the final moments of the Death Star’s destruction, showing the cost of lives that tried to save what was left of the base. Without any dialogue, it relied on heavy visuals and a powerful score, which is a signature style that Shinya has been known for in his work.
During a prerecorded Q&A with Shinya Ohira, the legendary artist spoke about the work he put into the video. He explained how the short displayed the human struggle in the midst of chaos and destruction, with the red and green showing two sides of humanity, like the Jedi and the Sith. Shinya intentionally left the short up to interpretation for the audience, saying how he wanted to create a series of frames as a concept for his version of Star Wars. After taking three years of production, Shinya and his team of veterans and young animators were able to create a jazz-infused visual that feels explosive and euphoric. He further explained that he took his inspiration from the works of Masahito Yamashita and the works of anime studio Pierrot. If this is what fans can expect for the new volume, then everyone will be in for a real treat with different artistic styles that all feel uniquely inspiring.
Speaking of the new volume, James revealed that three of the shorts will be follow-ups to some of the volume 1 installments. That’s right, viewers will see a brand new chapter from The Duel, The Village Bride, and The Ninth Jedi. After the positive feedback, James said that these stories will have a connective tissue to those shorts. The sizzle reel shown to audiences gave a glimpse of some of the fresh new shorts like The Smuggler, The Bounty Hunters, and The Birds of Paradise. The visual key art also showed all the episodes being shown in the third volume, which attendees got to take home.
One more surprise announcement was given when James revealed that “The Ninth Jedi” will also be given a miniseries next year to tell a long-form plot from that storyline. Production I.G. is already hard at work on the project, which is being labeled as “Star Wars Visions Presents”. With an expanded version of one of the popular shorts, viewers will be in for a wild ride once that drops in 2026.
Check out more news coming from Anime NYC 2025, coming soon.
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