The Ninth Jedi

"The Ninth Jedi" (Japanese: 九人目のジェダイ) is an animated short film and episode of the television series Star Wars: Visions that premiered on Disney+ on September 22, 2021. It is made by the Japan-based animation studio Production IG and written and directed by Kenji Kamiyana.
The episode was adapted in a manga published by Square Enix in Japan in the Big Gangan Vol.08 magazine on July 25, 2022.
==Official description==
The daughter of a legendary lightsaber-smith is pursued by dark forces.
==Opening crawl==
==Plot summary==
===Ethan's calling===
The narrator explains that many generations have passed since the light of the Jedi have protected the galaxy. Since then, an era of war has arisen. Margrave Juro, ruler of the Outer Rim planet Hy Izlan, has begun mining for kyber crystals within his territory with the goal of restoring the Jedi by reforging their ancient lightsaber weapons, which have been lost to the galaxy. However, ancient dark forces conspire to subjugate the galaxy. They have hatched a plan to hunt down all Jedi and bring a new era of Sith rule.
In space, a starship approaches an asteroid space station. Inside, six figures gather around a bright portal. A human male named Ethan walks through a dark corridor into the hallway. He tells the hosts that he came after receiving an encoded transmission summoning him here. Ethan says he senses the Force is strong here. He assumes that the figures are all masterless Jedi as well. The figures approach Ethan.
A brown-haired human man named Roden tells Ethan that each of them came here in response to the same call. Ethan asks if the summon is authentic before playing his hologram, in which Juro tells them of his plans to restore the Jedi Order. He invites the candidates to the Aerial Temple where he will present them with a lightsaber. He urges them to join him in the fight to unite the war-torn galaxy and to restore peace.
===The elusive Margrave===
A blue tentacled alien named Hanbei disputes Margrave Juro's claim that he recreated lightsabers but confirms that there is a deposit of kyber crystals on the planet Hy Izlan below. A masked orange figure named Hen Jin says that they have also heard rumors of kyber crystals at this planet but questions whether Juro can be trusted. Observing the hooded and masked Juro's figure, Ethan agrees that Hen Jin has a point and ponders whether Juro is a Jedi Master or if he is luring them into a trap. The brown haired man asks if anyone here has met Juro before.
A hooded female named Niizo asks them to ponder the risks of traveling there to obtain a lightsaber and Jedi. She removes her hood, revealing herself as a purple-skinned humanoid with blonder hair. A canine male named Homen wonders whether they are strong enough in the Force to protect themselves. A masked figure with a red cloak named Toguro says that he senses the strong presence of the dark side here.
Just then, they hear laughter and a hulking Steward Droid enters the chamber to meets the seven Jedi candidates. He says that it is true that the Margrave often frightens others because of his appearance. He reassures them that Juro is an eccentric old man who doesn't stay cooped up in castles. While Juro hasn't shown himself yet, the droid says that Juro is willing to meet them and will arrive soon. The seven candidates gather around the droid.
===The sabersmith's daughter===
On the planet below, several pulley systems harvest kyber crystals from orbit. A girl named Lah Kara and her floating droid 99-99 "Four-Nines" ride a speeder bike. Inside a workshop, her father, the blacksmith Lah Zhima, is at work assembling a lightsaber. Kara tells Zhima that they found a big one today and asks if he managed to co plete the seven lightsabers. Zhima says he has. He allows Kara to try out a lightsaber. Zhima tells his daughter that he has tempered each of the lightsaber crystals to respond to the user's connection to the Force but explains that the color and length will vary according to the Jedi using it.
Kara remarks that her connection to the Force isn't strong enough since her blade only has a dark hue. Zhima reassures her that she has some natural talent with a lightsaber and that her connection will grow with proper time. He explains that the Force is present in all living beings and that only individuals who develop their connection to it will have the power to wield it. Zhima tells his daughter not to worry yet. Kara agrees and asks what color the lightsaber will turn once it is in the hands of a real Jedi. She practices with the lightsaber while Zhima is pleased that he finished the lightsabers on time.
Just then, Four-Nines notices the silhouette of a passing starship. Kara asks if this one of the Jedi starships. Zhima says it can't be, since the Jedi were summoned to the Aerial Temple. The starship lands on the landing platform and deploys several armored, masked Jedi hunters. Zhima gives Kara the lightsabers in a bundle of cloth and tells her to bring them to the Aerial Temple immediately. He tells her that he has to deal with their visitors. Zhima tells Kara that she has grown up. Kara senses that this is the last time they may see each other. Before she leaves, Zhima calls down the Force to be with her.
===Escaping the hunters===
Masked hunters force their way into the workshop and demand to know if the blacksmith is Lah Zhima. After Zhima confirms this, the bandits charge him with illicitly manufacturing several lightsabers for masterless Jedi. Zhima asks where they got this information. The bandits reply that they got it from the one who enlisted his services to make them. Their leader orders Zhima to hand over the lightsabers, but he refuses. As Kara races away, one of the hunters fires his blaster at her but Zhima deflects the blast with his hand into the furnace, which explodes. Kara witnesses the explosion and calls out to her father. Zhima tells her to go before a hunter knocks him out. The leader sends his subordinates after her.
Back at the Aerial Temple, Roden demands evidence of Margrave's plan from the Sentinel droid. Handai questions whether the Margrave actually constructed any lightsabers. The droid shows them a case with a lightsaber and asks if this is what they desire. The Jedi candidates are awed. Ethan asks to hold it, saying that by the time he was born, lightsabers had already disappeared from the galaxy. Ethan ignites the lightsaber, which has a blue blade. He is awed by the weapon.
The Sentinel droid says the remaining sabers should be arriving soon. Meanwhile, the second hunter pursues Kara through a snowy forest, firing his blaster at her. Kara and Four-Nines avoid fallen branches. During the pursuit, Kara turns her speeder around and flies it backward while deflecting the hunter's blasts with one of the lightsabers. The hunter senses that the Force is strong with the girl. Kara flies her speeder bike over a frozen lake and then dismounts. She stands her ground and damages the hunter's bike, causing him to fall off. She then climbs back on her bike with Four-Nines. The hunter survives and hoists his pistol.
Kara reaches the spaceport where she meets a Boatman droid, who is drinking hot oil from tea cups. She pleads with him to take her to the Aerial Temple immediately. The droid says that he is on his break and tells her to find another pilot. Kara points out that he is the only one functioning and gives him a coin. The Boatman droid reluctantly agrees to ferry Kara and Four-Nines to the Aerial Temple.
===The Sith acolytes===
Meanwhile, at the asteroid space station, the impatient Jedi candidates confront the Sentinel droid; they are tired of waiting for the lightsabers. The female grey humanoid says she senses something coming. The Boatman droid ferries Kara and Four-Nines to the orbiting Aerial Temple. He drops her off at the hangar where she is greeted by the Jedi candidates. Ethan asks Kara who she is. Kara introduces herself as the daughter of the sabersmith Lah Zhima. Roden then deduces that she is the one with the lightsabers. Presenting the lightsabers to the Jedi candidates, Kara tells them that her father was taken away by the Jedi hunters, and begs them to help her.
Kara asks where the Margrave is, prompting Ethan to ask if she knows Juro. Kara explains that she has known Juro since she was a baby. The other candidates look at her darkly. Hanbei asks if she knows his whereabouts. Roden says something doesn't feel right and that they will have to wait until the Margrave arrives. Ethan, Kara and Four-Nines find themselves surrounded by the other six candidates, who ignite their lightsabers which turn red. Kara and Ethan realize that the others are Sith.
The Sentinel droid witnesses the situation and reveals that he is Margrave Juro, and has been hiding inside the droid. The Margrave says that he has been here the entire time. Roden mocks Juro for disguising himself as a droid to spy on them. Hanbei declares that they are acolytes of the Sith and and are sworn to the dark side and vow to stop Juro's plan to restore the Jedi Order. Hanbei lunges at Juro with his lightsaber but Juro uses the Force to snatch the lightsaber easily out of his hand, where it turns green. He then promptly slays Hanbei, cutting him in half, much to the shock of his fellow Sith.
Roden and a second Sith parry Juro. Hen Jin tells Kara that their hunters have taken her father to a distant star system where she will never see him again. Ethan and Kara draw their lightsabers. Kara, in a fit of panic, ends up striking Ethan's saber, knocking him down. She then fights against three of the Sith, but is later joined by Ethan. Meanwhile, Juro fights Roden and cuts down Toguro; much to Roden's frustration. Niizo calls to Roden and attempts to aid him. Juro effortlessly kills Hen Jin and fatally wounds Niizo.
Roden tends to the dying Niizo who expires in his arms. Meanwhile, Kara parries Homen, whose lightsaber has turned purple while hers becomes pure green. The enraged Roden attacks Juro with Force lightning. Juro tries to deflect it with the Force but the Sith's Force lightning breaks through his defenses. Kara rushes to aid Juro while Ethan takes over her fight with Homen. Kara duels with Roden. Juro uses the Force to push Roden onto a giant kyber crystal, which causes him to disintegrate and burn to death.
===Jedi assemble===
Juro stops Ethan and Homen from fighting. He appeals Homen, telling him that they all know that he is not a Sith. Homen apologizes, saying that he became consumed by the others' darkness and deactivates his blade. Juro apologizes to Kara, saying that he recently learnt that several Jedi who answered his call were killed and that Sith were sent in their place. Juro explains that he hid himself from their presence in order to determine who was Sith. As a result, they also learnt about her father, Zhima. Juro apologizes for not being able to help her father.
Juro promises Kara that he will help save her father. Ethan regrets that he was not strong enough to defeat the Sith. Juro reassures Ethan that he survived the fight. When Ethan asks about the other Jedi, Juro says that he senses them wandering elsewhere in the galaxy. Juro tells Kara that she has been guided by the Force ever since the moment she was born. He invites her to join them as the ninth Jedi in the group working to restore peace to the galaxy so they can re-establish the Jedi Order. The group departs on a starship and head into space, leaving the Aerial Temple behind.
==Credits==
==Appearances==
==Sources==
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*The Art of Star Wars: Visions
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==Notes and references==
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