5 Best Moments From Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi, Ranked

Contains spoilers for "Star Wars: Visions" and "Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi."

Star Wars has returned to television with one of its boldest new series since Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm. "Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi" is a spinoff of the three-season anthology series "Star Wars: Visions," which features short films from various animation studios telling their own tales in the Star Wars universe. "The Ninth Jedi" continues the story that began in the Production I.G. short of the same name, bringing viewers an entire season of adventures taking place in an alternate version of the galaxy far, far away.

Since Disney bought the Star Wars brand and laid out the franchise's new continuity, non-canon projects have become a rarity — especially in film and TV. "Star Wars: Visions" was the most notable exception, but, outside of the Lego Star Wars titles, "The Ninth Jedi" is the first serialized Star Wars TV series taking place entirely in its own continuity. This break with established canon has granted the series more freedom than any other Star Wars project, allowing it to realize bold new stories that needn't worry about interfering with the franchise's established timeline.

This hasn't made "The Ninth Jedi" feel any less like a traditional Star Wars series, however. The series has introduced a captivating cast of characters and produced several iconic moments during its first season, all of which combine the spirit of the Star Wars movies with the show's innovative take on Star Wars lore.

"The Ninth Jedi" follows new Jedi apprentice Lah Kara as she travels with her master, Juro, who is setting out to rebuild the Jedi Order. At least, that's how the series begins. Jedi Masters don't have the most encouraging survival rates in the traditional Star Wars galaxy, and that hasn't changed in the universe of "The Ninth Jedi." What may catch fans off guard, though, is how early in the story Juro is dispatched. The fourth episode of the series, "Nawaam Attacks," sees Juro face off against the villainous General Nawaam in a lightsaber duel to defend Kara, resulting in Juro being cut down. As you might expect, though, this fallen Jedi isn't gone for long.

Two episodes later, in "Light of the Force," Kara is captured by the Jedi hunters Eht and Bee-Toh. While she languishes in a cell on their ship, Kara receives an unexpected visitation: Her old master, Juro, appears before her as a Force ghost. Traditionally, very few Jedi are able to master this power — in the movies, it's a secret learned by Qui-Gon Jinn, which he passes down to Obi-Wan and Yoda following his death. It's not clear whether the power is more common in the world of "The Ninth Jedi" or whether Juro is one of few Jedi who have learned it, but this scene is still a welcome nod to the iconic Jedi Masters of the Skywalker Saga.

In the short that inspired the series, the title of "Ninth Jedi" refers to Kara herself, who takes up a lightsaber alongside Juro and seven apparent masterless Jedi, most of whom turn out to be Sith in disguise. In this series, however, the title takes on a different meaning — one that viewers have to wait until the last shot to discover.

Throughout the series, Juro, Kara, Ethan and Homen gather new Jedi recruits from across the galaxy. By the end of the season finale, itself titled "The Ninth Jedi," a new Jedi Order is founded, consisting of eight initial members. One of these eight Jedi is Kara's father, Lah Zhima, the legendary lightsaber smith. At the end of the finale, he approaches the prison cell where the defeated Nawaam is being held and hands him a lightsaber. Nawaam takes the weapon; his expression softens, and he hits the ignition switch. As the episode cuts to black, the lightsaber can be heard igniting.

The colors of lightsabers made by Zhima change to reflect the heart of their users, so hiding the color of Nawaam's lightsaber leaves the audience guessing as to whether he has let go of his darkness. But the implication of this moment, along with the episode's title, is clear. Having realized he was wrong to chase a state of "nothingness" — and after being bested and spared by Kara — Nawaam has become the ninth Jedi.

The fifth episode of "The Ninth Jedi," "The Storm of Violence," sees Kara grappling with the recent death of her Jedi master, Juro. Isolating herself on a remote world with only a small village of natives for company, Kara has near enough given up on becoming a Jedi and aiding in the fight against Nawaam. Despite her seclusion, though, Nawaam's forces soon find her. A ship under the command of Eht and Bee-Toh arrives on the world where Kara has settled, attacking the villagers in an effort to draw her out of hiding. This is enough to push Kara closer to the dark side of the Force than she has ever been.

In one of the most stunning action sequences in "The Ninth Jedi," Kara rides a speeder bike onto the enemy ship and proceeds to wipe out its crew. She makes her way through the craft, lightsaber drawn, facing off against legions of Nawaam's soldiers as they attack her with blaster pistols. Kara finally kills the captain before allowing the ship to crash into the planet below. The most devastating blow, however, comes when Kara returns to the villagers.

After telling everyone they're safe now that she has killed the enemies, a child from the village points in fear at the weapon in Kara's hand. Her lightsaber has turned red, signalling her alignment with the dark side. Kara looks in horror at her weapon, forced to reckon with what she has become.

After facing off against Nawaam in the series' fourth episode, "Nawaam Attacks," Kara confronts the villain again in the season finale, "The Ninth Jedi." This final showdown captures everything Star Wars fans love about lightsaber duels, combining a dramatic backdrop and spectacular combat with heightened personal and philosophical stakes.

Kara's duel with Nawaam starts inside the villain's flagship before progressing out onto the hull, where their silver blades — representing a state of "nothingness" — clash repeatedly. During this fight, Kara is able to swing her blade straight through Nawaam, yet does no damage to him. At this moment, she hears her father's voice reminding her that she did not want to kill again. This provokes another change in her lightsaber, restoring its original green color and signalling that the actively good intent of the Jedi is stronger than the neutrality of an emotionless state.

As the fight continues, Nawaam's own lightsaber also changes color, becoming blood red as Kara tells him that his willingness to kill countless people in pursuit of his goal is evil. Upon seeing his crimson blade, Nawaam screams in rage, abandoning his calm, emotionless demeanor for the first time. Kara manages to defeat him without physically harming him, using the Force to deactivate and reignite her lightsaber blade as it would have passed through Nawaam; this leads him to realize that the path of the Jedi is superior to his obsession with nothingness.

Kara's most impressive moment in "The Ninth Jedi" comes in the sixth episode, "Light of the Force." Having realized that Eht and Bee-Toh intend to use her as bait to capture her father, Kara breaks out of the cell they kept her in and engages Eht in combat. As the battle begins, Eht uses a gadget to produce a wall of mist, obscuring Kara's vision and forcing her to rely on the Force.

Kara's lightsaber is still red at this point, following her massacre of Nawaam's forces in the previous episode. It's evident that her rage is overwhelming her mind, too, as she wildly spins and thrashes to block Eht's blaster fire, barely keeping her footing and suffering grazes by several blaster bolts. In the heat of battle, Kara once again hears Juro calling out to her, instructing her not to be ruled by her emotions and to let the Force guide her. 

This prompts a sudden change in Kara's fighting style: She responds to attacks almost automatically, and her lightsaber changes from red to silver. She swiftly gains the upper hand and kills Eht. Bee-Toh attempts to avenge his partner, but Kara easily bests him. She chooses to spare his life, telling Bee-Toh he will serve her now, marking the beginning of his transition from Jedi hunter to Jedi. This fight marks the moment Kara earns the title of Jedi, dramatically portraying the transition from lost apprentice to an assured master warrior.