Star Wars: Visions will push the franchise into the world of anime, as some of the world’s top creators will produce nine shorts for Disney+. These nine shorts will premiere on the streaming service on September 22. With only a little over one week until the premiere, StarWars.com has given us a glimpse into the top five villains, who they are, and what we can expect to see.
The series will not be canon, so the creators can fully open up their imaginations to create extravagant stories, weapons, characters, and more. Some of the weapons to be featured in this show will be never-before-seen, and some of the armor will be the same, too. Versions of weaponized armor powered by kyber crystals will be an element to the show.
Justin Leach, the co-executive producer of this show gave us some insight:
There may be spoilers to the show, so beware!
The Elder
The Elder will come out of the episode with the same name. He is “a mysterious warrior with mysterious ancient and sinister origins.” A master swordsman, this character will yield a lightsaber in the shape of a katana, which perfectly represents the inspiration behind his creation. According to Leach, he was inspired by classic anime, Star Wars myth, and the ways of the Samurai; manga artist, Shirahama, had infused all three of these qualities into one cohesive character and created The Elder.
The Elder is always in search of his next worthy opponent. He is too concerned with mastering his skills as a swordsman to fully engulf himself in the ways of the Sith and their ideology. Do not be mistaken, though. He is no friendly man. Leach describes him as “the etched wrinkles on his face, his sinister, toothy grin, combined with piercing black and yellow eyes gives him a truly dark and menacing impression.”
With that in mind, it will be exciting to see the fighting skills The Elder has as he fights with his katana-inspired lightsaber and looks for his next victim. His skills are supposed to be legendary, so our protagonist will certainly have a challenge here.
Am
Am is the next villain we get a glimpse of as she comes out of the episode “The Twins.” Her brother is Karre, and they were both raised by an Imperial remnant. Their powers are insane, but according to Leach, “Am takes being a Dark Lord to the next level with her drive, ambition, and skill on a scale that could only be expressed through anime. It flips the classic Star Wars twins upside down in a way that is new and exciting.”
This character will be the one who wields the weaponized armor. Powered by a kyber crystal, the suit will also offer extra appendages that serve as lightsabers. She will have the choice of her lightsaber to take shape in the form of a blade or a whip, so she’ll be an exciting figure to watch in a duel.
It seems like Am is more likely to get lost in the dark side and the power it has to offer. Her brother appears to be a bit more down to Earth, as he cares deeply for his sister. Watching their story unfold will be interesting. Will the dark side tear these twins apart or push them to the top?
Masago
Masago is the villain from the episode “Akakiri.” She is a powerful character, as expressed through her character design. She has broad shoulders and a dominant physique. To top that off, she has red eyes due to being so taken by the dark side. Masago will prove to be a very power-hungry character as she tries to dominate the universe around her.
The large, powerful physique is not all she has to offer, either. She is intelligent, too, as she looks for allies to join her in her conquest. The character, partly inspired by Darth Vader, will use the same argument he did when trying to turn Luke; Masago argues to her enemies that it is their destiny to join her and embrace the dark side, power, and hate.
Sith Bandit Leader
This character is a fantastic throwback to 1970s Japanese cinema. The creators embraced the female warrior of that era and the traditional female Samurai of feudal Japan to create the Sith Bandit Leader for the episode “The Duel.”
The episode title comes from her fighting style. As Leach explains, her fighting style is unique but similar to an infamous Sith. Her lightsaber has an umbrella-like setting that allows for both offensive and defensive fighting. The way she fights can be closely compared to Darth Maul and his style in the fight against Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo in The Phantom Menace.
The hero of this episode will face the Sith Bandit Leader and the rest of her goons as he has to fight them to help a nearby village. This plot is similar to the 1954 movie Seven Samurai. The artist created this short in black and white, only using color to accent certain scenes to make them pop. The Sith Bandit Leader, her goons, and her lightsaber will all be a thrilling sight to see.
The Inquisitor
This type of villain is familiar to the franchise, as we’ve seen the Inquisitors in many different forms of Star Wars media. This character will be in the episode “T0-B1.” This short will tell the story of a droid who pretends to be a Jedi. In his moments of fantasy, he accidentally evokes the wrath of The Inquisitor to hunt him and any remaining Jedi after Order 66.
This character, according to Leach, has a very Medieval black knight look to him that has a modern twist mixed with some Japanese flair. This design sounds very intriguing as it will mix two iconic sword-wielding cultures. Designed by Takafumi Hori, this character will have an intriguing story to offer as there is a primal element to him and the way he fights.
What do you think about these villains? Are you excited to see Star Wars: Visions? Comment down below or on the Facebook page. Don’t forget to check out the YouTube channel for some great action figure reviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Thank you for reading and remember, utinni.
