According to a review published by Polygon, Star Wars is currently going through a difficult period, citing the poor box office performance of The Mandalorian and Grogu, which reportedly earned less than the low-budget horror films Obsession and Backrooms, as well as the postponement of Ahsoka season 2 to 2027 and the cancellation of The Acolyte. Against that backdrop, the outlet says the new anime series The Ninth Jedi, developed by Production I.G. and expanded from a short that originally appeared in the Star Wars: Visions anthology, stands out as a needed creative refresh for the franchise.
Per the review, the series is set in a future era in which both the Jedi and Sith have declined. It follows Jedi master Margrave Juro, voiced by Andrew Kishino, who seeks to rebuild the Jedi Order to oppose the warlord Nawaam, voiced by Young Mazino. The plot involves sabersmith Lah Zhima, voiced by Simu Liu, who holds knowledge of lightsaber construction and is captured by Nawaam, who is attempting to build a kyber crystal cannon described as powerful enough to control the galaxy.
Polygon's review credits writer Mitsuyasu Sakai, supervising director Kenji Kamiyama—who also directed the original short—and series director Shunsuke Tada with drawing on Star Wars' strongest elements while avoiding some of the franchise's past storytelling mistakes. The review compares the character Nawaam favorably to Darth Vader in terms of the tension he brings to scenes, and says the show gives Kylo Ren-inspired character traits a fuller, more consistent arc across eight episodes. The character Lah Kara, voiced by Kimiko Glenn and written as Zhima's daughter, is described as a Force-sensitive prodigy comparable to Ahsoka Tano and Luke Skywalker.
The review does note some shortcomings, saying the character Homen, voiced by Patrick Seitz, is underused despite appearing in the original short, and that some newly introduced alien species resemble generic fantasy archetypes rather than distinct Star Wars creations. Still, Polygon says the series blends action and emotional stakes effectively, highlighting examples such as a single destroyer droid becoming a meaningful threat and large-scale space battles unfolding alongside personal duels.
The review situates The Ninth Jedi alongside other animated Star Wars projects that have helped the franchise through rough patches, referencing Dave Filoni's work on The Clone Wars prior to leading Lucasfilm, as well as the anime series Maul – Shadow Lord, which premiered in April. Polygon frames The Ninth Jedi as evidence that Star Wars can still succeed creatively through new voices, even as its live-action output struggles. The Ninth Jedi is currently streaming on Disney Plus.
IGN also published a review of The Ninth Jedi season 1, but the content of that review was not accessible for this summary.