Ivan Radford | On 29, Oct 2025

Season 3 premieres on 29th October 2925. This review is based on Season 1 and 2.

The problem with Star Wars is that we’ve seen it all before. That’s the challenge facing Lucasfilm after three film trilogies all tying in with the Skywalker saga and a slew of TV series that, even when they start off breaking new ground, end up tethering themselves to the bigger commercial picture once more – what began on the small screen as a plan to create a Marvel-style extended universe has turned into, well, a Marvel-style extended universe: overstuffed, bloated and tending towards tedious. Star Wars: Visions, then, is one of the best things to come out of a galaxy far, far away.

The series is an inspired idea: an animated anthology that invites different animation studios to bring their own spin on the franchise. With running times that range from 13 to 22 minutes, the short films are windows on to what Star Wars could look like in other people’s hands. As in any conversation or situation, hearing or seeing someone else’s perspective is a guaranteed way to see something – and often yourself – in a new way. Contributors started with Japanese studios Kamikaze Douga, Studio Colorido, Geno Studio, Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G, and Science Saru, before opening up to include El Guiri, Cartoon Saloon, Punkrobot, Aardman, Studio Mir and more. If you’ve ever wanted to see what Star Wars looks like through the eyes of Wallace and Gromit’s creators or the makers of Song of the Sea, this series is for you.

The first two seasons hit on some immediate bucket list concepts, from Star Wars with samurai – The Duel – Star Wars with rock music – Tatooine Rhapsody – and a droid trying to become a Jedi – T0-B1. The visual styles, too, are as ambitious and varied as you could wish for, from vivid neon Lightsaber battles to inky black paint strokes and stop-motion cuteness. As distinct as each vision is, though, the instalments remain unmistakably part of Star Wars. Lucasfilm provide creative oversight, but it’s a refreshingly loose hold, allowing the creatives to do what they do best: be creative and reimagine concepts and lore as they wish.

Some films hew closer to what we know than others. Familiar themes bubble through organically, from the way that industrialisation and exploitation of natural resources is embedded in the Empire and its cruel philosophy to the importance of living in harmony with the world around you, not to mention the key central moral theme that accompanies all Star Wars stories: the significant of one’s choice to turn to the Light or Dark Side. Standout highlights include the motif of twins echoing Luke and Leia (but with a stunning Sith twist) and some playful dripping of iconic quotes, most notably a heartfelt interpretation of “I am your mother” in a gorgeous pod-racing adventure.

The result is a thrilling voyage of discovery that has the bravery to provide a platform to international talents and give them a creative sandbox to have a play in. Never has going to somewhere far, far away felt so alien, fresh and vibrantly new. Another volume, please!

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