Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: Visions Season 2.The Star Wars franchise takes place in a vast galaxy, and, despite the ample stories already told in the universe, the franchise has still only scratched the surface. As new projects venture into remote corners of the world and different points in time, the world is ever-growing, so there is no end to Star Wars. Star Wars: Visions is a manifestation of that. Taking place anywhere from unexplored history to the distant future, Visions features a little bit of everything while establishing lore and telling fascinating stories. The anthology series includes a variety of characters, planets, and time periods.
With several companies making these anime shorts, little ties the episode together, and that's for the best. This set-up expands the Star Wars universe in every direction in only two seasons. Unfortunately, Visions is not part of the official canon, but it consistently proves it should be. Visions has the unique ability to expand the universe and provide much-needed diversity in characters and creators alike. With connections to the larger franchise, Visions fits in with the established stories. The series looks unlike other projects, but when has uniformity stopped Star Wars? Visions deserve to be canon because, as an anthology, it can do more to grow the universe than other shows while creating more diversity and variety.
'Star Wars: Visions' is Unlike the Rest of the Franchise
Visions offers the franchise something entirely new. It has a little of everything, from different time periods to remote planets. This variety makes Visions completely unlike anything that came before. It's incredible that, after so many years, Star Wars can still find something new. If the franchise continues to do the same thing, it gets boring. While Visions expands the scope of the franchise in many ways, its biggest deviation from the norm is the ability to explore the regular lives of citizens. Because of its short and ever-changing nature, Visions doesn't need a war or government conspiracy to justify a story. Visions gave insight into Tatooine's music industry in "Tatooine Rhapsody," which has never been shown before, despite the time spent on the planet. Likewise, "I Am Your Mother" shows a low-stakes family race at a flight academy. The smaller looks at lives throughout the galaxy are a much-needed development that only an anthology of shorts can provide.
The animation of Vision is different as well. With many contributing studios, the look isn't consistent from episode to episode. It introduces new animation styles to the universe unapologetically. But Star Wars canon has long included different looks due to format, budget, or technical advancements. With installments spread out over so many years, it's no wonder that all the live-action films look different. The recasting of characters like Han Solo adds more variation. Even the first and final seasons of The Clone Wars look different due to the development of computer animation over the twelve years. Star Wars canon already includes live-action, animation, graphic novels, video games, and everything in between, so why exclude Visions because it looks different? The variety the show offers deserves the recognition of becoming canon.
'Star Wars: Visions' Adds Diversity On and Off-Screen
To make Visions, Lucasfilm collaborated with several international animation studios, allowing for a diverse group of creators. While the first season consists of Japanese-based studios, the second season includes animation studios based in Spain, Ireland, Chile, Britain, South Korea, France, India, and South Africa. The international effort is important as it brings a fresh perspective to the world, and Visions surpassed all expectations in that regard. The diversity of the production is evident in the stories. The variety of people working on Visions gives each episode a distinct perspective and creates a more well-rounded fictional galaxy.
Visions has diverse characters as well. It's no secret that, when Star Wars began, it was white-dominated, but each new addition improves the representation. Still, it's slow work, but Visions can improve things faster. "The Bandits of Golak" includes Indian protagonists — a first for Star Wars. The show presents lead characters of different races, even with only eighteen episodes. Though these characters aren't as iconic as many in the universe, their existence is a step in the right direction. If Visions were canon, it would establish these races in the galaxy, opening them up for further exploration. And Season 2 focuses on female characters. Star Wars has long been known for the women in the story. From Leia (Carrie Fisher) to Rey (Daisy Ridley), they are some of the most memorable characters, yet the women are significantly outnumbered. By subtly adding not one but nine leading female characters, Visions adds many more powerful women. However, if Visions isn't canon, how much does this representation count?
The 'Star Wars' Timeline Expands in 'Visions'
Despite the many Star Wars stories, the timeline is compact. However, several new projects are planning to expand the timeline. The Acolyte takes place many generations prior, and a new movie featuring Rey after the sequel trilogy. But these explore a single time period, while Visions isn't limited to one. From ancient history to the distant future, there is much not touched on in the larger canon, a fact that Visions works to remedy.
Expanding the timeline distinguishes the show from other Star Wars media. "The Elder," "Akakiri," "Screecher's Reach," "Sith," and "Journey to the Dark Head" all take place in the unexplored past. Featuring various, if vague, time periods, these stories show pieces of the world's history. Meanwhile, "The Ninth Jedi" and "The Twins" move beyond the known timeline, exploring conflicts that nothing else mentions. The galaxy's growth is undeniable, but as an anthology, Visions is uniquely equipped to cover more ground than other series.
'Visions' Connects to Other 'Star Was' Content
As Star Wars content fills the time gaps, Visions can help by exploring remote planets with minimal roles in the war. Like much of the recent Star Wars content, Visions highlights the Empire's atrocities. "In the Stars" shows the Empire taking over a remote world, stealing its resources, and committing genocide against the native species. Similarly, "Lop and Ochō" has the Empire using planetary resources despite the local peoples. "The Pit" details the lives of people the Empire enslaved. "The Bandits of Golak" and "T0-B1" give examples of the Inquisitors' brutality in hunting surviving Jedi and Force-sensitive children. "The Spy Dancer" is another example of Imperial cruelty, showing the kidnap and indoctrination of Loi'e's child. These episodes work well with recent shows like Andor and The Bad Batch, which explore the Empire's worst deeds. Such depictions make the ominous villains even worse, proving the necessity of the Rebellion.
Visions contains many allusions to the wider franchise. For example, "The Ninth Jedi" features color-changing lightsabers, much like in the canon video game Jedi: Survivor. But there are more direct references. "Tatooine Rhapsody" has appearances from Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett (once again voiced by
Temuera Morrison). Less obviously, "I Am Your Mother" features a glimpse at the fabled Skywalker lightsaber. Set in the years between the original trilogy and the sequels, this would be after Luke (Mark Hamill) lost it, perhaps explaining how Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o) got it for the sequels. These small elements prove that, though Visions doesn't deal with the same characters, there are connections. Visions' stories align with canon despite its artistic interpretations that occasionally defy conventional Star Wars lore.
Star Wars: Visions distinguishes itself from the rest of the franchise, but it's refreshing. The anthology format offers a unique ability to add a wide variety of stories and diversity to the universe if made canon. Expanding the universe into new time periods and remote planets, Visions has more than earned its place, despite lacking the status as canon.