Disney+ may be feeling the effects of viewer fatigue, with a seemingly endless stream of Marvel and Star Wars series hitting the platform in recent years. Yet, despite this saturation, the anticipation for Star Wars: Visions season three was palpable at the recent Anime NYC convention, held on August 23-24, 2025. Thousands of fans gathered for an exclusive sneak peek at the animated anthology’s latest installment, signaling that the Force is still strong among the franchise’s most devoted followers.
Star Wars: Visions has always stood apart from the galaxy’s typical fare. According to Yahoo Entertainment, the new season marks a homecoming of sorts, with the anthology returning to its Japanese anime roots. Esteemed studios such as Studio Trigger (Kill La Kill), Kamikaze Douga (Batman Ninja), and Kinema Citrus (Revue Starlight, Made in Abyss) are at the creative helm, bringing their distinctive visual storytelling back to the forefront. Executive producer James Waugh explained this deliberate shift: “It was nice to get a more international perspective… a global tour of all these different styles.” But, as he noted, the producers were eager to reconnect with the Japanese studios and storytellers who helped define the project’s original vision.
While the second season broadened the show’s horizons with contributions from acclaimed international studios like Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Wolfwalkers) and the UK’s Aardman (Wallace and Gromit), season three’s focus is distinctly Japanese. The upcoming episodes include sequels to three beloved stories from season one: “The Duel: Payback,” “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope,” and “The Lost Ones” (a follow-up to “The Village Bride”). This return to familiar ground has excited longtime fans, who will also be pleased to learn that “The Duel” is set to expand into a full series, Star Wars Visions Presents, slated for release in 2026.
At Anime NYC, the main event was the screening of a full episode from the new season. The chosen short, “Black,” had already made waves earlier in the year at the prestigious French animation festival Annecy, but its appearance in New York was met with fresh enthusiasm—and some surprise. “Black” is anything but conventional. The episode, directed by Shinya Ohira, eschews dialogue entirely, unfolding instead as a kind of visual symphony. Its art style is in constant flux, shifting from watercolor to gouache to bold, inked lines, creating a sense of disorientation that mirrors the protagonist’s journey. Ohira himself described the short as “a kind of music video,” and indeed, the soundtrack plays a starring role, ranging from ambient, new-age tones to the brash energy of a big-band swing number.
The story follows a stormtrooper as he stumbles through the chaos of battle—sometimes on the Death Star, sometimes on Hoth, and occasionally in less iconic locales. The chronology is intentionally jumbled, reflecting the confusion and fear of a foot soldier caught in the crossfire. Rather than the heroic, panoramic shots that have become Star Wars staples, “Black” offers fleeting glimpses of ships and explosions, as if seen through the eyes of someone just trying to survive. The stormtrooper’s armor is battered and incomplete, his face exposed in moments of vulnerability. Quiet, reflective scenes of his life back home are interspersed with the sensory overload of combat, highlighting the stark contrast between peace and war. The episode stops short of outright anti-war messaging, but as Yahoo Entertainment puts it, it “outlines that the experience can really suck.”
Choosing “Black” as the season’s representative episode was a bold move by Disney and Lucasfilm. It’s a piece made for animation aficionados, less about plot and more about mood—a risky proposition for a franchise known for its mass appeal. Yet, as James Waugh explained, that’s the beauty of the anthology format: “I really want all the different tones and styles, and I want a kind of rhythmic change throughout the anthology… we really want to show the full threat of what the medium of anime is capable of.” The season is, in his words, a “mixtape,” offering something for every taste—even if not every segment is for everyone.
Of course, for those less enamored with experimental fare, there’s plenty more to look forward to. Brief glimpses of all the upcoming shorts were shown in a sizzle reel, with the most raucous cheers reserved for clips from Studio Trigger and other fan-favorite studios. The beauty of an anthology is that viewers can pick and choose, sampling a variety of styles and stories. And with all nine episodes set to drop on Disney+ on October 29, 2025, fans won’t have to wait long to find their favorites.
While Star Wars: Visions charts new territory in animation, the franchise’s legacy continues to inspire collectors and enthusiasts in other ways. Regal Robot, a company known for its high-end Star Wars memorabilia, has just unveiled its latest offering: a line of Scaled Mask Replicas from their Archive Collection. As reported by Jedi News, the collection features the iconic masks of Jabba’s Skiff Guards—Klaatu, Barada, and Nikto—from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
These aren’t your average collectibles. Each replica is cast in heavy, solid resin, meticulously color-matched and scaled to approximately 40% of the original mask’s size. Standing between 7 and 9 inches tall (including a museum-style black resin base and metal-reinforced post), these pieces are as striking as they are space-efficient. The attention to detail is remarkable, with every stitch and seam faithfully reproduced thanks to high-resolution 3D scans of the original props. Only 250 pieces per character have been produced, each individually numbered, making them a true limited edition.
Priced at $229 apiece, the replicas are available now through Regal Robot’s website, with a special payment plan allowing collectors to spread the cost over up to six months. For fans who want a tangible piece of Star Wars history—but don’t have room for a full-sized costume—these scaled-down versions offer the perfect blend of authenticity and practicality. According to Jedi News, they’re “big on history but small on shelf space,” an irresistible proposition for many.
As Star Wars continues to evolve—on screens big and small, and on collectors’ shelves—the franchise’s ability to reinvent itself remains its greatest strength. Whether through boundary-pushing animation or museum-quality memorabilia, the galaxy far, far away is as vibrant and varied as ever. And for fans, old and new alike, the adventure shows no sign of slowing down.
