Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Anime Already Spinning Off Original Novel

Lucasfilm Star Wars: Visions is a new anime series.

A new Star Wars anime series is in the works that’s so intriguing, it has already spawned an official original novel even before it released.


‘Star Wars: Visions’ Is Releasing Sometime in 2021 on Disney Plus

Star Wars: Visions is an anthology anime releasing sometime this year on Disney Plus. The announcement was made in December 2020 during Disney’s Investor Day.

The official Star Wars Twitter account wrote: “Star Wars: Visions, an Original Series of animated short films, celebrates the @StarWars galaxy through the lens of the world’s best Japanese anime creators. Coming in 2021 to @DisneyPlus.”

It’s not clear yet which Japanese anime creators will be involved, but fans are already hoping it might include Ghibli, MAPPA, Madhouse, Bones, or Sunrise. Although Star Wars has a long history with animated series, this would be the first done in anime style.

The anthology series will consist of 10 separate stories, Disney representatives shared on Investors Day.

Evidence is pointing to a possible Fall 2021 release date for Visions, The Direct reported. This prediction is based on the original novel premiering in October.


An Original Novel Will Tie Into of the ‘Visions’ Episodes

An original novel (not a novelization) will be released on October 12 that ties into one of the animated tales found in Star Wars: Visions. 

Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, announced on Twitter that Emma Mieko Candon would be writing the novel, which is called Ronin.

Del Rey Books announced:

This year, #StarWarsVisions will bring all-new, creative takes on Star Wars from the world’s best anime creators. Coming Oct 12th, an original novel inspired by one of those animated tales. A #StarWars book quite unlike any before it. RONIN By Emma Mieko Candon. Just to be clear. This is not a novelization. This is an original novel. And to tell it, we’re so thrilled to have a vibrant new voice in Emma Mieko Candon joining the Star Wars author family. We can’t wait to share more of Emma’s story with you soon!

On Twitter, Candon retweeted the announcement right after it was made.

Candon didn’t offer any more hints about the book, except her Twitter bio reads: “Wrote a Star War.”

She also tweeted: “hi new folks, i’m really sorry that besides the star war the thing i’m wildly excited about today is the new trailer for moriarty the patriot. it’s me, i’m the problem.”

Lucasfilm hasn’t released many details about what to expect from the anime series or the book, so fans are left guessing. On Twitter, one fan wondered if perhaps this would be a retelling of existing stories with an anime twist.

Others have pointed out that there’s a listing for “Ronin” on the Star Wars Fandom website, describing a male warrior from Melitto culture who “survived the defeat of his myrmitrix, thus becoming a hiveless outcast. The ronin Sarco Plank ended up working as a bounty hunter, jungle guide, and tomb raider on Devaron.”

Ronin is also a real-life term that refers to a samurai who didn’t have a master during Japan’s feudal period.

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