Star Wars Visions Creators Enjoy The Gray Area Of Sith Characters
In case you missed it during your annual "Star Wars Day" machete viewing order party, season 2 of "Star Wars: Visions" was officially released on Disney+, and is back with an even more ambitious catalog of animated shorts from various studios. While the first season was best known for sticking to a theme of Japanese anime influences and pushing the boundaries of "Star Wars" aesthetics, the second season of "Visions" somehow takes things even further. Pulling from studios all around the world, including the famous British animation studio Aardman, Irish studio Cartoon Saloon, and French studio La Cachette, this season has an interesting focus on diverse and distinct cultural flairs and influences.
Despite how different the shorts that make up "Visions" are — they're completely self-contained and unique in tone and style — they all share the same "Star Wars" spirit, bringing us insight into the larger galaxy that exists outside of the Skywalker bubble. This season, there are even some exciting shorts that offer something new, offering us a fresh perspective on the dark side of the Force. Through "Visions" and other projects like "Jedi Survivor" and upcoming shows like "The Acolyte," which explore the new High Republic era of the "Star Wars" timeline, we're getting to know a lot more about Sith characters than ever before.
Last month, in an interview with "Star Wars Visions" producers James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez, and Josh Rimes, Screen Rant asked what about Sith characters conceptually appeals to them and why they fascinate so many "Star Wars" fans. It turns out, in a series that emphasizes the contrasting nature of the dark side and the light, it's occasionally creatively invigorating to explore the gray area in-between.
The relatable imperfection of Sith characters
"Every kid wants to take a walk on the dark side, or the wild side, every once in a while," Josh Rimes explained to Screen Rant. "Even growing up with the original trilogy, just the mystique of Darth Vader — what happened? How did he [have] all this power? What is that all about? When you really dissect it, the Sith were people too. They were Jedi who chose the wrong path. This is just about personal choice and I think that's what makes it so universal."
The first episode of "Visions" season 2, "Sith," is animated by El Guiri Studios and follows a former Sith apprentice named Lola (Úrsula Corberó). Ashamed of her past, Lola tries to heal her soul using the Force and paints as art therapy, until an encounter with her old Sith master disturbs her journey for inner peace. In order to defeat her old master, Lola embraces both sides of herself, symbolically wielding a half-green, half-red lightsaber. Lola claims, "Light and darkness, they're part of the painting. Part of me."
Sith characters are inherently compelling because they are so notably imperfect — their flaws are what lead them down their dark paths, and that's relatable and enigmatic in a different way than the Jedi.
"It's about, am I going to choose the right choice or the selfish choice? Am I going to choose power over [being] more magnanimous [and] peaceful or not?" Rimes explained. "So I think there is a draw to that mystique about, how does one fall to the dark side? I think 'Screechers Reach' in particular really shows you a real compelling way where these choices can catch up to you."
"And not immediately seem so obvious," co-producer James Waugh added.
Exploring what the movies won't
Animated by Cartoon Saloon ("Wolfwalkers," "Song of the Sea"), "Screecher's Reach" has a classic "Star Wars" hook, beginning with a group of children working in a labor camp longing for adventure and self-discovery. Instead of walking the path of the Jedi like Luke Skywalker or Cal Kestis, however, Daal (Eva Whittaker) is lured in by the temptation of the Sith. Seeking to escape her life of suffering and willing to alienate her found family to do so, Daal's story serves as a fascinating cautionary tale.
All "Star Wars Visions" shorts are non-canon, so they have the luxury of freely exploring the universe of the franchise without being confined to arbitrary rules or connecting events together like the way mainline projects are forced to. In that sense, "Visions" is able to accomplish what the movies never could, exploring more complex and mature subject material that the films normally shy away from. While fans of the sequel trilogy hoped Rey would become a proper Gray Jedi by her final chapter to no avail, that concept is confidently explored in the big opener to season 2 of "Visions."
The response to "Visions" as well as projects like "Andor" prove that the interest for more nuance in the franchise is clearly there, so hopefully future shows like "The Acolyte" can deliver.
Season 2 of "Star Wars: Visions" is currently streaming on Disney+.