Warning: major spoilers for Star Wars: The Ninth Jedi follow.
Lucasfilm’s 2026 animation slate has already brought back the dangerous and magnetic Darth Maul in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, with a second season featuring Maul and Devon Izara confirmed to be in development. The studio has now followed it with another ambitious animated project: The Ninth Jedi, created with Japanese anime studio Production I.G.
Streaming in full on Disney Plus, the eight-episode series expands on two earlier shorts from the anthology Star Wars: Visions. Its story centres on Lah Kara, Jedi Master Margrave Juro and a group of potential Jedi searching for Kara’s father, Lah Zhima. They are also gathering support against the oppressive forces commanded by General Nawaam.
Each episode runs for roughly 20 to 25 minutes, yet Production I.G. fits a substantial story into the season. The result draws on the franchise’s many eras while establishing a distinct future for the Jedi. By the finale, Kara and her allies have laid the foundations for a new Jedi Order, leaving one major question: where can the story go next?
How does The Ninth Jedi end?
The opening episodes combine the spirit of A New Hope and Rogue One as Kara, Juro and their companions seek allies on Bibin and Makoma Ko. Their mission becomes more complicated when they learn that Zhima killed his former master, Reno Tsuba. That discovery raises the possibility that Zhima may have joined Nawaam, the masked general seeking control of the galaxy.
Zhima’s apparent betrayal initially recalls the relationship between Jyn and Galen Erso. His actions look sinister from the outside, but his most troubling choices were made with protective intentions. Unlike Galen, however, Zhima escapes Nawaam and the Sith warrior Gennoh with help from another Jedi, Ethan, allowing him to reunite with Kara.
The finale reveals why Nawaam became so consumed by vengeance. As a young Padawan, he saw Zhima kill his master and was corrupted by the experience. Now he intends to use a huge sacred kyber crystal on the frozen world of Hy Izlan to power a cannon capable of destroying planets and potentially splitting the galaxy apart.
Nawaam claims to be pursuing a state beyond both the Light and Dark sides of the Force, but his plan is also about domination and control. The allies Kara and her friends recruited finally arrive to challenge him. Fleets from Bibin and Makoma Ko draw away Nawaam’s forces while Kara, Zhima, Homen, Ethan and Bee-Toh confront the general and attempt to destroy the cannon.
Zhima and Nawaam briefly fight before Kara moves to stop the general. Both use silver-bladed lightsabers, but their duel becomes a philosophical clash as much as a physical one. Kara argues that Nawaam’s wish to rule the weak makes him closer to the Sith than he admits. His lightsaber turning red reinforces her point, while Kara’s blade becomes green, matching Juro’s and symbolising her acceptance of herself as a Jedi.
Kara has promised not to kill again, so she chooses mercy when Nawaam is defeated. Meanwhile, the others destroy the kyber crystal and disable the cannon. With their weapons gone and their commander beaten, Nawaam’s remaining forces either surrender or withdraw.
The immediate threat is over, but the work of rebuilding has only begun. Juro’s vision of a new Jedi Order becomes reality under Kara’s leadership, opening a new chapter for the galaxy.
Is Kara leading the new Jedi Order?
The Ninth Jedi presents a broader idea of who can become a Jedi than the classic canon era usually allows. Strength in the Force is not treated as the only qualification. A willingness to protect vulnerable people matters just as much.
Kara demonstrates this when she recruits Tafflah, Kwana and Bee-Toh. All three believe they lack the ability and training expected of a Jedi, yet the finale shows them igniting and using lightsabers alongside Homen and Ethan.
Kara stands at the centre of this new group, wielding a green blade like Juro’s. The imagery strongly suggests that she will guide the emerging Jedi Order, although the series leaves room for the organisation to develop in unexpected directions.
Did Nawaam kill Lah Zhima?
The final scene introduces an unsettling mystery. Nawaam is shown imprisoned in what appears to be an underground bunker. Zhima enters carrying a lightsaber and offers it to him. The two men exchange a loaded look before the episode cuts to black and a lightsaber ignites.
One possibility is that Zhima is offering Nawaam a path towards redemption. Zhima has spent much of the series regretting the choices that helped turn Nawaam into a monster, and the franchise has often connected redemption with characters who fall to the dark side.
There is a darker interpretation, however. Nawaam could have taken the weapon and used it against Zhima. Forgiveness is not always accepted immediately, and stories involving characters such as Kylo Ren show that mercy can carry serious risks.
The scene deliberately provides no answer. It is unknown whether Zhima survives, whether Nawaam accepts his chance to change, or whether the encounter ends in violence.
Will The Ninth Jedi get a second season?
No second season has been confirmed at the time of writing. There is nevertheless plenty of story left to explore. Kara’s Jedi Order has only just been formed, and the series could examine how its new recruits define their principles during peacetime.
Nawaam’s fate is another obvious thread. If Zhima is attempting to redeem him, his place in Kara’s Order would be complicated by his history and his previous ambition to impose his will on the galaxy. If the final confrontation turned violent, the consequences would be just as significant.
Production I.G. has several strong directions available for a continuation, but whether The Ninth Jedi returns for season two remains unknown. For now, its first season stands as a complete eight-episode story with a deliberately open ending.
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