Star Wars: Visions is a Disney+ series that aired on September 22, 2021. Visions featured nine anime short films that were produced by seven Japanese studios with their own signature art styles. Each episode showcased its own unique story that pertained to the Star Wars universe. While it isn't part of the canon universe, that didn't take away from the experience. The anime embodied everything Star Wars and can be considered one of Lucasfilm's best projects of 2021. Shortly after its release, Visions received backlash from certain fans because of its stir from canon and lack of action. For instance, in episode three, "The Twins" by Studio Trigger, the protagonists Karre,
and Am, battle in space without having issues breathing. This occurrence wouldn't be possible using Star Wars logic. It's notable that Japan is a diverse country with a contrasting culture to America, meaning it's inevitable for them to have different takes on the franchise. It’s important to remember that Star Wars is also constantly changing its own logic. Star Wars fans all watch for their own reasons, that can be for the action, storyline, or characters. Japan created content for all ages while still including aspects of the Star Wars universe. In particular, "Tatooine Rhapsody" by Studio Colorido and "T0-B1" by Science Saru have upbeat energy for kids. Visions doesn't only revolve around one narrative or theme but instead has each episode build on itself in less than thirty minutes, making viewers emotionally invested. This is what makes it so praisable. In other words, there’s something for everyone.
Did Vsions leave an impact on Star Wars? Episode one, “The Duel” by Kamikaze Douga, is possibly the most fan-favorite mini-film of all the anthologies. The story centers around Ronin, a mysterious traveler that eventually battles a sith. Ronin´s name probably derives from the Japanese word rōnin, a leaderless samurai during the feudal period in Japan. The episode tributes classical Japanese samurai films and shocks fans with plot twists never done before in Star Wars. Creating such a culturally inclusive story would have been impossible without Japan. Visions paved the way for the idea of other countries becoming more involved in Star Wars storytelling. Fans come from all around the world; wouldn't it make sense to include their culture in a franchise so influential? Visions is special, and anyone is entitled to argue that, but of all the content of 2021, it stood out.
Disney recently confirmed that starting March 1, 2022, The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will open for guests at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The Galactic Starcruiser is a two-night interactive Star Wars-themed hotel. During guests' stay, free meals and a pass inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the second day of their stay are included. Along with this, there are activities displayed all around the resort.
Visitors were able to start booking reservations as of October 28 by calling Disney directly, (407) 939-1800. However, early access was permitted to Annual Passholders and Disney Visa cardholders. Costs range from $749 per person to $1,209, excluding the voyage, which could be a total of $4,800 to $6,000.
Inside a suite, there are bunks shaped as pods with their own command centers, pull-outs if necessary, and queen beds. There are windows that show a view into space using video monitors. Activities include, but aren't limited to, navigation and defense ventures at the bridge of Halcyon where some will be able to pilot the starcruiser, lightsaber training for children ages seven and up, and a cruise gala celebration.
On December 29, 2021, Disney+ is set to release the Star Wars television show, The Book of Boba Fett. The series was first officially announced around December 2020 when The Mandalorian released season 2. Seven episodes have been confirmed which will air up until February 9, 2022.
Wingreen first voiced Boba Fett, then was replaced by Temuera Morrison in the edited version. Along with Morrison, Ming-Na Wen is set to appear as Fennec Shand again. If there are any future guest appearances, Disney is leaving it up to a surprise.
Temuera Morrison will return to play the role of Boba Fett as he did in The Mandalorian. Morrison's original roles were in Episode II- Attack of the Clones as Jango Fett, Boba´s father, and the clone troopers. Quick facts, Jeremy Bulloch played the bounty hunter in the original trilogy along with John Morton, who had one scene in The Empire Strikes Back. Jason
The History of Boba Fett: The Book of Boba Fett, as stated in the title, focuses on the fictional character, Boba Fett. Boba Fett can be described as a bounty hunter who worked for the main villain, Dark Vader, and the crime boss Jabba the Hutt. He appears in green Mandalorian armor that was passed down to him by his father, Jango Fett. The character first debuted in 1978 on The Star Wars Holiday
Special, which featured him as an animated character. Two years later, he was introduced into the live-actions in The Empire Strikes Back. Boba Fett's origins were a mystery until the release of Episode II – Attack of the Clones in 2002. Over the years, Boba Fett has gained popularity in the franchise and has been featured in dozens of comics. Boba Fett´s guest appearance for several episodes in The Mandalorian foreshadowed the creation of his own show. As of recent September, Star Wars: Visions starred him in a chibi art style during episode 2, “Tatooine Rhapsody”. Then in late November, the comic Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters by Charles Soule introduced him as the main character. Overall, Boba Fett has had a long history in Star Wars, which has continued into 2021.
Star Wars is infamous in the video game industry, with over 150 releases since 1982. In the year 2021, however, Star Wars reached a decline in production, with 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order being the last bestseller in years. In addition, the franchise confirmed that this year there would be an absence of Star Wars content at EA Play Live, broadcasting for video game debuts. Despite this, Star Wars still managed to release games this year. Star Wars games already released this year include Star Wars: The Mandalorian Pinball, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge –
Last Call, and LEGO Star Wars: Castaways.
In particular, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge – Last Call gained attention because of it being an action-adventure VR game. On December 14, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Legacy of the Sith is planned to be in stores; it’s the eighth digital expansion game that's been running since 2011. Initially, more Star Wars games were planned to launch this year but are now delayed until 2022. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was estimated to be out in 2021 but is now planned for Spring 2022. This game is popular in the Star Wars community because of its tease since 2020 and its inclusion of adventures from all trilogies.
Another example is Star Wars: Hunters, which has also been moved to 2022 and will be available on the Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. Video games from 2020 and previous years also experienced numerous sales throughout this year since more known games were produced those years than in 2021. This event was detailed on the official Star Wars website. Overall, 2021 hinted at many future projects in gaming for Star Wars, which fans will probably be on the lookout for next year.
The Bad Batch is a Star Wars animated series created by Dave Filoni that premiered on May 4, 2021, with sixteen episodes. The cartoon focuses on a group of clone troopers that have their own unique genetic mutations, making them stronger than the average clone. The Bad Batch can be considered a sequel or spin-off to The Clone Wars since the events occur right after. When it came to the reviews, fans shared mixed opinions on the series. However, despite contrary belief, The Bad Batch is worth watching.
The aftermath of the Clone Wars leaves clones force 99 in a tricky situation of having to kill a Padawan during Order 66. The squad refuses to execute him; despite Crosshair's attempts, and they return to Kamino. After their return, they meet Omega, a female clone child. The group ultimately becomes fugitives of the empire because they refuse to follow gruesome orders. The clones choose to flee with Omega but leave Crosshair because of his loyalty to the empire. This wasn't their brightest idea. As each episode progresses, the characters gradually accept Omega into their team.
This embodies what Star Wars is all about, found family. The cartoon follows the crew's adventures, adding heartwarming and humorous scenes to those that would otherwise seem dark. Regardless of the TV-PG rating and wholesomeness, The Bad Batch can be amusing for all ages with action in every corner. A recurring theme of The Bad Batch is guest appearances every episode. Certain fans felt that instead of focusing on a clear story, the writers were just adding in oldtimers. The series wasn't sloppy because of this though and instead maintained a consistent narrative.
Each surprise appearance could have been avoided but adding them didn't have a negative effect. To begin with, guest appearances don't happen often in Star Wars cartoons. What's wrong with throwing in a fan-favorite clone or two? The Bad Batch dives deeper into the lore of clones and can be confusing to someone that hasn't consumed any recent Star Wars content. A recommendation would be to watch The Clone Wars beforehand, but considering it´s long, a quick search on Wookieepedia could answer those head-scratching questions. A popular complaint among viewers is the lore itself since it's compacted into only a few episodes. Star Wars fans in
the past have complained about the franchise having unanswered questions. For those fans, The Bad Batch answers a few questions and catches up with certain characters after The Clone Wars or before Rebels. In spite of their connection, the series shouldn't be compared because of their major differences. This is a problem within this huge fandom that loves to compare material. The Bad Batch only has one season, meaning there's time for improvement and a turn of direction. Dave Filoni´s creations have been criticized since the creation of Ahsoka, Anakin's padawan, in The Clone Wars. Filoni has expanded the Star Wars universe
and provided stories for characters that were overshadowed in the prequels. Before the creation of The Clone Wars, clone troopers were hard to sympathize with because of their part in the genocide of the Jedi. However, Filoni produced an animated backstory for them, showing that the characters aren't simply evil or good. The idea of clone troopers was one with potential that wasn't elaborated enough on in the prequels. The Bad Batch embodies Filoni´s creativity and shouldn´t be criticized without watching. This series isn't for everyone, but one cannot determine this without watching it. In conclusion, listen to the expert here, me, and watch the show.
Overall, Star Wars produced promising content in 2021. There´s enough Disney+ series and comics to go around this year and next. As for video games, there might not have been many releases, but this year did confirm games for 2022. The length of Star Wars usually scares people off, but once you just give it a chance, it'll be totally worth it.