For almost fifty years, the Skywalker Saga has been the backbone of the Star Wars franchise.
From Luke Skywalker's journey in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977) through to Rey Skywalker‘s victory over Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019), every major theatrical installment has revolved around the same bloodline, the same conflict, and ultimately the same family. But now, Lucasfilm has stepped away from that story.
The sequel trilogy remains one of the franchise's most divisive chapters ever since Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015) arrived in theaters. While many praised the film for introducing new characters such as Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega), others criticized it for closely mirroring the structure of George Lucas' original 1977 film.
Things only became more divisive with Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017), while Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019) fractured the fandom beyond repair.
Now, however, Lucasfilm has quietly introduced an entirely different future for the galaxy.
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A New Star Wars Timeline Leaves the Sequels Far Behind
While Shawn Levy's upcoming theatrical film Star Wars: Starfighter (2027) is confirmed to take place five years after The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi heads much further into the future — and into an entirely different timeline altogether.
The upcoming Disney+ and Hulu series continues the story first introduced in the acclaimed Star Wars: Visions (2021) short “The Ninth Jedi” and its Volume 3 follow-up episode “Child of Hope.” The series follows Lah Kara as she attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order in a fractured galaxy roughly 1,000 years after Episode IX.
“I wondered, after Episode IX, has the galaxy settled into peace?,” director Kenji Kamiyama told IGN back in 2021. “We all love stories of the Jedi and lightsabers, but what became of the Jedi Knights after the movie series? My story is about that.”
Unlike Starfighter, however, The Ninth Jedi exists outside official Star Wars continuity.
Lucasfilm has repeatedly stated that Star Wars: Visions exists separately from canon, which has allowed creators complete artistic freedom without being restricted by established lore.
As a result, The Ninth Jedi effectively creates an entirely new version of the post-Skywalker galaxy — one that owes nothing to Rey, the Resistance, or the events of the sequel trilogy.
The first trailer, which debuted earlier this month, teases Lah Kara assembling a new generation of Force users to battle a powerful dark side warlord as the Jedi attempt to rise once again.
Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi streams on Disney+ and Hulu on August 5.
Are you excited for The Ninth Jedi? Is Visions your preferred Star Wars timeline? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
