Lucasfilm made its AnimeNYC debut in 2025 with a screening of “BLACK”, an upcoming episode of Star Wars: Visions directed by legendary anime artist Shinya Ohira (known for his work on Akira, Spirited Away, and The Animatrix). James Waugh, Lucasfilm’s senior vice president of franchise content and strategy, announced that season 3 of the animated series will feature nine original anime shorts, some from Japanese studios that contributed to season 1, plus several new contributors.
This season channels the spirit of the original anthology, bringing together anime studios to explore the Star Wars franchise’s Japanese influences and themes, like bushido, the feudal era, and the universal life force of qi. The first short shown to the public was "BLACK." It was a glimpse of what audiences can expect when season 3 streams on Oct. 29. Polygon was in the room for the exclusive AnimeNYC preview and can confirm that this new episode is quite extraordinary.
“BLACK” is a highly experimental short from Ohira and David Production (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure), blending psychedelic visuals with minimal dialogue, and set to a jazzy Fujiwara Sakura score that evokes the vibe of Mos Eisley.
“We wanted to offer a film that was mainly based on Sakura Fujiwara’s singing voice set against these visuals of intense battles," Ohira explained in a pre-recorded video. "That was our vision as we made the film."
"BLACK" depicts a psychedelic battle taking place in the haunted psyche of an Imperial stormtrooper on the cusp of defeat. The visuals instantly called to mind a blend of A-ha’s “Take on Me” music video and Heavy Metal, depicting a battle to the death between a green-hued stormtrooper and a red-tinged stormtrooper just before the Death Star explodes around them during the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Ohira explained that the short was designed less as a traditional narrative and more like a music video, with its meaning intentionally left open to interpretation.
He added that the short’s central theme is “showing sacrifice in the name of justice.” Amid the violence and death, the visuals pause for a tender moment: The "Green" stormtrooper lies in the grass, in a tattered helm and uniform, gazing at the sky, surrounded by nature. A woman with long hair stands over him. It underscores what these faceless soldiers give up in pursuit of their service to the Empire. The sequence reflects the duality of humanity and its inherent violence, along with the cycle of life and death. As the battle escalates and the Death Star begins to disintegrate, Green and Red appear to set aside their conflict in a desperate attempt to escape, though their effort is ultimately futile.
Though it avoids a lore-heavy narrative, this episode highlights how Visions celebrates Star Wars in ways Lucas’ animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars never could. The franchise has borrowed heavily from Japanese culture since its inception. (For example, it's well-known that Lucas drew inspiration from Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress.) Visions gives Japanese artists the chance to explore the themes George Lucas only hinted at, with authentic voices and through an animation genre that thrives on experimentation. Visions’ distinctive art styles and fast-paced action, reminiscent of Genndy Tartakovsky’s earlier Clone Wars series, capture an intensity that live-action can barely touch, and one that the CGI style of Lucas’ Clone Wars often struggled to convey.
Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 will feature new shorts from returning studios Kamikaze Douga, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G, and TRIGGER, along with newcomers ANIMA, David Production, Polygon Pictures, Project Studio Q, and WIT Studio. The series returns to Disney Plus on Oct 29.