The 10 Best Characters from Star Wars Visions 2
New Star Wars Visions, new great characters. Here are the 10 best from season 2.
Star Wars Visions 2 took the concept of Visions internationally with Star Wars stories from animation studios in various countries like Chile, India, Ireland, and South Africa. The result is more variety in storytelling and breadth of characters that reflect the storytellers’ cultures. Check out where I rank the nine shorts here, but below are the character standouts.
**Spoilers for Star Wars Visions 2**
10. Charuk aka Big Brother
Episode 7: The Bandits of Golak
It’s hard not to add Charuk to this list: he does everything he can to get his Force-sensitive sister to safety, despite obstruction from said sister. Charuk tells her she cannot play the flute, so Rani steals the flute (using the Force) and draws attention to herself, causing him to endanger his life with a distraction that leads to a great train sequence.
It is tempting to place a few other characters in The Bandits of Golak higher (I do have one), but it’s not easy playing the straight man in a short full of flashy Force-users.
9. Tichina aka Little Sister
Episode 8: In the Stars
Tichina is the youngest sister in the Chilean short, In the Stars, who longs to see the clear skies of their homeworld and the stars that represent their ancestors (including their mother). Tichina paints the story of their people for exposition. Having enough of her sisters’ inaction against the Empire, Tichina goes to the headquarters to try to shut down their factory, forcing Koten to stand up to the Empire with her Force-powers.
Whether Tichina also has Force powers is never confirmed, and that uncertainty is welcome. It makes her bravery to stand in the path of injustice more meaningful and why she is the more compelling of the sisters.
8. Ara aka The Pilot
Episode 5: Journey to the Dark Head
I mentioned in my Star Wars Visions 2 ranking that “Journey to the Dark Head,” much like “The Ninth Jedi,” was the most traditional story of the season. An unlikely pair team up to stop an evil that threatens the galaxy. But the Jedi running from what he thinks is inevitable is not the most interesting thing in this short. Ara sees a vision in a stone before it fades and is convinced that it could help turn the tide of a forever war, so she takes a chance and implores the Jedi Council for help. The Council sends Toul with her, initially irritating her as she feels like sending a younger Jedi means the Council does not take this mission seriously. However, the two learn from each other that an attempt to improve things is always worth the risk.
Both are young people willing to try something different to change the galaxy’s fate despite their jaded elders. But Ara’s journey is incredibly relatable as a symbol of actively being a part of history instead of passively observing.
7. Crux aka The Martyr
Episode 8: The Pit
While “Screecher’s Reech” has the most solemn ending, the most solemn moment comes during “The Pit.” A large group of people enslaved by the Empire are left to die in a deep pit they dug, looking for Kyber crystals. Crux, one of the many people in the pit, volunteers to attempt to climb out and get help in the city nearby. While everyone tells him it is hopeless, Crux insists that most people are good; they just need to be reminded occasionally to do the right thing.
He makes it out of the pit with the help of a critter and tries to get wealthy citizens in the city to help. Unfortunately, Stormtroopers get to him first…and throw him back into the pit to his death. It is a shocking moment and perhaps one of the most shocking in Star Wars. But his original words stick with a little girl named Livy, who ultimately carries on Crux’s legacy and appeals to the inner light of the citizens to get everyone out of the pit. Not all heroes live to see their vision realized, but their memory and words are just as powerful for the next generation to step up.
6. E2 aka The Practical Droid
Episode 1: Sith
While the main character of “Sith” is Lola, a painter struggling with balance, the first thing we see when “Sith” begins is E2. And we follow the droid as he rolls through a changing canvas toward Lola. The droid’s design looks to be reminiscent of a mash of Imperial droids. That seems intentional, as Lola is a former Sith (even though it is unclear if an Empire exists in this universe). And E2 proves he is as deadly as he is adorable when his master is threatened.
There are many beautiful character designs in Sith, and it might be the most visually stunning short in season two, but E2 is the one that makes the most impression.
5. Inquisitor aka The Inquisitor
Episode 7: The Bandits of Golak
“The Bandits of Golak” is not my favorite, but it is the one short with two characters on the list and, quite honestly, could have had three. I chose the Inquisitor over the Jedi Master with a cane lightsaber because he is the only Inquisitor in Star Wars Visions and is based on a Hindu mythological race called Dānavas.
He also has one of the best action sequences in Star Wars Visions, which involves food and a sandstorm. His death is equally as memorable at the hands of Rugal (who was threatening to be the third character on this list).
The only thing I did not like about the Inquisitor is that he doesn’t have a name. But that is not far off from canon Inquisitors.
4. Aau aka The Songstress
Episode 9: Aau’s Song
As The High Republic has taught us, there are many ways to experience the Force. And Aau feels like she could be plucked from Star Wars Visions and put into a High Republic story easily. Aau hears Kyber crystals through the Force, singing to her. So she does what comes naturally and sings back. The only problem is that it causes the Kyber crystals to react violently. Of course, there is more to the story than meets the ear, and Aau’s voice is the key to the problem.
And it is refreshing to see the Force used in a way that doesn’t involve using a lightsaber to cut off a limb.
3. Daal aka The Unfortunate Apprentice
Episode 2: Screecher’s Reech
Star Wars is not short on orphan children who seek a better life. And for most of “Screecher’s Reech,” we are cheering for Daal, a young girl who works in a factory and has a fun friend group to find that better life. So naturally, we want her to succeed in whatever awaits her in those dark caves.
But when it is revealed that “success” is killing a Sith haunting the caves and becoming a new apprentice, that happy feeling slips away. Like orphan children, Star Wars is also not short on unhappy endings for characters, but there is usually an element of hope. Daal standing up to her fear and facing the being within the caves tricks us into believing she is a heroine doing the right thing. Instead, Daal’s future is not looking great, and the uneasiness of her leaving her friends behind might signal a door closing on that better life.
2. Kalina Kalfus aka Mother
Episode 3: I Am Your Mother
Aardman Studios might be the most recognizable name on this list, having the most commercial success with films like Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit and known for creating quirky characters combined with clever comedic writing.
Kalina Kalfus perfectly represents Aardman’s characters in a beautiful ode to motherhood. Sure, she tends to embarrass her daughter, Anni, a cadet in the flight academy. But she repairs droids with a Mandalorian mask and might be the first character shown to have a bra in Star Wars. Add that she takes a moment that could be hurtful, her daughter not disclosing a family race, into winning-no better way for a mother and daughter to reconnect.
1. Loi’e aka The Spy Dancer
Episode 6: The Spy Dancer
“The Spy Dancer” was my favorite short in Star Wars Visions 2 because of the main character, Loi’e. Part of her character is developed through flashbacks, but more of it is through dance. Her mood is reflected in dance form from her opening number while she slips trackers on various Stormtroopers against a cool, blue backdrop. When she sees an Imperial officer she believes is from her past, the color palette changes to fiery yellow and orange with a faster-paced spin. She thinks the officer is the same man who took her son from her when he was born. And Loi’e lets her anger cloud her judgment as she attempts to kill the officer. However, the assassination falters when Loi’e realizes the officer is her son, all grown up.
Even more impressive is her dodging the officer’s attacks while trying to protect him. In the end, they share a moment as she hugs him while slipping a tracker and a holo of him as a baby so he can find her again. After years of fighting behind the curtain, Loi’e is on the Empire’s radar but is more hopeful than ever.
Originally published at https://creditsandcanon.com on July 20, 2023.
