Star Wars Just Gave Us The Perfect Sci-Fi Anime

October 30, 2025, 4:20pm

Star Wars: Visions has done what many thought would be impossible for three seasons in displaying the galaxy far, far away in the anime format. While many of the segments over the course of the anthology series have presented fascinating looks at the Jedi, the Sith, the Resistance, and the Empire, there is one from the recent third season that might stand at the top of the food chain. Releasing the third season earlier this week, the Disney+ series has one almost-experimental entry that is worth your time as an anime fan, Star Wars fan, or both.

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“Black” is the final segment for season three of Star Wars: Visions, an animated sequence from legendary production house David Productions. The studio might be best known for its work on anime adaptations of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Fire Force, Cells at Work, Urusei Yatsura, and Undead Unluck, to name a few. The story itself is almost incomprehensible at times, following the life of a Stormtrooper as he battles in space, on alien worlds, and in various deadly scenarios, all while fighting for the Empire. While this method of storytelling might be quite confusing for some, the method of how the tale is delivered is a beautiful one and not just a testament to Star Wars, but the anime medium as a whole. Running for just twelve minutes, this segment needs to be witnessed to be believed.

What Makes Black Stand Out?

To start, “Black” looks unlike anything else that David Production has released in the past, using eye-popping line work and expert choreography to tell this tale of war within the Star Wars universe. On top of the unique animation style, the segment contains zero dialogue and uses a combination of jazz and contemporary music to help in telling its story, making for a grand departure from what we usually expect from the science fiction franchise. David Productions took the assignment given to them by Disney and ran with it, creating a dizzying feast for the eyes that can often overload your senses in the best way.

What you might not know from simply looking at the face of this Star Wars: Visions short is that it was made by a legendary animator in the industry. Artist Shinya Ohira was responsible for the creation of this anthology entry, with a resume that effectively makes Ohira anime royalty. On top of Visions, Ohira worked on the likes of Mobile Suit Gundam, Spirited Away, Akira, One Piece, Pluto, Howl’s Moving Castle, Berserk, The Boy And The Heron, Kill Bill: Volume 1, and almost too many other properties to count. This experience is clearly shown in Black as Ohira weaves a majestic story that might be hard to contemplate, but brings the goods in overall quality.

Black is Not a Happy Story

While many elements of Black are up to interpretation, it becomes quite clear that the star of the segment isn’t exactly living his best life. Working for the Empire was never shown as a picnic in the Star Wars franchise, but this Visions segment goes the distance in showing that doing the Emperor’s dirty work results in a tough time for everyone. We’re never given a name for our protagonist, but viewers are shown both his quieter life when not traveling through space and then thrown into the more dire scenarios he would find himself in. It’s a chaotic, messy affair that David Production brings to glorious life, and it represents the strengths of both anime and Star Wars.

Black is something akin to a fever dream, leaving plenty to interpretation, but in that same vein, it makes for an infinitely rewatchable affair thanks to its structure. You will be able to catch new elements that you might not have seen before, and while much remains up to interpretation, it’s an easy claim to say that this David Production affair is the best segment that Star Wars: Visions has created to date. A fourth season has yet to be announced by Disney+, though we are hopeful that the anime anthology will continue.

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