Star Wars To Release New Animated Shorts Series About Its Heroines

This week, Star Wars fans will be glued to their computers if they weren’t able to swing a trip to Orlando. Lucasfilm will hold its regular Star Wars Celebration convention down in Florida this weekend, and a slew of much-anticipated announcements should be coming to light. Not only will details be given on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but other standalone projects could get a small spotlight along with shows such as Star Wars: Rebels.

Now, fans are getting a little treat ahead of the convention’s premiere, and it will make fans across the galaxies pleased. Lucasfilm will be rolling out a series of original animated shorts under the brand Star Wars Forces For Destiny, and the studio just released a first-look video at the project.

“Get a sneak peek at the newest initiative from Disney and Lucasfilm – Star Wars Forces of Destiny – that celebrates the inspiring stories of iconic heroes from a galaxy far, far away…” the caption writes.

Starting this summer, Lucasfilm will begin rolling out the new shorts which feature a slew of familiar faces. Heroes like Princess Leia, Jyn Erso, Rey, and Ahsoka Tano will be leads in their own shorts. Sabine Wren will also get an individual short, making fans of Rebels squeal with joy.

The first short is set to debut at Star Wars Celebration, and it will be titled ‘BB-8 Bandits.” The story will follow Rey, who is voiced by Daisy Ridley, as she avoids a trap set by Teedo who covets BB-8.

According to Lucasfilm, all of the shorts will be considered canon to the Star Wars franchise, and some will riff off stories ultimately cut from previous films. For instance, the short “Beasts of Echo Base” will be based off some deleted scenes from The Empire Strikes Back.

“The movies tell these epic heroes’ journeys, big pieces of mythology,” Carrie Beck, VP of Lucasfilm Story and Animation and a producer of Forces of Destiny, told Yahoo Movies. “For this, we thought these stories could tell those moments of everyday heroism… the kind of stories that would be appropriate over two to three minutes.”

“If you know anything about the Star Wars franchise, these stories are additive. They tell you a piece you don’t already know and give you additional expression of some of your favorite characters.”

A total of 16 shorts will air on Disney’s official Youtube page before they are compiled into a special two-part special. The episodes will then air on Disney Channel in the fall to prepare for The Last Jedi’s release.