As Jedi Master Yoda once taught: "Size matters not." In a series of shorts from the first Star Wars series created for preschoolers, Disney Junior's animated Young Jedi Adventures introduces Jedi younglings Kai Brightstar (Jamaal Avery, Jr.), Lys Solay (Juliet Donenfeld), and Nubs (Dee Bradley Baker), along with their friends, pilot Nash Durango (Emma Berman), droid RJ-83 (Jonathan Lipow), and the sage Master Yoda (Piotr Michael). Set during The High Republic era and the prime of the Jedi Order, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures "follows Jedi younglings as they study the ways of the Force, explore the galaxy, help citizens and creatures in need, and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi along the way."
In "Meet the Young Jedi," the first of three new digital shorts available on Disney Junior's YouTube, Star Wars fans of all ages can get to know the young Jedi Kai, Lys, and Nubs as they train at the Temple on Planet Tenoo. Lys, a blue-skinned Pantoran, is quick and knows all about creatures; the Pooba-speaking Nubs is furry and smaller than the rest, but strong; and Kai, the team leader who will one day join his friends to become Jedi Knights.
Two more shorts, "Lys' Creature Caper" and "Kai's Daring Droid Rescue," follow the Jedi-in-training on their mission to keep up with a tooka kitten and to save small droid RJ from rocky river waters. Watch them below before Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures premieres May the 4th on Disney Junior and Disney+.
"Star Wars transcends generations; fans of all ages deeply connect with its imaginative worlds, mythic stories, and unique characters," executive producer James Waugh said in a statement announcing the series. "When developing Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, the first Star Wars series created for preschoolers, the creative team never stopped thinking about how this show may be a youngling's first step into a larger world and their first time experiencing the limitless potential of the Star Wars galaxy. The show's characters, tone, and the life lessons woven throughout each episode were written just for them, and our talented team was committed to honoring the cinematic legacy while staying true to the expectations of parents for the youngest of audiences."
Added Alyssa Sapire, Senior Vice President, Development, Series, Strategy, Disney Junior: "Our collaboration with Lucasfilm on this series is an amazing opportunity to introduce this universally cherished franchise to a younger generation. As an early entry point into Star Wars, we have created a series with exciting new and familiar characters and storylines that highlight the values of compassion, teamwork, and friendship, which are important elements for all of our Disney Junior programming."
The series comes from showrunner and executive producer Michael Olson (Disney Junior's Puppy Dog Pals), supervising director and co-producer Elliot M. Bour (Elena of Avalor), producer Jeannine Hodson (Puppy Dog Pals), and consulting producer Lamont Magee (Black Lightning).