The Best Anime of 2025 Has More Hype Than Ever — & It Hasn’t Even Debuted Yet

Aaron Fonseca
Oct 27
3 min read

Star Wars fans have had it pretty good over the past few years, with a whole host of hit titles such as The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew opening up entire new avenues to be explored in the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Even beyond live-action productions, animated series like Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy have broken entirely new ground in ways that more traditional films or shows likely never could.

Now, the other breakout Star Wars animated series of the 2020s is about to return with nine more glimpses into not just the Galaxy fans know best, but versions of it that have rarely, if ever, been seen before. In fact, the release of Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3 might just be the most hyped Star Wars premiere of the year, and for more than one very good reason.

Fans Are Appropriately Excited About Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3

When Star Wars: Visions premiered on Disney+ in 2021, it was unlike anything that fans had ever seen from the franchise. Not only did Star Wars: Visions afford audiences a look at entirely new reimaginings of the Galaxy Far, Far Away, it did so with more than a half-dozen captivating animation styles provided by some of the most critically acclaimed studios in the industry. Almost overnight, characters like the Ronin , F, and Lah Zhima became part of the latest generation of Star Wars icons, and Star Wars: Visions was only getting started.

Following hot on the heels of its predecessor, Star Wars: Visions: Volume 2 arrived on Disney+ in 2023 with nine more animated hits from studios such as Punkrobot, Cartoon Saloon, and Triggerfish. Volume 2 even managed to outpace the first in terms of critical response, garnering a perfect 100% "Fresh" rating via review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as averaged across nearly two dozen verified critical reviews. While the critical response to Volume 2 was resounding, audiences weren't quite as impressed with what it had to offer, which Volume 3 should change by returning to some of the fan-favorite stories that started it all.

Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3 Is More Than Just an Anthology Series

Like the first two volumes, Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3 will consist of nine episodes. Although six of these will be entirely original stories, three will bring back the most intriguing characters from Volume 1 for follow-ups to their initial stories. By featuring multiple sequel episodes, Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3 steps outside the bounds of an ordinary anthology series and begins taking on a form that is only slightly different, yet which speaks volumes about what the future of the Star Wars universe could look like.

The first episode of Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3, "The Duel: Payback," will bring back the Ronin from Volume 1's "The Duel" and showcase the character's continued quest for revenge. The second episode, "The Lost Ones," will pick up with F following the events of "The Village Bride." The most exciting of the three sequel episodes, which is also the third episode of Volume 3, will serve as a sequel to "The Ninth Jedi." More importantly, "The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope" will serve as an in route for the anthology's very first animated spinoff series, Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi.

Star Wars: Visions: Volume 3 Could Have Major Implications for the Franchise

Although a firm release date for Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi has yet to be announced, the series is expected to arrive sometime in 2026. Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi will follow Lah Kara as she continues her search for her father, and will expand upon the very specific mythos that has been introduced in this new version of the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Assuming Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi is a success when it arrives next year, it could very well become the first ongoing Star Wars anime series of all time, not to mention the first of a whole new wave of Star Wars productions.

While the Star Wars franchise has enjoyed plenty of comic book, manga, and animated adaptations over the decades, Star Wars: Visions is the franchise's first true foray into the world of anime. The fact that the series is headed into its third season speaks volumes for its overall success, whereas the fact that it has already paved the way for an entirely different Star Wars anime proves that fans are willing to join it in exploring previously uncharted territory. With any luck, that same level of excitement will hold strong through to the next Star Wars anime release, and whatever comes after it.