Before we dive into Star Wars: Ronin. It’s important to know that we have never been this excited for a book release before. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Our excitement is probably on par with any release concerning Thrawn. Ronin combines two things that we are incredibly passionate about… Star Wars and Japanese lore. So, what is Ronin?
Star Wars: Visions is coming to Disney+ this September and will feature a collection of animated originals from some of the biggest anime studios like Trigger. Kamikaze Douga’s The Duel, created by director Takanobu Mizuno, is just one of the many stories that Star Wars has ready. The Duel will focus on both the Sith and Jedi but will incorporate a Japanese aesthetic, pulling from traditional Japanese lore.
To accompany this original animation, Emma Mieko Candon has written a novel to expand on the world introduced in The Duel. Candon’s story will tell the tale of a former, unnamed Sith who is known only as… Ronin.
James Waugh from the Lucasfilm Story Group and executive producer of Visions had this to say about the upcoming book:
“Out of all the shorts, The Duel felt most rife for an ongoing story in a novel. Another one of Ronin’s adventures. One of the things I always loved about the short was that it was clear there was a larger history at play. That this wasn’t the first adventure this warrior had been through and it certainly won’t be their last. What are those stories?”
This will mark the writer’s first step into the vast Star Wars world and by the sounds of it, Candon knows exactly what she wants to bring to the table and we are so ready for it. In a conversation with StarWars.com, Candon had quite a lot to say about her endeavour across the Galaxy:
“The Duel is very much in conversation with period dramas a la [Akira] Kurosawa, while the latter two felt like natural Japanese extensions of the ‘Star’ and ‘Wars’ parts of Star Wars. Jidaigeki love samurai as protagonists because they’re suspicious of samurai as a class, and our Ronin falls right into that trope. I had to ask how this man rejected (or was rejected by) his social role, and why he continues to cleave to it. Why does he still carry that tell-tale red blade? And why does he hunt his own?”
Did we mention that we were excited? Just hearing what Candon had to say immediately gripped us. But then we saw the cover art… Just check it out for yourselves. This is an incredibly ambitious project and it’s unlike anything that Star Wars has tackled before. Count us in. If this seems like your kind of thing, you can also check out the official synopsis below. Star Wars and Japanese lore? What’s not to love.
Star Wars: Ronin by Emma Mieko Candon
A mysterious former Sith wanders the galaxy in this stunning Star Wars tale. An original novel inspired by the world of The Duel from the Star Wars Visions animated anthology.
The Jedi are the most loyal servants of the Empire.
Two decades ago, Jedi clans clashed in service to feuding lords. Sickened by this endless cycle, a sect of Jedi rebelled, seeking to control their own destiny and claim power in service of no master. They called themselves Sith.
The Sith rebellion failed, succumbing to infighting and betrayal, and the once rival lords unified to create an Empire…but even an Empire at peace is not free from violence.
Far on the edge of the Outer Rim, one former Sith wanders, accompanied only by a faithful droid and the ghost of a less civilized age. He carries a lightsaber, but claims lineage to no Jedi clan, and pledges allegiance to no lord. Little is known about him, including his name, for he never speaks of his past, nor his regrets. His history is as guarded as the red blade of destruction he carries sheathed at his side.
As the galaxy’s perpetual cycle of violence continues to interrupt his self-imposed exile, and he is forced to duel an enigmatic bandit claiming the title of Sith, it becomes clear that no amount of wandering will ever let him outpace the specters of his former life.
Star Wars: Ronin: A Visions Novel arrives October 12th and is available for pre-order now. UK fans and avid readers, can pre-order their copy here. Unsurprisingly, we pre-ordered a copy immediately. Will you be grabbing a copy of your own? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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