May the Fourth has come and gone, and with it a new season of Star Wars: Visions. I think this is a great little show, and a great idea overall. Sign up a bunch of animation studios from around the world and have them put together their own short Star Wars cartoon. They don’t have to feature any familiar characters and don’t have to be in continuity. Just use Star Wars iconography and tell your own story. It’s a great idea and has resulted in some great cartoons.

I very much enjoyed the first season, when they focused on anime studios. You can check out my rankings on the season 1 episodes here. I also enjoyed the second season a whole lot. They opened up to Western animation studios as well as others around the world, so it wasn’t strictly anime-focused. I can’t wait to see what they do next year!

Join me after the jump for my ranking of all nine episodes of Star Wars: Visions season 2. Expect FULL SPOILERS for the whole season. And feel free to share your own rankings and reviews in the comments below!

9. The Pit

I just didn’t care much for The Pit. Was it the lack of Star Wars iconography? Maybe. It’s a chilling story. The Empire uses a bunch of slaves to dig a big pit, and then just leaves them down there? Yikes! And the killing of the protagonist midway through was an intense choice. A good choice, but a really bold one. I guess I would have liked more nuance in the rescue. Sounds like the kid succeeded and the whole city immediately came out to help, Empire be damned. No real twist or higher development.

8. Journey To The Dark Head

This one was just too heavy on the Star Wars iconography for me, trying to squeeze too much stuff into a short story without really anything new. Jedi, Sith, plucky pilot; we’ve seen all of this before. It was a bit too busy. The characters were nice enough, and I loved the design of the Sith armor and that dangling cloth piece, but everything else was pretty ordinary for my tastes.

7. In The Stars

I loved every bit of stop-motion animation this season. It was gorgeous stuff, made to perfection. But this story was diluted just enough by the annoying little sister that I put it lower on the list. I know she’s got a good heart, but I just kept shaking my head at how the younger sister kept nearly getting them killed. Sheesh! Thankfully, it all worked out in the end…unless you buy into the theory that they actually died and became stars themselves.

6. The Bandits of Golak

I loved the designs of this one. The direct marriage of Star Wars iconography with Indian culture was a gorgeous idea. The villain was possibly the best looking Sith in the season, and I loved the twist of the old lady Jedi saving the day. The little sister wasn’t as annoying in this one either, despite doing a lot to cause problems.

5. The Spy Dancer

Gorgeous cartoon! I loved the dancing and the artistry. In general, I love the idea of an artistic troupe being in the Rebellion, doing their small part to undermine the Empire. And I also, conversely, love the idea of Stormtroopers spending their downtime taking in a show in the local community. Both are neat! And they lead to this awesome, beautiful series of aerial dances that totally worked for me.

4. Sith

This one had the best lightsaber fight, and the best visuals around it. I loved the sparking lightsabers in the dual. Definitely a lot of thought put into that aspect of the episode. And the animation for the rest of it was just as good. I loved the circular speeder she had, and how they made it move. I loved the little droid blasting the head off the bounty hunter in one shot. And the painting aspect was, obviously, top notch visual storytelling.

3. Screecher’s Reach

The reveal that she was being guided by a Sith was great. Loved it. The workhouse is a great set-up, and we can really feel the characters’ pain and drive to get away. Then the getting away part means leaving her friends behind and giving in to the Dark Side, even if Daal doesn’t know that yet. It’s tragic and powerful at the same time, as is her looking back for one last glance at the life she’s leaving behind. I wouldn’t mind a sequel to this one, where an older, Dark Side Daal returns and destroys the workhouse and its masters.

2. Aau’s Song

If any episode could get a sequel, I’d pick Aau’s Song. This was next level beautiful. The yarn animation style was a wonderful choice and really makes this one stand out. And then Aau is such a fun, adorable little person that I’d love to see her Padawan adventures. No Sith in this one. No good vs. evil really. Just a young alien Jedi learning her gifts. I bet it would be a lot of fun, just like this short cartoon.

1. I Am Your Mother

I knew this one would be my favorite from the trailer alone. Aardman Animations did the Wallace and Gromit episodes and movie, and they are beyond reproach. They bring that skill and quality to Star Wars with a great episode with nary a Jedi or lightsaber in sight. Just an adorable Twi’lek teenager embarrassed by her mom, and eager to get into racing. All the characters are perfectly designed and animated, along with their ships. The jokes are stellar. The payoffs are perfect. This cartoon is perfect.

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