For the Star Wars: Visions anthology series, each studio and creator is not tethered to the confines of Star Wars canon. Instead, they are given the freedom to reinterpret and explore the Star Wars franchise in new ways. Kamikaze Douga's "The Duel" is the premiere episode of Star Wars: Visions Season 1, which infuses stories of Jedi and Sith with Japanese history and folklore. At the end of the episode, the Ronin is also revealed to be a Sith himself, calling into question viewers' ideas about the perceived binary between the Jedi and Sith in a galaxy far, far away.
On its own, "The Duel" is an incredible short, but "The Duel" is also significant because of the works it has inspired. Star Wars: Visions #1 (by Takashi Okazaki and Joe Caramagna) and Emma Mieko Candon's Ronin: A Visions Novel expand the world of "The Duel" and further explore the short's lore. Both of these works show that the world of "The Duel" could be perfect for its own spinoff series that further expands upon the complex relationships between the Sith and Jedi in the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars: Visions #1 Shows Complex Relationships Between Jedi and Sith
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In Star Wars: Visions #1, written and illustrated by Takashi Okazaki, one of the creators of "The Duel" short film, the Ronin encounters a blind stranger. The two lament their time in the war, discussing what they both lost. After the two travel to town, the Ronin reveals that he knows that the stranger is a Jedi who might seek revenge upon him for the war. Instead, the Jedi Master peacefully leaves him, vowing that their paths will cross again.
Significantly, this encounter shows that the Ronin is not considered an enemy of all Jedi. Both the Ronin and the Jedi Master are able to find common ground in their experiences of the war even though they fought on different sides. This surprisingly peaceful encounter proves that the relationship between Jedi and Sith is far more complex within the world of "The Duel," allowing more space to interrogate the roles of Jedi and Sith in Star Wars.
Ronin: A Visions Novel Complicates the Roles of Jedi and Sith in Star Wars
In Ronin: A Visions Novel, Emma Mieko Candon expands upon the Ronin's origins. Candon reveals that the Ronin was once the Dark Lord who -- alongside his lover the Sith Witch -- began the Sith Rebellion. They chose to rebel because they saw that the Jedi served their lords instead of the common people. However, the Ronin was horrified by the ensuing war and what his followers became. He turned on his people, ending the Rebellion, and chose to travel as a Ronin to atone for his part in the bloodshed. Thus, Candon reverses the traditional view of Jedi and Sith, with the Sith being the rebels against an oppressive Empire. Still, they show that both sides of any war often choose to do horrific acts in the name of their side.
However, Candon also makes the role of the Jedi complex as well through the Traveler, a mysterious stranger who joins the Ronin on his journey. The Ronin discovers that the Traveler, formerly known as Idunza, was once a Jedi. Unbeknownst to the Ronin, he has a daughter, Mirahi, who the Traveler discovers when they are sent to eradicate what was left of the Sith. The Traveler chose protect Mirahi, mirroring Obi-Wan's protection of Luke Skywalker, though the Traveler is more hands on in training Mirahi. When Mirahi becomes obsessed with a mirror artifact, the Traveler helps the Ronin reach her and destroy the mirror, freeing Mirahi to find her own destiny with her father's help.
Even though the Sith Bandit, Kouru, dies at the end of “The Duel,” Candon also expands upon her story to further her themes of free will. Mirahi uses the mirror to resurrect Kouru, albeit temporarily, though Kouru believes her savior is the Sith Witch. While Kouru is initially motivated by a desire for revenge against the Ronin, her friendship with Ekiya -- a former trooper for the Sith Rebellion -- inspires Kouru to choose her own path rather than continue to act with reactionary anger. Even after her time as a revenant is done, her spirit still travels with the Ronin and Mirahi.
Overall, Star Wars: Visions #1 and Ronin: A Visions Novel show how expansive the world of "The Duel" truly is. Both works are excellent stories in their own right and could also serve as the inspiration for a spinoff series that more thoroughly explores "The Duel's" universe. As Star Wars continues to expand into multiple canons, "The Duel" shows how the Jedi and Sith's lore can be expanded by exploring the story from a new point of view.