"The Bird of Paradise" (Japanese: 極楽鳥の花) is a short film from Volume 3 of the animated television series Star Wars: Visions[1] that premiered on October 29, 2025.[2] It was first announced at Star Wars Celebration in Japan on April 19, 2025.[3] It was produced by Polygon Pictures[1] The soundtrack for The Bird of Paradise was released on October 31, 2025.[4]
Publisher's summary
After she is blinded in battle, a hot-headed Jedi Padawan must undergo a series of spiritual trials in order to overcome the temptation of the dark side.[5]
Plot summary
Prologue
Somewhere in the mountains over an evening sky, Jedi Padawan Nakime fights a Sith named Aman who mocks her for being a student to a master. When Aman pushes her to the edge, Nakime's Jedi Master shows up to save his Padawan before instructing Nakime to focus on the precepts of a Jedi. Already aware of this, Nakime helps her master fight Aman in battle but her master warns her not to let emotions take over. Getting a boost by her droid Daruma, Nakime prepares to strike in the air but only to have Aman leap at her and use both her lightsabers to hurt Nakime's eyes, causing the Jedi Padawan to roll down the cliff into the chasm below.
Day 1: Day of Insolence
When Nakime awakes, she finds herself blind at the bottom of a pit with glowing purple sand. Nakime shives in the cold as several rocks rain down. Nakime weeps in despair and fears that the Sith Aman will come down and kill her. Unable to see, Nakime frantically searches for her lightsaber. She finds her lightsaber but discovers that it is broke.
Enraged, she throws the lightsaber to the ground and encounters the statue of a bearded man. She begs for help, saying that she wants to live. As she weeps, she experiences a vision where she sees green lights leading her towards a forest. Nakime decides to follow the lights despite her misgivings that they might be a trick.
Day 2: Day of Desire
While walking through the forest, Nakime enjoys the drizzle of rain drops. Blind, she walks into a body of water. She drinks the water but finds the taste bitter. Believing her life is going to end, Nakime despairs. In her visions, she encounters her droid Daruma, who appears as particles. She calls out to her Master who counsels her to trust in the Force, telling her that it binds all living things. Nakime angrily reacts to her master's lesson as impractical, causing the vision to disintegrate. Nakime wishes that her master told her what to do in such a situation.
Day 3: Indignation
An exhausted Nakime continues walking through the forest with her clothes sodden and wet. As she clutches an old tree, she finds inspiration to move on. While navigating her way through the forest, she despairs about dying in the wilderness. Hearing the flash of a lightsaber, she advances forward only to find nothing. While rummaging through several leaves in frustration, she encounters darkness manifesting in the form of large serpent-shaped cloud of dust. In a fiery vision, she encounters her corpse and panics. Nakime wonders whether she is under a spell and someone is playing tricks on her.
Day 4: Day of Idleness
While resting on a rock in the forest, Nakime's stomach rumbles due to her hunger. As she grapples with her hunger, she clings to hope, which manifests in the form of several feathers. In her vision, Nakime recalls that she was optimistic about the future a few months ago. This soon gives place to a vision of darkness. She is trapped in a red web of darkness. The Sith Aman appears and implores Nakime to let her fear and anger claim her in order to survive.
Nakime says that she can't let her emotions control her any further, adding that her Master advised her not to make decisions for her own benefit. She realizes that her sense of self was her undoing. Aman mocks Nakime for believing Jedi "garbage" and invites her to join her in return for freedom. The vision quickly disintegrates. Nakime awakes from her vision and chastises herself for being a fool, saying that her struggle was all in her head.
Day 5: A Prayer for Life
The following day, Nakime approaches a waterfall. As she asks for help in finding the way, she encounters a talking toad, who compliments her for doing well to find her. When Nakime says that she heard a voice, the Toad responds that she is wrong for presuming that her ears have grown more keen, describing it as a "wrong-headed belief." When Nakime says that she thought she was getting used to losing her sight, Toad explains that her connection to the Force gets stronger as she travels through the path of knowledge.
The Toad says that Nakime has failed to notice that her heart is blinded and that her arrogance has hobbled her. He counsels her to let the Force guide her through nature. When Nakime expresses skepticism and dismissiveness, the Toad explains that true vision flows from beyond the stars to part the veil of illusion. He warns that she cannot partake of such clarity till she has become one with the current. Listening to the toad, she bathes herself in the freezing waterfall despite her discomfort.
Nakime experiences a vision where she sees a flying bird of paradise. As she touches a growing plant, the Dark Side Nakime tells her that there is no need to fear the power of life within the reach. Desiring to live, Nakime grabs the plant, which transforms into a red lightsaber. Nakime finds herself face to face with her darker side, who taunts her about giving into her anger. Nakime pursues Dark Nakime with her lightsaber but the apparition eludes her. Giving into her fear and hatred for her enemy, Nakime parries with Dark Nakime, who encourages her to give into her emotions.
Nakime realizes that Dark Nakime embodies her immaturity, impulsiveness, ego and fear of death. Dark Nakime dares Nakime to strike her down but Nakime refuses to play her game, allowing the apparition to pierce her with her lightsaber. Dark Nakime demands to know why she didn't block her blade. Nakime responds that she did not fully embrace the teachings of the Jedi but put her own desires first. Nakime realizes that Dark Nakime was never her true enemy but was rather part of her. The apparition reacts with fear and frustration.
Nakime realizes that Dark Nakime was afraid of her the whole time. Dark Nakime screams in rage and frustration. Nakime quotes her master's advice not to let her emotions get over her. She abandons her fear of death and accepts the possibility of becoming one with the Force. Her lightsaber turns from red to green as she knocks Dark Nakime's lightsaber out of her hand. Dark Nakime reacts with fear and begins weeping. As Dark Nakime weeps, Nakime comforts her and tells her that she is part of her soul. As they both begin disintegrate, Nakime realizes that she has learnt her master's lesson.
Epilogue
Nakime later wakes up the following morning from dealing with her own dark side, now at peace with her own emotions. Walking blindly back to the statue, she prays to it before saying "May I be one with the Force". Later, she comes up to a hill and opens her eyes, gazing over a beautiful landscape.
Credits
| Cast | Uncredited cast | Crew | Uncredited crew | Special thanks |
Cast
|
Japanese Voice Cast
English Voice Cast
|
Crew
|
Appearances
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Organisms
|
Locations
|
Organizations and titles
Sentient species
|
Weapons and technology
|
Miscellanea
|
Sources
Star Wars: Visions Returns with Volume 3 in 2025 on StarWars.com (backup link)- Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025: All the News You Need on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars Celebration - DAY 3 Replay on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (livestream no longer available)
- Volume 3 Release Date and New Star Wars: Visions Spin-off Series on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 First Look and Spinoff Announced – Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 Cast Announced with New Trailer on StarWars.com (backup link)
- 日本語オリジナル版＜本予告＞が全世界解禁！『スター・ウォーズ：ビジョンズ』Volume3 on Disney's official Japanese website (September 26, 2026) (backup link)
- "Launchpad" — Star Wars Insider 234
- "The Bird of Paradise" Episode Guide | Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "The Bird of Paradise" Trivia Gallery | Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "The Bird of Paradise" Concept Art Gallery | Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Visions Vol. 3 – The Bird of Paradise (Original Soundtrack)
- Star Wars: Visions Filmmaker Focus THE BIRD OF PARADISE on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- フォースのビジュアライズにチャレンジ『極楽鳥の花』ポリゴン・ピクチュアズ 吉平 "Tady" 直弘監督｜ on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Meet the Filmmakers Behind the Newest Star Wars: Visions Shorts on StarWars.com (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09
Star Wars: Visions — "The Bird of Paradise"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1
Why We Love the Unique Stories of Star Wars: Visions on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑
Star Wars Celebration - DAY 3 Replay on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (livestream no longer available)
- ↑ Star Wars: Visions Vol. 3 – The Bird of Paradise (Original Soundtrack) on Qobuz (backup link archived on October 31, 2025)
- ↑ Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 Cast Announced with New Trailer on StarWars.com (backup link)
External links
- Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Trailer - Star Wars Celebration 2025 on the Disneyland Experience YouTube channel (backup link)
