The Smuggler (short film)

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This article is non-canon within the canon continuity.

This article covers a subject from a Star Wars: Visions story that Lucasfilm declared is set in an alternate history within a reimagined galaxy.

"The Smuggler" 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.[4] It was produced by Studio Trigger, directed by Masahiko Otsuka,[1] who previously worked on the Volume 1 short "The Elder"[5] in 2021.[6] The soundtrack for The Smuggler was released on October 31, 2025.[7]

Publisher's summary

Desperate for a quick payday, a smuggler takes a job to rescue a fugitive from the Empire.[8]

Plot summary

Prologue

The narrator narrates the history of the planet Zenarita. For many peaceful generations, it prospered under the rule of its kings. Following the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Zenarita royal family began questioning the state of the galaxy, leading to conflict. The Imperials imprisoned the royal family for conspiracy against the Empire and established a puppet regime, placing the planet under direct Imperial control. Only one member of the royal family Prince Arluu was able to evade capture. Arluu became a fugitive from Imperial rule.

Debts and extortion

In the streets of a city beneath the former royal palace, a pink-haired female smuggler named Chita walks into an underground cantina. She confront a Sakiyan named Ba'ken about the systems on her starship not turning on. Ba'ken reveals that he has locked Chita out of her starship since she has delayed paying for her refurbished thrusters. When Chita replies that she has already paid her, Ba'ken counters that the money only covered the labor and parts, whose price he has since doubled. When Chita protests his extortionary rates, Ba'ken suggests that she take up her complaint with the Galactic Empire.

Chita sighs, prompting Ba'ken to ask if she is in trouble with the Empire. When Chita says that was a job she had carried out for him, Ba'ken replies that gives him plausible deniability. Chita is enraged but Ba'ken's droid bodyguard holds her head at gunpoint, prompting Chita to back down. Ba'ken reassures Chita that he has not sold her out to the Empire because he respects her skills. He tells her that things will be alright if she pays her debts but warns that it is only a matter of time before the Empire finds her.

A job opportunity

Chita leaves the cantina but is followed by an older woman named Gleenu, who offers to help her out of her financial troubles in exchange for the transport of certain cargo. Gleenu offers an upfront payment of covering her ship repair debts and 10,000 credits upon delivery. Chita thinks the cargo is important and asks what she is transporting. Gleenu says that Chita will be transporting two people to any system outside Imperial control. When Chita asks if this job involves any problems with the Empire, Gleenu confirms this is the case. The two strike a deal over a handshake.

Chita uses a comlink to contact her co-pilot Goghzun, telling him to prepare the ship to transport two passengers offworld. She says they are being paid 10,000 credits. While walking through the streets, Chita hears two aliens talking about the Empire raising the bounty on the fugitive Prince Arluu. She finds the Rodian Goghzun squatting on a pail outside their hangar. Using body gestures and hand signals, Goghzun warns her that Imperial stormtroopers are outside the spaceport. Following an animated conversation involving hand signals and gestures, Chita growls in frustration as Goghzun decides to bail her.

Gleenu catches up with Chita and counsels her to avoid drawing Imperial attention. Gleenu walks with Chita to an isolated alleyway, where they are joined by a young man whose face is hidden behind a cap. There, Gleenu confirms that Chita's ship systems are unlock. In addition to the Imperial security presence outside the hangar, Chita reveals that her co-pilot Goghzun has bailed on them. The young man says he can serve as her co-pilot, revealing that he has a pilot's license for Republic cruisers. Gleenu explains that the young man is an aspiring pilot and will be the second person she is transporting.

The young man introduces himself to Chita. Gleenu says that they need to get past the stormtroopers. When Chita wishes that they had a Jedi with them, Gleenu says that the Jedi are no more. Chita recalls that the Jedi were purged after an alleged plot against the Empire. Chita and Gleenu find agreement in questioning the official Imperial narrative around the Great Jedi Purge. The young man suggests entering Hangar Bay 51 through the maintenance tunnels, saying that he used them to sneak out in the past for some additional piloting practice. Chita is pleased and lets the young man lead the way.

The fugitive prince

Unknown to the trio, they are being trailed by a mushroom-shaped probe droid belonging to a masked bounty hunter. The trio stumble upon the Imperials arresting two young men. An older man explains that they are arresting any young man who resembles the fugitive Prince Arluu. As an older woman protests the arrest of her son, a stormtrooper knocks her to the ground with his blaster. When the young man protests the heavy-handed treatment of his mother, Chita's young male client intervenes and knocks one of the stormtroopers to the ground.

Gleenu advises the locals to stay back as she kicks the second stormtrooper to the ground before he can reach his blaster. The other stormtrooper calls for reinforcements but the young male client shoots the comlink out of his hand. Chita watches while the people cheer. The young client helps one of the young men to his feet. When one of the young man recognizes him as Prince Arluu, the young client confirms that he is indeed the Prince. Chita reacts with surprise while the locals bow before the prince.

The two young men warns Arluu and his companions to leave before the Imperials return. As an AT-ST walker approaches, a man lends the trio his X-34 landspeeder. Chita tells Arluu that she did not realize he was the prince. Arluu convinces Chita to drive towards the AT-ST walker. They dive under its legs and ride a winding a highway out of the city. The masked bounty hunter catches up with them on a speeder bike. Arluu exchanges fire with the bounty hunter.

Fight and flight

Chita takes the landspeeder off the highway and takes it down the mountain into the streets of the lower city. They land outside Hangar Bay 51, which is guarded by stormtroopers. The landspeeder is destroyed by a laser blast but the trio escape. The masked bounty hunter catches up with them and asks the young man if he is Prince Arluu. Arluu confirms his identity, prompting the bounty hunter to shoot the two stormtrooper guards down. The bounty hunter tells Arluu that he is worth more alive and offers him the chance to surrender.

Gleenu tells the two young people to stay back while she breaks through. She strides towards the bounty hunter, who aims his blaster at her. Gleenu unsheathes her blue lightsaber and deflects his blaster bolts. The bounty hunter fires several rapid fire blaster bolts from an arm-mounted weapon. He also tosses several grenades but Gleenu deflects them. When Chita asks where he went, Gleenu replies that he has fled. She warns that those explosions have alerted the other stormtroopers.

Using maintenance shuttles, they reach Chita's starship, which has two large thruster engines. She and Arluu pilot the ship. They are pursued by the bounty hunter. When Chita suggests jumping into hyperspace, Arluu warns that there is an Imperial Star Destroyer blocking their flight path. Gleenu says the bounty hunter has alerted them. When Chita suggests flying around the rear of the Star Destoryer, Arluu advises against it since the warship has deployed several TIE fighters. The pilots change their ship's course as the bounty hunter's ship fires a volley of heat seeking missiles.

They manage to lose the missiles by steering them into a nearby mountain. While flying above the city, they are pursued by TIE fighters. The bounty hunter fires a second volley of missiles. Chita comes up with a plan to destroy the TIE fighters by leading the fighters on a chase with the missiles on their tail. The missiles destroy the TIEs. As they reach the upper atmosphere, Chita takes her starship into hyperspace before the Star Destroyer can block their path. Gleenu smiles.

A new chapter

Following a hyperspace journey, Chita flies her passengers to the Rebel base at Great Temple on Yavin 4. After dropping her passengers off, Chita prepares to leave but Gleenu stops her. Gleenu asks if she is going to leave without getting paid. When Chita asks if Gleenu intends to return to Zenarita, Gleenu gives an affirmative. Chita says that she resents the Empire for messing her homeworld and her family.

Chita asks Gleenu if she is a Jedi. Gleenu confirms she was a Jedi Master who lost her Padawan during the Great Purge. In return for the King of Zenarita granting her refuge, she made a vow to serve Zenarita instead of the Jedi Order. Gleenu said she had to unseal her lightsaber to protect the Prince. They are joined by Prince Arluu, who thanks Gleenu for delaying her departure. Arluu tells Chita that he has another job for her. When Gleenu suggests that he reword his request, he kneels and invites Chita to join their struggle to liberate Zenarita by using her skills as a smuggler. Chita accepts and the trio depart on her starship.

Credits

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Cast Uncredited cast Crew Uncredited crew Special thanks

Cast

Japanese Voice Cast

English Voice Cast

  • Emma Myers as Chita
  • Tanner Buchanan as Arluu
  • Judith Light as Gleenu
  • Cory Yee as Bounty Hunter
  • Adam Sietz as Ba'ken, Stormtrooper
  • Matt Yang King as Goghzun, Stormtrooper
  • Cindy Robinson as Mother
  • A.J. Beckles as Son
  • Earl Baylon as Stormtrooper, Narration
  • Sean Burgos as Stormtrooper

Crew

Appearances

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Characters Organisms Droid models Events Locations
Organizations and titles Sentient species Vehicles and vessels Weapons and technology Miscellanea

Characters

Organisms

Droid models

Events

Locations

Organizations and titles

Sentient species

Vehicles and vessels

Weapons and technology

Miscellanea

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Star-Wars-Visions-series-logo-short Star Wars: Visions — "The Smuggler"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 StarWars.com Why We Love the Unique Stories of Star Wars: Visions on StarWars.com (backup link)
  3. ↑ "The Smuggler" features members of the Rebel Alliance and Yavin 4 Rebel Base, which Star Wars: Timelines establishes formed in 2 BBY and was evacuated in 0 ABY. Therefore, "The Smuggler" must take place between 2 BBY and 0 ABY.
  4. ↑ SWYT-Logo Star Wars Celebration - DAY 3 Replay on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (livestream no longer available)
  5. ↑ Star-Wars-Visions-series-logo-short Star Wars: Visions — "The Elder"
  6. ↑ StarWars.com Anime Expo Lite: 20 Things We Learned from the Star Wars: Visions Panel on StarWars.com (backup link)
  7. ↑ Premium-Era-real Star Wars: Visions Vol. 3 – The Smuggler (Original Soundtrack) on Qobuz (backup link archived on October 31, 2025)
  8. ↑ StarWars.com Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 Cast Announced with New Trailer on StarWars.com (backup link)

External links

Star-Wars-Visions-series-logo
Volume 1: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9
Volume 2: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9
Volume 3: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9
Star Wars: Visions Presents
"The Ninth Jedi"
Books
Ronin (audiobook) · T0-B1
Comics
Manga adaptation (1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · TPB)
Marvel one-shots (1 · 2 · 3 · TPB)
Tsukumo · I Am Your Mother/Aau's Song
Behind the scenes
"Season One Companion" • Filmmaker Focus
The Art of Star Wars: Visions (Volume 1 · Volume 2 )
[edit]


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