With her lightsaber glowing red, Kara flees into the woods. Eesha has been taken prisoner, and only the bounty on Kara’s head can save him. Kwana and his motley crew are considered enemies of the galaxy, and must hide in the shadows. All this and more has happened in the previous episode of The Ninth Jedi. Today, we look at episode 6, immediately following Kara’s panic at seeing the bright red glow of her lightsaber. Join us as we recap the episode’s events and share my thoughts as the story progresses.

Warning: This not a spoiler-friendly review. Please read with caution.

Kara, Imprisoned

As Kara runs through the woods of the planet she thought might be her home, Eesha’s people chase after her. They are determined to capture the young girl and bring her to Nawaam in exchange for Eesha’s life. Kara is unaware that she is being pursued and only runs because she fears she has lost her way. Once she reaches the edge of a cliff, she learns that her small friend has been taken hostage. Once again overcome with emotion, she falls to her knees in despair. Though the natives know that without Kara Eesha faces certain death, they do not take advantage of her state. Instead, they crowd around her and offer her comfort.

Eventually, Kara is taken prisoner on Nawaam’s ship, her other lightsabers given to his men. Eesha is freed, but cries out for his friend as she is taken off the planet. Bee-Toh approaches Kara and informs her that Zhima will soon be captured. He tells her that “Power is power; you’re strong or weak. It’s got nothing to do with justice or evil.” He doesn’t see a difference between Jedi and Sith. While imprisoned, Kara feels discouraged. She is following the Jedi’s teachings, yet everything is going wrong. Juro’s Force ghost appears before her and offers his advice: “Being a Jedi doesn’t mean not having these feelings. As long as you don’t let them control you, you won’t succumb to the dark side.”

Kara learns that the Jedi hunters, Bee-Toh and Eht, plan to use her to draw Zhima out. Using the Force, she removes her still-red lightsaber from a metal box and uses it to escape her cell. Meanwhile, Zhima learns that Nawaam is headed to Hy Izlan. The Kyber Crystal cannon is repaired, but it’s still missing the giant Kyber Cystal. 99-99 tells Ethan, Gramps, Homen, and Kwana of Nawaam’s movements, surprising them all.

Kara vs The Jedi Hunters

Now that Kara is no longer bait, Eht is content with just killing her. He uses mist to get the upper hand. He questions her faith in the force, talking to her through the mist, while Kara must rely on her senses and the force to keep herself safe and deflect his attacks. Unfortunately, with her senses hindered, she does take some damage. Eht reflects on her lightsaber, telling her she looks like a Sith. She remembers Juro’s words to let the Force guide her. And Kara does. She becomes calmer, and is able to react faster. (I like that she takes his words to heart; it shows how close she and Juro were, and how much she respects him.) 

Kara even turns off her lightsaber, only drawing it when Eht shoots in her direction. It’s as if she can read his mind, though in reality, she’s relying on the Force With each masterful strike, her saber begins to turn silver.  When the mist clears, Kara suddenly lunges toward Eht, striking him with the saber. “Never revealing your finishing move; that’s a Jedi for you,” Eht remarks. Kara doesn’t take any joy in defeating her enemy. She just sees it as more blood on her hands. However, she doesn’t have time to reflect because Beeh-Toh steps in to fight her now. 

He lunges towards her with his sword, and Kara deflects with the saber. After a quick battle, she catches him off guard and points her now unsheathed lightsaber at his face. He questions whether she will kill him, but to his surprise, she refuses, not wanting to take anymore lives. Because she has spared him, Bee-Toh now belongs to Kara and will follow her orders from now on. He receives a lightsaber and the promise that he will face a lot of strong foes. That includes Nawaam’s army, and it’s no longer because the Jedi’s teachings are guiding her.

My Review

I highly enjoyed this episode. Though this wasn’t as dark as the previous segment, it was important to have something mostly centered on Kara. Though the others played important roles, it seemed like this was her story more than anyone else’s. The decision to feature Juro’s Force ghost is brilliant. Kara has been through a lot of trauma up to this point. Having her mentor do what he does best—comfort and teach her—truly eases her mind. She learns that the saber turning red is not a sign of her future; it is an expression of the fear, rage, and hatred toward Nawaam and his men. It doesn’t mean she will become a Sith, only that she’s capable of doing so. Kara is an extremely flawed character, but the journey lies in channeling those emotions and not give into the darkness.

I love that she continues to use Juro’s words as a catalyst while fighting Bee-Toh and Eht. In addition to the beautiful, and honestly, frightening, animation of the battle surrounded in mist, Kara shows her growth. She becomes calmer and is able to react faster. Turning off her saber is a risky move, but with Juro and the Force on her side, she repels the dark side masterfully. It is because of this that her saber glows silver, helping her become closer to her father and even Nawaam. This virtuous decision also gains her unexpected ally in the form of Bee-Toh.

Though Kara definitely learns toward the Jedi, she is not above selfish desires. And that is incredible. Her animosity toward Nawaam has become personal, and it is amazing to see her take control for herself, and not for the Jedi before and after her.