In our previous recap of The Ninth Jedi, we got an episode mostly centered on Kara. She panics and fears that her goodness is slipping away as her lightsaber glows red. She successfully fights two powerful enemies after absorbing the wisdom of Juro’s Force ghost. And, best of all, she proves to viewers worldwide that she is a complex character that happens to feel a wide range of emotions. From kindness and rage, to strength and fear, Kara’s nuanced personality helps propel the story forward. Now, we are at the penultimate episode of this exciting, anime-inspired Star Wars series. Join us as Kara and Bee-Toh travel to Hy Izlan and we learn where her journey leads.

Spoilers ahead!

Hy Izlan

Immediately following their brief battle, Kara and her new ally, Bee-Toh, head for Hy Izlan. He plans to present her as his prisoner, should they run into Nawaam, and she won’t have to fight. Right now, Kara doesn’t care. All she wants is to see her father. Kwana, Homen, Gramps, and Ethan arrive at Hy Izlan. As they admire the shining altar, a figure emerges from the shadows. Zhima greets his old friends, and Gramps informs everyone that tons of ships are coming out of hyperspace. Surprisingly, they are friendly and contain Lady Tafflah and Dunbai.

Finally, one last craft arrives, and Kara steps out. As soon as she sees Zhima, Kara runs into his open embrace, crying as emotion overtakes her. The moment is short-lived when they notice Bee-Toh; Kara defends her new friend when her father unsheathes his lightsaber. Though Zhima is still wary, Bee-Toh shows him the saber Kara had gifted him. The blue glow is enough of an answer of his loyalty. Zhima apologize to Kwana and Lady Tafflah for keeping secrets for all these years. He believed he was alone and could not reveal his true motives to them. However, as an older man, he reflects on the incident and realizes that he could have counted on them. After returning Ethan’s lightsaber, Kara gives him the wrapped gift from Juro, which contains his own. Lady Tafflah receives the last, but doesn’t believe she should accept it. “I’m sure this is what Juro would’ve wanted,” Kara reassures her.

Zhima and Kara manage to connect even further, if only for a few minutes. He reveals he never wanted this life for her, especially because of the heartbreaking choices she was forced to make. He reflects, once again, on what happened with Nawaam, and believes that if he hadn’t killed Reno, Nawaam would’ve become a kind and great Jedi.

The Enemy Arrives

Moments later, Nawaam’s ship arrives. He orders his men to activate the tractor beam in search of the large Kyber Crystal he needs. Gennoh, driven by revenge, wants to retrieve the Crystal and kill Zhima. Zhima’s plan is to destroy the ship from the inside. He passes this duty to the others—including Kara, whom he tells to live an honest life—while he defends the temple and the Crystal. We learn that it has a high purity grade, which makes it even more dangerous. If activated within the cannon, it won’t just destroy its target; it will also obliterate everything in its line of fire.

As the Defense Fleet gets ready to attack Nawaam’s fortress, Lady Tafflah address the soldiers. “The fate of the galaxy depends upon this battle,” she says. “The future is in your hands”.

An Intense Battle

Shots immediately fire from both fleets. Despite the magnitude from Nawaam’s army, the Defense Squad manages to hold their own against him. Gennoh approaches Zhima in the temple, ready to end the man who he believes ruined his humanity. The older man tries to persuade him not to go after the Crystal, but he isn’t swayed, forcing Zhima into battle. He learns quickly that Gennoh’s new upgrades are not just for looks. He can track Zhima’s every move. In addition to a lightsaber, he also has spears and even a blaster, which stuns Zhima. This may be too much for the sabersmith to handle.

Kara and her gang head for the ship, and a giant droid appears to block them. It’s barrier reflects light and saber attacks, which makes fighting it extremely difficult. While the others feel the battle is hopeless, Kara does not allowed herself to give up. Instead, she notices the droid’s movements. It has trouble maintaining the shield against a barrage of attacks, and it’s only a matter of time before it shuts down. As Zhima fights Gennoh and Kara takes on the droid, father and daughter’s both glow silver. Zhima, finding a new burst of inspiration, lunges at Gennoh, his movements fluid and stabs him through the chest. Kara avoids the blasts from the droid, and once the explosions clear, she is already on top of it, her lightsaber going straight through it. Both the Gennoh and the droid fall at the same time.

Despite this impressive show of power, Zhima is unable to protect the temple. Bohz destroys it, and with the tractor beam, takes the Kyber Crystal. Zhima doesn’t have time to reunite with his daughter. He orders his team to destroy the cannon before its too late. While they do that, he plans to fight Nawaam and end it once and for all.

My Review

I just have to say wow! Things are truly heating up. Though the battles are clearly amazing—the animation as Gennoh and Zhima clash is awe-inspiring— the highlight is the reunion. It’s so heartwarming to see Kara and Zhima reconnect, and it’s easy to get emotional when she cries in her father’s embrace. I truly appreciate that the showrunners decided to spend some time on this scene before going back into the action. After all, we and Kara have been waiting for it for six episodes!

Now, we definitely have to talk about the action scenes, because they are incredible. When Gennoh reveals his new completely-droid body, I was astounded. His design is so cool, and honestly, it puts General Grievous in mind. For a moment, we can truly believe he will overpower Zhima, and Kara will lose another important person. The decision to parallel Zhima and Kara is probably one of the best the animators have made so far. We can totally see the connection between father and daughter as their sabers glow identically. It’s almost as if the reunion has inspired them, as if they are feeding off each other’s energy and strength. It was awesome seeing Gennoh and the droid fall at the same time; not just because it was beautiful aesthetically-speaking, but also because it reinforces the deep bond between Kara and Zhima.