An unlikely duo come together in Studio Mir's high-octane tale.
Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 is here! New episodes of the anthology series are now streaming on Disney+, featuring original shorts from some of the world’s best animation studios. In Visions Revisited, StarWars.com picks the greatest moments from each short.
Spoiler warning: This article discusses story details from the Star Wars: Visions episode “Journey to the Dark Head."
Balance can come in many forms.
For Star Wars: Visions Volume 2, Studio Mir has created “Journey to the Dark Head,” an unpredictable tale of a two unlikely partners: a haunted young Jedi named Toul, and Ara, a mechanic determined to end the war between the Jedi and the Sith. Ara believes that by cutting off the head of a giant “dark” statue, she can accomplish her goal; Toul is ordered to join her, and the experience brings both a greater understanding of the world around them and themselves. Here are five highlights from director Hyeong Geun Park’s “Journey to the Dark Head,” now streaming on Disney+.
1. Gazing into the cobbles.
When we meet Ara, she’s partaking in some sort of ritual on a planet called Dolgarak, seeing prophetic images in the reflections of cobble stones. Ara wants to relay these visions to the Jedi in order to help them defeat the Sith, but the elder in charge will not allow it. This only encourages the girl more, who looks to the temple’s two giant statues and wonders if they could end the conflict by cutting off “the dark head.” Aside from successfully throwing us into the world of “Journey to the Dark Head,” we quickly learn that Ara has a rebel spirit. And it perfectly sets up the next scene, featuring an older Ara lobbying the Jedi Council to approve of her mission.
2. Toul’s vision.
As Toul meditates, he falls back into the death of his master and other Jedi at the hand of a Sith. It’s an unsettling, violent sequence, and Toul clearly has some unfinished business. Following the introduction of Ara and her desire to aid the Jedi, it helps illustrate the war’s tragedies in a personal way.
3. When Toul met Ara.
These two don’t seem to like each other, and like being paired together even less. But for the viewer, the exchange of barbs — “…it would be a lot easier if you weren’t here” — is fantastic.
4. Battle on the speeder.
Atop a racing speeder driven by Ara, Toul faces Bichan, the Sith who killed his master. As the vehicle continues to climb one of the statues, the battle grows more intense, with Toul clearly unhinged. It turns out this only round one of their rematch, but it’s heart-racing.
5. “We make a pretty good team.”
With Bichan vanquished, Toul comes to a greater understanding of himself. And though Ara did not sever the head of the statue or end the war, she too gains a sense of peace thanks to Toul’s consoling words. Ultimately, this odd couple brought balance to each other, even if they could not bring it to the galaxy. Let’s hope we see them together on another mission someday.
