Star Wars Officially Brings Back Rey's Replacement As Disney Moves Away From Canon

Disney’s Star Wars officially has a non-canon replacement for Rey Skywalker, and she’ll be moving the franchise further into Legends than ever before. Though many fans consider Rey one of the best Star Wars characters ever created, she’s had a very divisive history with the franchise. The sequel trilogy of Star Wars movies were inconsistent and controversial, she hasn’t appeared since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, and the next upcoming Star Wars film, Starfighter, won’t include her yet again.

Star Wars canon is, to an extent, moving away from Rey through movies like The Mandalorian and Grogu and shows like Maul – Shadow Lord. Rey will eventually be a big part of the franchise again thanks to movies like New Jedi Order and Simon Kinberg’s upcoming trilogy, but for now, Disney and Lucasfilm are giving her a break. The franchise is more interested in other characters and other parts of the Star Wars timeline.

The non-canon continuity Star Wars Legends is reinventing her. The most recent addition Disney has made to Legends, Star Wars: Visions, introduced a character who essentially acts as Rey’s replacement, Lah Kara. Since Visions is an anthology series, however, Lah Kara has only appeared in two half-hour episodes of television. Luckily, she and Legends as a whole are making a huge comeback in 2026.

The Ninth Jedi Is Bringing Back Star Wars Legends’ Rey Replacement

Lah Kara is set to return later this year thanks to the spinoff series Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi. That spinoff series will continue Lah Kara’s journey and cement her as a non-canon alternative to Rey. Like Rey, Kara is on a mission to rebuild the Jedi Order after they were destroyed. She has to save her father, who was captured by Sith bounty hunters, first, but she’ll finally get a chance to start rebuilding in The Ninth Jedi.

The Ninth Jedi is also quickly approaching. It’s the next upcoming Star Wars show before Ahsoka season 2 returns in 2027, and Star Wars even screened the first episode of The Ninth Jedi at Anime Expo. Most importantly, the first trailer for The Ninth Jedi is set to be released today (via Star Wars). That should give fans more information about Lah Kara’s journey, what to expect out of the series, and hopefully a release date for the show.

The Ninth Jedi may not be canon, but it’s basically a test-run for the same kind of story Rey’s next movie will tell. There are some big differences, but Lah Kara has to rebuild the Jedi and figure out how to change them for a new galaxy, just as Rey will. Most importantly, The Ninth Jedi is also set to tell the story fans have been waiting for since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Fans want to see the future of the Star Wars timeline and the galaxy far, far away, and Legends, not canon, is diving into it first.

The Ninth Jedi Could Change The Future Of Star Wars Television

Kara wielding a green lightsaber as the Ninth Jedi in Star Wars: Visions Volume 1

The Ninth Jedi is a big moment for Star Wars: Visions and Rey, but it may have an even broader impact on the franchise. The Ninth Jedi could change the future of Star Wars television. Star Wars shows have taken a huge hit; after dozens of seasons of live-action and animated shows from 2019 to 2025, The Ninth Jedi, Ahsoka season 2, and Maul – Shadow Lord season 2 are the only projects left on the horizon.

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If it does well and becomes popular with viewers, The Ninth Jedi could give Star Wars television a new direction. The franchise could explore more 2D animated shows as opposed to the 3D style of The Clone Wars. Disney and Lucasfilm could also lean more heavily into non-canon Legends storylines or spinoffs of other Star Wars: Visions stories, like The Village Bride or The Duel.

A lot is riding on The Ninth Jedi and Star Wars: Visions. If it’s a hit, it could revitalize Star Wars‘ TV efforts and give the franchise a massive source of fresh and novel stories to tell. It could even give fans a renewed interest in Rey and the sequel trilogy, if fans resonate with the rebuilding of the Jedi Order enough. If it’s not as popular, it could be the final push Disney and Lucasfilm need to solidify their decision to return to Star Wars movies.