Star Wars: Visions: The Ninth Jedi Director Explains New Villain Nawam's Blue Lightsaber
The deliberate choice of a blue lightsaber for a Vader-like villain signals a narrative twist, as the show's lightsabers change color based on the wielder's Force and qualities, suggesting Nawam may not be a straightforward Sith.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime Anime.
Director Toshihisa Tada revealed that Nawam, the new villain in Star Wars: Visions: The Ninth Jedi, wields a blue lightsaber to create surprise, breaking the Sith red convention. The character's design, including a Japanese-style helmet, was developed with Naruto character designer Tetsuya Nishio, who produced seven or eight helmet designs.
Director Toshihisa Tada said the team prioritized respect for Darth Vader when creating Nawam, the new antagonist in Star Wars: Visions: The Ninth Jedi. He noted that Vader's helmet was designed by George Lucas with that motif in mind, making it difficult to design a similar yet distinct enemy.
To incorporate Japanese elements, Tada worked with Tetsuya Nishio, the character designer for the Naruto series, who produced seven or eight helmet designs. The final look gives Nawam a Japanese-style helmet akin to Vader's.
Tada also explained that Nawam's blue lightsaber is intentional. In the first episode, Nawam uses it to defeat a spy, and the director wanted viewers to think, "It's not red. Wait, he looks like Vader but isn't a Sith?" This choice aims to create surprise and capture the audience's attention, as lightsabers in the show change color based on the wielder's Force and qualities.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.