Lah Zhima

On the Outer Rim planet of Hy Izlan, lived Lah Zhima, a sabersmith of great renown. He crafted lightsabers using kyber crystals for the margrave, Juro. Lah Kara, Zhima's daughter, resided with him on the same planet. As promised, Zhima completed the construction of eight lightsabers for the margrave in time, carefully tempering each crystal to ensure that the color and length would be determined by the Jedi wielding it. He explained this to Kara after finishing the eighth saber, acknowledging her potential and initiating her training in the Force.

However, on that particular day, a starship carrying Sith Jedi hunters appeared. Zhima promptly entrusted all the lightsabers to Kara, instructing her to deliver them to the Aerial Temple in orbit around the planet. Juro had been recruiting Jedi hopefuls to this temple, hoping to reestablish the [Jedi Order](/article/jedi_order], hence the need for the lightsabers. Kara questioned why her father would not be making the delivery himself, to which he responded that he would be "looking after the guests," even though they were not his guests. He embraced her, acting as if it was their last goodbye, which further surprised her. As two hunters barged through the door demanding his identity, Kara fled. He confirmed who he was. They accused him of illegally manufacturing lightsabers, an accusation he did not deny.

Upon being informed of his impending capture, Zhima resisted. After checking to ensure Kara was a safe distance away, he redirected the hunters' blaster fire into his oven, causing his workshop to explode along with the hunters. However, the explosion was not powerful enough, and all three survived. Kara witnessed her father being dragged away by the hunters. He pleaded with her to flee upon seeing her, and she complied, escaping on a speeder while being pursued by one of the hunters. The remaining hunter then took Zhima away.

When Kara spoke of her father to the Jedi recruits at the Aerial Temple, it piqued their interest, as they were awaiting the arrival of the lightsabers. Upon Kara's presentation of the lightsabers, they eagerly accepted them. However, most of the recruits were revealed to be Sith, not Jedi, as indicated by their lightsabers turning red.

During the ensuing lightsaber duel, one of the Sith revealed to Kara that Lah Zhima had been taken to a distant star system and that she would never see him again. She also stated that any attempts at rescue would be futile. Despite being outnumbered, Juro, Kara, and the only two genuine Jedi recruits, Ethan and Homen, managed to win the duel. Juro explained to Kara that he had only recently discovered that Sith had been sent in place of several Jedi, which was how they had learned of Zhima's lightsaber crafting skills. He apologized for his inability to intervene during his capture but promised to assist Kara in rescuing him.

Zhima shared a loving bond with his daughter; she was his world, and he was hers. He was prepared to sacrifice himself for her, urging her to flee during his capture. He was a human male characterized by fair skin, black hair, and gray eyes.

As a renowned lightsaber-smith, Zhima successfully crafted all eight lightsabers on schedule and ensured that each lightsaber would respond uniquely to its user. Furthermore, he possessed the ability to deflect blaster fire utilizing the Force.

Zhima employed a hammer when working with kyber crystals, among other tools in his workshop. When activated, his lightsaber emitted a blue blade. He typically wore simple, gray clothing with overalls, complemented by a white bandana.

Lah Zhima was conceived for the Star Wars: Visions short film "The Ninth Jedi," which premiered on September 22, 2021. Prior to the film's release, Zhima's character was unveiled concurrently in both the original Japanese trailer for the series, uploaded to the official Star Wars YouTube channel on August 17 of that year, and in the English dub trailer released on the same day. His identity was confirmed that same day in a StarWars.com article detailing the series' cast. He was voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in the original Japanese version and by Simu Liu in the English dub. In The Art of Star Wars: Visions, a 2022 reference book authored by Zack Davisson, Zhima's name was incorrectly spelled as "Lar Zhima."

Josh Rimes, the executive producer, described Zhima's profession and lightsabers as unique to "The Ninth Jedi," setting them apart from anything "seen before in Star Wars." Kenji Kamiyama, the film's writer and director, aimed for the lightsabers to have a fresh feel. The concept of including a blacksmith character was among Kamiyama's initial ideas for "The Ninth Jedi," as he was intrigued by the notion of a non-Jedi individual capable of crafting a lightsaber, drawing inspiration from Japanese swords and swordsmiths. In designing Zhima's character, Kamiyama and character designer Tetsuya Nishio took cues from traditional Japanese attire, with the exception of his hammer, which had a more Western design. Although canonically, Jedi typically constructed their own lightsabers, Zhima's presence was a result of the creative freedom granted to the Visions creators in telling their desired story.