Editing Star Wars sources and analogues (section)

===Film and television===

*Lucas has specifically cited the fact that he became acquainted with the term ''[[jidaigeki]]'' ("period drama", the Japanese genre of samurai films) while in Japan, and it is widely assumed that he took inspiration for the term [[Jedi]] from this.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wickman |first1=Forrest |title=Star Wars Is a Postmodern Masterpiece |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/cover_story/2015/12/star_wars_is_a_pastiche_how_george_lucas_combined_flash_gordon_westerns.html |journal=Slate |date=13 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="sanctuary">{{cite web|url=http://www.jedisanctuary.org/history.php |title=History of the Jedi & The Jedi Religion |publisher=Jedi Sanctuary |first=Jedi M. |last=Duggan |access-date=2007-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630190015/http://www.jedisanctuary.org/history.php |archive-date=2007-06-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="docu">''[[Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed]]'' on [[History (U.S. TV channel)|The History Channel]], (May 28, 2007)</ref>
* The costume for Darth Vader was visually inspired by the character "The Lightning" in the [[Republic Pictures]] [[Serial (film)|serial]] ''[[The Fighting Devil Dogs]]''. The Lightning also had an army of white-armored stormtroopers and flew through the sky in a large triangular airship (the "flying wing").
* Darth Vader's need to wear his helmet to breathe recalls the oxygen helmets of the underground-dwelling Muranians in the 1935 Mascot serial ''[[The Phantom Empire]]'', which are required by the caped Thunder Riders to be able to breathe on the surface.
* ''[[The Phantom Menace]]'' features a pod racing action sequence. This entire sequence is inspired by the famous chariot race of ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben Hur]]''. The climactic moment when Sebulba's Pod attaches itself to Anakin's Pod mimics, almost shot for shot, the climactic moment of the scene in ''Ben Hur'' when Messala accidentally locks wheels with Ben Hur. Lines, scenes and themes from Ben-Hur had already previously influenced the Star Wars films. The conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire is comparable to the earlier film's depiction of the historical Roman-Jewish conflict of the time, with an ascendant Roman Empire, represented by Messala, threatening to wipe out the Jewish rebels and send them extinct. The same Chariot sequence also inspired parts of the Endor speeder chase in Return of the Jedi, which also includes a sequence where two speeders accidentally interlock. The film's famous early line "The Emperor is displeased, he wishes Judea be made into a more obedient province!" significantly influenced dialogue in all Original Trilogy Star Wars films, with the first four words, in particular, is frequently directly quoted in relation to Star Wars Emperor Palpatine character.
* Lucas has also cited [[John Ford]]'s ''[[The Searchers (film)|The Searchers]]'' and [[David Lean]]'s ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' as references for the style—if not the story—used in the films. A more direct homage to ''Lawrence of Arabia'' occurs in ''[[Attack of the Clones]]'', as Padme and Anakin talk while walking around the Theed palace on [[Naboo]]. It was filmed at the Plaza de España in [[Seville, Spain]], which in ''Lawrence of Arabia'' was the site of the British Army headquarters in Cairo, and was shot in an exact manner as the scene in ''Lawrence of Arabia'' where Allenby ([[Jack Hawkins]]) and Dryden ([[Claude Rains]]) discuss whether to give artillery to Lawrence's Arab troops. In the same film, Padme and Anakin also retreat to an estate called Varykino – the name of the Gromeko family estate in ''[[Doctor Zhivago (film)|Doctor Zhivago]]''.  (Some{{who|date=May 2011}} also have considered [[Tom Courtenay]]'s Pasha/Strelnikov character from ''Zhivago'' as an inspiration for Anakin/Darth Vader, but the similarities are likely coincidental.) Similarly, the chase sequence with Zam Wesell on Coruscant likely references ''[[Blade Runner]]''; Lucas based many of the Coruscant cityscapes on Los Angeles in 2019. A reference to ''The Searchers'' occurs in ''Star Wars'', when Luke discovers the burning moisture farm, while the Tusken Raiders sequence in ''Attack of the Clones'' recalls the climax of ''The Searchers''. Han's showdown with Greedo in ''Star Wars'' resembles a scene in another John Ford movie, ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]''.
* Lucas is also a fan of [[Sergio Leone]]'s film ''[[Once Upon a Time in the West]]'', and according to Leone's biographer, [[Christopher Frayling]], he listened to the score from Leone's film while editing ''The Empire Strikes Back''. Many{{who|date=May 2011}} have considered Vader's first appearance in ''A New Hope'' as being an "homage" to the introduction of [[Henry Fonda]]'s villainous Frank in the Leone film.
* The death scene of [[Yoda]] in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' is taken almost shot-for-shot from the death scene of the similarly mystical High Lama in [[Frank Capra]]'s ''[[Lost Horizon (1937 film)|Lost Horizon]]'' (Yoda and the High Lama also both share a diminutive form and odd cadence of speech).
* The attack on the [[Death Star]] in the climax of the film ''A New Hope'' is similar in many respects to the strategy of [[Operation Chastise]] from the 1954 British film, ''[[The Dam Busters (film)|The Dam Busters]]''.  Rebel pilots have to fly through a trench while evading enemy fire and drop a single special weapon at a precise distance from the target to destroy the entire base with a single explosion; if one run fails another run must be made by a different pilot. Some scenes from the ''A New Hope'' climax are similar to those in ''The Dam Busters'' and some of the dialogue is nearly identical in the two films. These scenes are also heavily influenced by the action scenes from the fictional wartime film ''[[633 Squadron]]''. That film's finale shows the squadron's planes flying down a deep [[fjord]] while being fired at along the way by anti-aircraft guns lining its sides. George Lucas has stated in interviews that this sequence inspired the 'trench run' sequence in ''Star Wars''.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=XCc570mFQtk |title=STAR WARS Breakdown! A New Hope Analysis & Details You Missed {{!}} Wookieeleaks |date=2019-11-17 |last=New Rockstars |access-date=2025-03-23 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
*[[Francis Ford Coppola]] – Lucas based the friendship between Luke Skywalker and Han Solo on his own friendship with Francis Ford Coppola. In ''Revenge of the Sith'', during Anakin's massacre on Mustafar, the slaughter of the Separatist Council and the declaration of the Galactic Empire are reminiscent of the montage of massacres during the christening scene of ''[[The Godfather]]'', a film directed by Coppola. They are similar in that the christening of one (the baby and the Empire) with the death of a group of others (the other dons and the Separatists).<ref name="Christian">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Christianity Today]]|title=Movies Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/starwars3.html|access-date=2008-05-17 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080508031043/http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/starwars3.html |archive-date = May 8, 2008}}</ref> Post-Lucas director Rian Johnson inspired one of the final shots of ''[[The Last Jedi]]'' where the Millennium Falcon door closes, on the final scene of ''The Godfather'' where a door closes on Michael Corleone.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Orquiola |first1=John |title=10 Secrets Lucasfilm Just Revealed About The Last Jedi |url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-8-secrets-easter-eggs/ |website=ScreenRant |date=12 January 2018}}</ref> While, Lucas wanted the sequel trilogy Luke Skywalker inspired on the cynic Colonel Kurtz from Coppolla's "Apocalypse Now".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Seddon |first1=Dan |title=George Lucas also planned to kill Luke in his Star Wars sequel trilogy |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a34366993/star-wars-george-lucas-kill-luke-skywalker/ |website=Digital Spy |date=14 October 2020}}</ref>
* The [[Maschinenmensch]] – the robot in [[Fritz Lang]]'s 1927 film ''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]'' – inspired the look of C-3PO, although the Maschinenmensch is a [[gynoid]] whereas C-3PO has masculine programming.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=XCc570mFQtk |title=STAR WARS Breakdown! A New Hope Analysis & Details You Missed {{!}} Wookieeleaks |date=2019-11-17 |last=New Rockstars |access-date=2025-03-23 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
* [[Ray Harryhausen]] used [[stop motion|stop motion animation]] to create a mechanical owl, Bubo, in ''[[Clash of the Titans (1981 film)|Clash of the Titans]]'' (1981). Despite Bubo's similarities (Bubo is metallic and expresses by whistling and rotating its head) to the [[droid (Star Wars)|droid]] [[R2-D2]] of the 1977 film ''Star Wars'', Harryhausen claimed Bubo was created before ''Star Wars'' was released.<ref>[[Ray Harryhausen]] and [[Tony Dalton]], ''Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life'', page 270 (London: [[Aurum Press]] Ltd, 2003) {{ISBN|1-85410-940-5}}.</ref>
* Lucas used the term ''[[the Force]] '' to "echo" its use by cinematographer [[Roman Kroitor]] in ''[[21-87]]'' (1963), in which Kroitor says, "Many people feel that in the contemplation of nature and in communication with other living things, they become aware of some kind of force, or something, behind this apparent mask which we see in front of us, and they call it God".<ref name="mythologyofsw">''[[The Mythology of Star Wars]]'' (2000 documentary)</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=XCc570mFQtk |title=STAR WARS Breakdown! A New Hope Analysis & Details You Missed {{!}} Wookieeleaks |date=2019-11-17 |last=New Rockstars |access-date=2025-03-23 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Although Lucas had Kroitor's line in mind specifically, Lucas said the underlying sentiment is universal and that "similar phrases have been used extensively by many different people for the last 13,000 years".<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.wired.com/2005/05/lucas-2/|title=Life After Darth|last=Silberman|first=Steve|date=May 1, 2005|journal=[[Wired (website)|Wired]]|access-date=May 23, 2016}}</ref>

====Akira Kurosawa====
{{Main|Remakes of films by Akira Kurosawa}}

[[Akira Kurosawa]] films:
* ''[[The Hidden Fortress]]'' (1958) {{ndash}} ''A New Hope'' features the exploits of [[C-3PO]] and [[R2-D2]], whereas the plot of ''The Hidden Fortress'' is told from the point of view of two bickering peasants.  The two peasants, Tahei and Matashichi, are first shown escaping a battle, while C-3PO and R2-D2 are first shown fleeing an attack in ''A New Hope''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=David |date=2021-09-09 |title=Star Wars: Every Kurosawa Reference & Homage In Movies & Shows Explained |url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-movies-shows-akira-kurosawa-influences-references-explained/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, both films feature a battle-tested General – Rokurota Makabe in ''The Hidden Fortress'' and [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] in ''A New Hope'' – who assist a rebellion led by a princess and engage in a duel with a former rival whom they fought years earlier.  Lucas also features many horizontal [[Wipe (transition)|wipe]] scene transitions in ''Star Wars'', a technique used thoroughly by Kurosawa in his films.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=David |date=2021-09-09 |title=Star Wars: Every Kurosawa Reference & Homage In Movies & Shows Explained |url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-movies-shows-akira-kurosawa-influences-references-explained/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref> Similarly, the Princess trades places with a slave girl in ''The Hidden Fortress'', with the slave girl acting as a decoy for the real Princess. In ''The Phantom Menace'', [[Queen Amidala]] trades places with one of her handmaidens who acts as a decoy.
* ''[[Yojimbo (film)|Yojimbo]]'' (1961) inspired the brawl scene in the Cantina. Its sequel ''[[Sanjuro]]'' (1962) inspired the hiding-under-the-floor trick.<ref name="InspirationsLucas">{{cite web|last=Robey|first=Tim|title=10 films that influenced Star Wars|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/star-wars/10817059/10-films-that-influenced-Star-Wars.html|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=May 10, 2014|date=May 8, 2014}}</ref>
**"A Fistful of Dollars" which is Sergio Leone's first film in ''[[Dollars trilogy]]'', is an unofficial remake of the Kurosawa film "Yojimbo", that also inspired George Lucas. Clint Eastwood's cowboy character without a name, also inspired the post-Lucas created main character of ''The Mandalorian'', and also the Lucas created character [[Cad Bane]] from ''The Clone Wars'' animated series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/mandalorian-creator-jon-favreau-talks-shows-inspiration-personal/story?id=67023193|title = 'The Mandalorian' creator Jon Favreau talks show's inspiration, 'personal connection' to filmmaking|website = [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref> (Though the episode "[[Hostage Crisis (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)|Hostage Crisis]]" that introduced [[Cad Bane]], has the character also inspired on [[Hans Gruber (character)|Hans Gruber]], the villain of ''[[Die Hard]]'', with its plot also being a loose remake of the Bruce Willis film).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=Bryan |title=The Cinema Behind Star Wars: Die Hard |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/the-cinema-behind-star-wars-die-hard |website=Star Wars |date=8 December 2014}}</ref>
***''[[Django (1966 film)|Django]]'' another unofficial western remake of ''[[Yojimbo]]'', inspired Lucas on the name of his character [[Jango Fett]].{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}
* ''[[Dersu Uzala (1975 film)|Dersu Uzala]]'' (1975), just two years before the first ''Star Wars'' movie, there are two scenes that bear a striking resemblance to scenes in ''Star Wars''. The first is the Captain and Dersu looking out over the horizon, seeing both the setting sun and the rising moon at the same time. This is much like when Luke Skywalker stares out on the sky with binary suns in ''A New Hope''. The other scene is when Dersu and the Captain are suddenly caught in a blizzard, and they have to quickly build a shelter to spend the night, to survive the cold. The Captain collapses from the cold and Dersu has to drag and stuff him into the shelter. This is similar to the scene in ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' where Han Solo cuts a tauntaun open with Luke's [[lightsaber]] and stuffs the unconscious Luke into it, when they get caught in a blizzard on the snow planet [[Hoth]]. A similar moment using a horse, happens in  ''[[The Revenant (2015 film)]]'', than won an Oscar to Leonardo DiCaprio for playing 1700s frontier man [[Hugh Glass]].
*''[[Rashomon]]'' (1950): On ''[[The Last Jedi]]'' (2017), from post-George Lucas director [[Rian Johnson]]. The [[Rashomon effect]], is described on the part where Rey is told by Luke, a description of how he considered murdering his nephew Ben Solo in his sleep, due to feeling his inevitable fall to the dark side of The Force. Then Solo, who by that point had renamed himself as Kylo Ren, tells his perspective, which causes Luke to tell a third perspective of the event. All whom cause a reinterpretation of a similar event in ''Return of the Jedi''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=Bryan |title=How The Last Jedi got Luke Skywalker right |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/how-the-last-jedi-got-luke-skywalker-right |website=SYFY WIRE |language=en |date=31 January 2018}}</ref>
*''[[Seven Samurai]]'' also inspired an episode of ''[[Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 TV series)|The Clone Wars]]'' animated series, and the first ''Star Wars'' comic with an original plot, that wasn't adapted from the film. ''The Mandalorian'' released its "[[Chapter 4: Sanctuary]]" has also been compared to ''[[Seven Samurai]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=Bryan |title=The Cinema Behind Star Wars: Seven Samurai |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/the-cinema-behind-star-wars-seven-samurai |website=Star Wars |date=24 June 2013}}</ref>

====''Star Trek''====
{{Main|Comparison of Star Trek and Star Wars}}
[[George Lucas]] claims he became a fan of ''Star Trek'' when [[Star Trek: The Original Series|the original series]] broadcast in the late 1960s which played an influence on the development of ''Star Wars'' in 1977.{{clarify|date=December 2015}} Lucas claimed he also visited ''Star Trek'' conventions.<ref>[[Trek Nation]] (2010 documentary)</ref> The filmmaker amazed [[Clint Howard]] by, during an audition, immediately citing his role 15 years earlier as [[Balok]] from "[[The Corbomite Maneuver]]". Howard said that he wanted to yell "[[Get a life (idiom)|Get a life]]" at the filmmaker.<ref>''Star Trek: Communicator'' issue 115, p. 65</ref><ref>''[[Star Trek Monthly]]'' issue 49, p. 51</ref><ref name="stc20180726">{{Cite web |date=2023-07-25 |title=Clint Howard Talks Discovery, STLV |url=https://www.startrek.com/news/clint-howard-talks-discovery-stlv |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=StarTrek.com |language=en}}</ref>

====The original films' influence on the franchise after Disney buys Lucasfilm====
Following the sale of Lucasfilm to [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], and the release of the 2015 film ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]'', a Whatculture.com writer noticed the film bore many parallels and similar plot beats to ''A New Hope''.<ref name="Whatculture.com">{{cite web|url=http://whatculture.com/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens-10-ways-its-a-remake-of-a-new-hope |title=Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 10 Ways It's A Remake Of A New Hope |publisher=Whatculture.com |date=December 18, 2015 |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> [[McGill University]] computer science professor Derek Ruths ran an algorithm that found that, while it was not a one to one translation (for instance, Rey and Kylo Ren did not mirror Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader), the script mirrored ''A New Hope'' a lot in the way that each film's characters were grouped.<ref name="McFarland">{{cite magazine|last=McFarland |first=Kevin |url=https://www.wired.com/2016/03/mapping-star-wars-force-awakens-characters/ |title=The Force Awakens and A New Hope Are More Similar Than You Think |magazine=Wired |date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref>