Japanese references in Star Wars

It is almost impossible to find someone who has never seen or heard of Star Wars. After all, it is one of the biggest film franchises in history and has been part of the lives of millions of fans for decades. But did you know that you can find several references to Japan and Japanese culture in Star Wars?

Star Wars draws on many peoples and cultures from around the world, as well as different historical periods, but the most obvious influences are the ones linked to Japanese culture. One of the most recognizable examples is Darth Vader's helmet, which was designed with the original shape of the kabuto, the helmet worn by samurai, in mind.

This is one of the best-known examples of saga elements inspired by Japanese culture. There are also many other characters, names, and costumes in the franchise connected to Japan, and in this article we will show you the main Japanese references found in Star Wars.

We also recommend reading our article about Star Wars quotes in Japanese.

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Darth Vader and the samurai

Let's start with the most famous character in the saga, who carries many samurai references: Darth Vader. When designing the character, director George Lucas and art director Ralph McQuarrie discussed how the villain should look.

Inspired by Japanese samurai, they decided that in addition to the helmet, he would also wear a mask inspired by a type of metal mask called menpo. These masks were reserved for some of Japan's most respected warriors and were often shaped like demons, fierce animals, or spirits.

He also wears a cloak similar to those used by samurai to confuse enemies in battle, making it harder to read a fighter's movement and predict attacks.

The martial arts

When it comes to the martial arts used in the films, the samurai influence appears again. The Jedi are similar to samurai in several ways, such as their total obedience to a master and their almost spiritual bond with the weapon used in battle. Beyond that, the fighting style used by the Jedi follows the same overall spirit as the one associated with the samurai.

We are talking about kendo, the martial art that appears both in Star Wars and in samurai tradition. This martial art reached its peak in Japan between the Kamakura and Muromachi eras, and it was used by the samurai for spiritual and mental refinement. Those traits are also essential for a Jedi.

Anyone who practices kendo can recognize several of the movements used by the characters in the films. For example, Lord Vader often attacks from a stance called hasso, where the sword is held close to the head. Other stances seen with characters such as Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan, and Luke include chudan, jodan, gedan, and waki. Even the way the lightsaber is held resembles descriptions from Japanese martial arts.

Queen Amidala

The Japanese influence in The Phantom Menace shaped the look of several characters, especially Queen Amidala, played by Natalie Portman, who later becomes Anakin's wife and the mother of Leia and Luke Skywalker.

Her choice of clothing, a gray kimono, was not random. The costume helps turn the meeting between Queen Amidala and Senator Palpatine into a more ceremonial scene. With it, Amidala projects the image of a sovereign queen.

Paul Engelen, head of the makeup team for the film, described the character's look by saying that many influences were combined to create it. The oriental appearance stands out: the white base, the red mouth, and the elaborate hairstyle, which all evoke a geisha.

Darth Maul

The last character on our list is a favorite for fans around the world: Darth Maul, played by Ray Park. Even before his debut, he was already a success in Japan, where it was easy to find T-shirts, figures, and many other items connected to him.

But the secret behind that success lies more in his visual design than in the character's attitude. The striking black and red markings, together with the many horns around his head, make Maul look almost like a demon. And in Japan, demons are closely associated with oni masks.

The oni masks came from an old Japanese legend that said people who died without proper funeral rites would become demons.

The word was also used to describe people who were not followers of Buddhism or who committed the sin of gluttony. Those who did so would fall into the hell of hunger and become a gaki, that is, an oni of hunger.