Are the Jedi based on the Samurai?

The Jedi have a lot in common with the Samurai - code of honor, wore robes, very disciplined, both used a type of sword styled weapon for protection, meditation, guardians where they lived, wiped out by modern society using more advanced weapons, etc.

On the other hand the sith are like the ninja - most of them wore black clothing, used deception, hid in the shadows, used a different style of weapon (similar to the Samurai), mostly on the darkside commonly being paid off to kill people, used a different style of martial arts (more for attack than self defense), etc.

Just wondering if anybody else had thought about this.

 

The Japanese term for "samurai film" is "jidai geki." "Jidai" means "period." "Jidai geki" means "period piece" or "costume drama" and loosely refers to samurai films. Either GL thought that "jidai geki" literally means "samurai film" and thus confused "jidai" for "samurai," or knew "samurai film" was a paraphrase and simply thought that "jidai" sounded cool.

 

The Book - Magic of Myth covers this as has GL in interviews about the Classic Trilogy.

The whole philosophical aspect of living in the moment of a Samurai is emulated in a Jedi -who doesn't live for a future with possessions and attachment.

They serve higher masters for the purpose of good/peace and order.

The robes are designed directly off the designs of a Samrurai.

Ninja were predominately former Samurai who employed darker techniques as mentioned and they did not act for justice but for their own agenda.

These parallels are soooo Jedi/Sith that it's surely some of the inspiration for GL.

Jedi also were referred to as Peacemakers in the Old Republic by GL and interestingly a few Japanese Samurai based stories were remade by western filmakers into westerns...

 

Huh and I thought that the fighting was based off of Samurai/Ninja abilities and the living and personal responsbility was based off of the knight's code. Though I imagine that a knight and samurai are pretty much the same thing (job description).

 

The Jedi have nothing in common with the samurai, other than the fact that they wear robes and have swords. The Jedi have more in common with the monastic orders of China, Japan and Europe. If anything, the samurai and the Shogun have more in common with the Empire and Darth Vader.

 

There are some Samurai influences and Lucas was a Kurosawa fan. Vaders helmet is based on the armour of a samurai.

As for Sith/Ninja; I doubt there is any concious similarity.

 

Sith Rising comments refer to the relationship the Samurai had with the Shogunate period of Japanese history: this is not all of the history of the Samurai.


Just as the period of History in which the US Army slaughtered the Indian Tribes in the frontier areas - the most prominent being General Custer and his murdering of Indian women and children.


This is not THE definitive code or morals of the US Military but is a section of their history.

GL has said that made reference to Samurai as part inspiration for the Jedi,so yes they are based partially on them.

 

Never thought about Vader's helmet being based on the Samurai. Pretty cool.

 

The rear and top portions of Lando's guard helmet is almost an exact replica of a samurai helmet also.

 

Yeah, the Jedi were largely based on the Samurai way of life, but I'd never thought much about the Ninja/Sith connection.

Historically, the Samurai pre-date medieval Knights and European chivalry by several hundred years (the Samurai date back to the 1200's while European chivalry had it's heyday in the 14 and 1500's). And don't forget that while the rest of the world had progressed beyond knighthood and into the industrio-techno-age, the Samurai were still leading themselves into battle on horseback and wearing armor (as evidenced in the movie The Last Samurai (one of the most historically accurate films out there)).

This does seem to mirror the events seen in the PT by showing that the Jedi are outdated and refuse to come into the "now" and update their techniques and training to keep up with the times and instead rely on old methods for fighting old enemies, as did the Samurai. However, the morals each stood for and defended were more important in their end times than ever before and they were wiped out because of them.

Interesting parallel indeed...

 

I have always loved this. This is why I love the Jedi so much because i am so into the Samurai. They are the same thing. A code based on Peace and Honor, Robes, weapons.

A Samurai will not use any other weapon besides his sword and/or a bow. Niether will Jedi. They think blasters and such are uncivilized weapons, just as the Samurai think thought that rifels were. For a Samurai, his Kitana (sword) is his life, as is the lightsaber for a Jedi.

Obi-Wan: "This weapon is your life."

They do both wear very similar robes. Almost identical. Also young Samurai have top knots, just as Padawans had the braids. Once a Samurai was elevated they could do what they please with their hair.

Samurai also were the protectors of the Japenese Empire and protectors of the peace and the Emperor, just as the Jedi were protectors of the Republic and of Peace and Justice in the Galaxy. The one difference was that the Jedi did not serve the Supreme Chancellor, they served the senate and the Republic itself.

Also when a Samurai died, they believed that they became one with themselves and were possibly reincarneted into an animal. The Jedi believed that when they died, they became one with the Force.

Ninja on the other hand def. represent Dark Jedi. I would not neccesarily say Sith though maybe a little bit.

Yes Ninja were offensive rather then deffensive and tranquil. They were hired men at points to be assasins. Derk Jedi were known to have been very good assasins. In a way Darth Maul was an assasin though he was also a Dark Lord of the Sith.

Ninja also span what kind of weapons they use. They are not afraid to use what they feel is neccesary may it be their Ninja sword or ninja stars or nun chucks.

So Yes, I do believe that the Jedi and Sith are based on the Samurai and Ninja

 

An interesting note: Lucas considered the part of Obi-Wan to be played by a Japanese actor. I'm not sure if it's true, but I think it was Toshiro Mifune. And whose more qualified to play a samurai then the go-to guy of Kurosawa films? Also Obi-Wan Kenobi sounds like a Japanese name.