Star Wars is one of the most popular movie franchises of all time. Its universal themes have allowed it to appeal to different cultures and generations, allowing its popularity to continue into the 21st Century. However, despite the fact that Star Wars is a science fiction series, it has countless historical influences that George Lucas called on in order to build his galaxy and fill it with deep and believable history and themes.
This article will list 10 historical inspiration of Star Wars.
10 Nazi Storm Troopers
Naturally, the clearest example of the inspiration behind Star Wars are the Nazi Storm Troopers. The uniform army of the Empire is one of the most iconic features of a Star Wars film, with their white armor appearing in some form in every trilogy.
The Star Wars Storm Troopers were clearly inspired by the Nazi Storm Troopers, with the two even sharing a name.
9 Vietnam War
The 1970s and 1960s were heavily dominated by the Vietnam War. Not only was this war one of the first televised conflicts, but it was also heavily disliked by the American population, leading to a heavy influence on film and TV.
The Rebel Alliance of the original trilogy were inspired in part by the Viet Cong’s guerrilla tactics in the war against the United States.
8 Dictators
The rise of a dictator is one of history’s frequent occurrences, so it seems natural that George Lucas would base the villain of the Skywalker Saga, Emperor Palpatine, on the many dictators that have existed in the past.
Dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Julius Caesar were some of the most prominent inspirations behind the character.
7 Darth Vader’s Helmet
Darth Vader is one of the most iconic movie characters of all time. Even his silhouette is instantly recognizable, even to those who may have never seen the film. Part of the lingering popularity of the character comes from his costume, with his helmet being the most memorable and noticeable.
The helmet is, in part, inspired by the uniform helmet of Germans during World War One, returning back to the World War inspirations behind Star Wars. In addition to the German influence, Vader’s helmet was also inspired by the Japanese warlords of the past.
6 The Senate Of Rome
The senate was one of the biggest plot points in the prequel trilogy. It was dominated around the fall of a republic, with Revenge of the Sith in particular showing how Palpatine could bend the senate to his will.
The senate was largely inspired by the Roman Senate, but connections to the German political system in Weimar Republic of the 1920s can also be seen in Palpatine’s rise to power that mirrored Hitler’s, with both dictators even holding the title of ‘chancellor.’
5 Knight’s Templar
The Jedi feature prominently in the Star Wars series, with the saga focussing on how the Jedi order changed across the 9 movies. The Jedi Order is a sect of warriors that all follow the same religion.
Lucas was inspired to write the Jedi Order from the various examples of ‘warrior monks’ from history, with the Knight’s Templar being the most prominent.
4 German Expressionism And Classic Sci Fi
The style of the Star Wars films was the result of years of science fiction movies, with George Lucas taking inspiration from the Flash Gordon serials in particular.
That being said, one notable influence of the films came from the German classic Metropolis. As seen in the above photo, C3PO’s iconic design is heavily influenced by the robot (Gynoid) that appeared in the film.
3 Samurai Influence
In addition to being inspired by the classic science fiction of the 20th Century and the warrior monks of the past when creating the iconic Jedi Order, George Lucas was also inspired by Japanese cinema and the Samurai.
The Japanese warriors helped influence many of the artistic choices of the original trilogy, as well as some notable elements of the Jedi Order and the Jedi themselves.
2 Palpatine’s Scapegoating
As hinted at earlier in this list, the prequel trilogy was heavily based around Palpatine’s manipulation of the Galactic Senate. Eventually, in Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine had managed to convince the senate to gift him emergency powers after scapegoating the Jedi Order.
The granting of emergency powers is the first step toward dictatorship, with Hitler and Caesar both being clear examples from history. However, Hitler’s rise to power closely mimics Palpatine’s. Hitler scapegoated the Jews, gaining favor among some people, before then receiving emergency powers after an attack on the Reichstag (historians are split on whether the attack was a Nazi conspiracy).
1 Death Star And Nukes
The Death Star is another iconic feature of the Star Wars movies, with the terrifying battle station appearing in every trilogy in some form. The devastating power of the Death Star allows it to destroy planets, as shown in a New Hope.
The inspiration behind the Death Star comes from the devastating power of nuclear and hydrogen bombs. While the Death Star is noticeably more powerful, it is still clear to see the influence of nuclear weapons behind the creation of the battle station.
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