Are the Jedi based upon the Samurai?

[KOTORFanactic]

I realise this is way off topic, but i recently watched a program about the Samurai of Feudal Japan, and found many similarites between the Samurai and the Jedi.

 

Firsly, was the that they each follow a strict code, that teaches them the rules. The Jedi follow a code of 5 steps, as do the Samurai. The Samurai code is the 5 rings. Earth, Water, Wind, Fire and The Void were created by the greatest Samurai ever, called Musashi Miyamoto, also known as Kensai, or Saint of the Sword. This Samurai code is used to acheive enlighenment for the Samurai, to find their way, to acheive peace. The Jedi use their code as a means to acheieve enlighenment, peace and to find their way in some sense.

 

(These interpretations will not be exact, but will give you an idea.)

Earth is "the Ethics of the Samurai are buried deep in the ground."

Water is "Hone your skills."

Wind is "Learn the opoonents tactics to defeat him."

Fire is "Face the enemy without fear."

The Void is "You must now forget everything about the four previous rings in order to acheive enlighenment."

 

Can you see the similarities between the Jedi and Samurai here.

A quote from Yoda. "You must unlearn, what you have learned."

 

Next, was the weapons. For the Jedi, it is there badge of office, what gives them there identity. Each saber is unique to the Jedi that creates it. The saber is perhaps the Jedi's most important item.. The Samurai swords were unique to the owners, as each Samurai would give their swords names. For the Samurai, their sword is their soul, their most important item.

 

The Samurai learn more than combat, they learn poetry, art, peaceful ventures. The Jedi epitomize peace, and always seek to avoid combat. Yet the Jedi still learn combat.

 

There were female Samurai beleive it or not, just as there are female Jedi. Both are not sexist to the males. (For Samurai, it is based on family heritage, but you can see my point).

 

The Samurai are extremly loyal to their warlord. The Jedi are very loyal to the Jedi Masters. (Well most of the Jedi, since some Jedi fall to the Dark Side).

 

The Samurai do not fear death, and. The Jedi do not fear death either, since the final part of their code is "There is no death, there is the force."

 

Only the very best Jedi and Samurai become Masters in their arts, and for each, it takes a lot oftime and commitment

 

Finally, some Samurai are known as Ronin, wanderers, free spirits, since they do only what they want. We see this Ronin style take on life in Jolee. Jolee is a wanderer, a free spirit. He lives by himself in Kashyyyk, and safeguards the nature in Kashyyyk. He does what he feels like, by not taking the force to extremes, instead going for a passive, blurry grey approah to the force, and not following the teachings of the Jedi.

Your character in KOTOR2 could also be called a Ronin, as could Revan. They both defied the Jedi council, and did what they thought was right by fighting in the Mandalore Wars.

 

Well, just my thoughts, (move it if u want Moderators), tell me if you agree, or simply vote.

 

Personnely, i think that the Jedi are indeed based upon the Samurai. Not totally of course, but in many ways.

Edited September 6, 2004 by KOTORFanactic

[kumquatq3]

I don't think thats a big secret. There is an influence.

[jedipodo]

The only difference might be, that the Samurai didn't construct their swords by their own...

[DesertHawk]

Actually, I remember reading about this somewhere. Lucas got inspiration from either the Samurai series or a movie called The Hidden Fortress. I'll see if I can dig up some information.

 

History of Star Wars and the Inspirations for it

[Mikan_Delwynna]

He got inspiration from the movie the Hidden Fortress. Possibly from more things too.

[Ghangy]

did you ever see any jedi kill himself after he failed a task appointed to him by the council?????

 

and although they have a strict living code ( much alike to medieval knights ) their objective isnt really victory or death. The samurai were a warrior landlord elite, the jedi are obviously not.

[jedipodo]

At last a samurai is nothing more than a japanese version of a medieval european knight. Put "Jedi" in front of "Knight" and we have it!

[Topaz Quasar]

It should be noted that while most Jedi were based on monks, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader as well as Luke Skywalker (as a Jedi) were based on samurai.

[Nur Ab Sal]

Some influences cannot be excluded but don't forget that Jedi AREN'T WARRIORS

and Samurai worship violence, war and death.

[pharcyde]

There is no doubt in my mind that there is a big samurai influence when it comes to jedi.

 

Also, A New Hope heavily borrows ideas from Akira Korusawa's Hidden Fortress.

[Vendetta]

He got inspiration from the movie the Hidden Fortress. Possibly from more things too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Slightly more than 'inspiration'.

 

The entire plot of A New Hope is a direct lift of The Hidden Fortress. the only additions are Luke and Han, and Obi-wan sacrifices himself in his analogue of Mifune's big spear duel with the enemy captain.

[KOTORFanactic]

Granted, there r differences between the jedi and samurai, and George problably drew the inspiration for the original jedi from scholars and monks. But the similarities r there, and for jedi such as Luke Skywalker, and Revan, they r most likely more based on samurai than scholars and historians. I say this since luke and revan never really become scholars, and r more like warriors, but eventually they become more peaceful (ls Revan), much like in the progression of the samurai.

[Ivan the Terrible]

As has been said, not a big secret. Eastern Samurai and western Knights were pretty obviously the basis for the Jedi.

 

Though, of course, only in their idealized versions. The real Samurai and Knights were more likely to wack off a peasent's head than ride to the rescue of his village or whatever.

[Exar Dulo]

I think that this is interesting.

In some journal, 2 years ago, i read that there was an accident with some stakes in a JEDI TEMPLE!!!!! in Tibeth. And so, preharps Lucas knew their teachings and used them in his movie.

P.S. these jedis started their existence before the movie.

[Nur Ab Sal]

Bull**** man. Tibet is under communist control there's no jedi there. It's impossible.

[GhostofAnakin]

Actually, I remember reading about this somewhere. Lucas got inspiration from either the Samurai series or a movie called The Hidden Fortress. I'll see if I can dig up some information.

 

History of Star Wars and the Inspirations for it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That was an interesting read, if nothing else.