11–20 of 24 posts
Looks to me like Darth Vader was directly ripped from Doctor Who. I posted a shot for shot comparison on my Twitter: https://twitter.com/bootrino/status/1304949615578345474
The samurai from the article looks much more similar. But still, it was normal enough that it's not easy to guess.
Junk article that does not cite any real reference between Masamune's helmet and Darth Vader's design. Oh yes Lucas loved Kurosawa movies and so what? It seems like a weak link if any. And it sounds like a product placement piece to advertise Bandai figurines... > A complex character who has experienced many tragedies that have brought him into a spiral of revenge, much like Anakin Skywalker actually. Lol but serious…
Agreed. There are similarities, but nothing to directly tie them together.
If you get The Making of Star Wars[1] book there's tons of detail on the development of the characters, including Darth Vader.
I think this connection is largely coincidental.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Making-Star-Wars-Definitive-Original/...
I wonder what other Japanese culture influences on Lucas are yet to be uncovered.
"DID YOU KNOW that Vader's helmet is styled after samurai helmets?"
I mean jesus christ, you'd have to be born under a rock to not know that Star Wars is a cross between a spaghetti western and a samurai flick. The "light saber" is the ultimate version of the "samura swords can cut through anything and slice bullets!" weeb trope.
> Date Masamune’s helmet is famous in Japan as its crescent moon-shaped central ornament (the “maedate”) distinguish it from other samurais’ hard hats. Strangely, this device is not included in the Darth Vader design while it is one of the elements that have forged the legend of this warlord from Tohoku. Strangely? You are the one who brought this whole subject up…
"That's no moon"
Minor nit. At the time of writing, Lucas had no intention of making Star Wars more than a single film. That came after production started. I forget my source for this but I think it’s either Robert McKee or Blake Snyder. And there’s some confusion around this due to a backdated screenplay with the Episode IV title.
https://www.lionsroar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/yoda-ri...
It turns out to have been modelled after the samurai armor of the Sanada clan, whose battle-crest was the rokumonsen, or six mon coins. The Japanese at the time had a Greek-like burial practice of burying coins with their dead so their spirits can pay passage to the afterlife -- one coin to pass through each of the six Buddhist afterlife realms to get to heaven. So when the Sanada clan rode into your territory and you saw that six-coin crest, the message was: death is coming for you.
