Darth Vader Was Originally Inspired By A Real-Life Japanese Warlord
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Featured Image Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney
Here's a tidbit of trivia to bring up at the dinner table: it has been revealed that the most formidable villain in Star Wars, Darth Vader, was inspired by a historical warlord in feudal Japan.
For his galaxy far, far away, creator George Lucas borrowed a lot from the cultures and religions of Asia. He holds director Akira Kurosawa's work in high esteem, and The Hidden Fortress was a source of inspiration for A New Hope, which involves the rescue of a princess from behind enemy lines by two lowly peasants. Furthermore, the word Jedi comes from jidaigeki, which is the Japanese word for "period drama," and the spiritual nature of the Force is very like that of the set of rules that samurai adhered to, the Bushido. On the other hand, the Sith appear to adopt mannerisms from the ronin, which were samurai who had either fallen out of favour with their masters or had been abandoned following the death of their master.
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With this in mind, it becomes evident that the design of Darth Vader's robes are inspired by samurai - the triangular shaped helmet with the shield around the sides of the face and the neck, for example. But, it was a real-life warrior who provided the basis of the character, and the similarities are pretty striking. Date Masamune was a regional ruler of Japan during the 16th and 17th centuries, and he was an incredibly successful feudal lord who came from a famous family. Anakin Skywalker is the son of Shmi Skywalker, and possessed power unlike anyone else in the galaxy. Additionally, both Masamune and Anakin were raised by single parents, and the former avenged the death of their father with fearsome determination.
Masamune lost sight in his right eye as a child and the defective organ was eventually removed. There is a story that he gouged it out himself, and thereby earned the title of the "One-Eyed Dragon" of Ōshu. Similarly, Anakin's body underwent severe stress and damage to become Darth Vader. The Japanese ruler's reach was incredible, and he owned twelve castles across the country and had a notorious lack of tolerance for traitors. Familiar, isn't it?
However, in 1590, Odawara Castle was lost to the samurai Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Masamune refused to bend to the newcomer's demands. When he met Hideyoshi, it was reported that he wore "his finest clothes" and arrived without showing fear, expecting to be executed for his disobedience. But, in the face of this reception, the samurai spared him, justifying that Masamune could become useful in the future. Those must have been some threads.
