1 Samurai Character Inspired These 3 Star Wars Heroes (& the Connection Goes Way Deeper Than Fans Realize)

George Lucas drew inspiration from countless sources when creating Star Wars, ranging from science fiction serials like Flash Gordon to various wars from the real world, but one of his most important influences was samurai cinema. The overall plot of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope was loosely based on Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, and Darth Vader's iconic helmet was meant to resemble a samurai's kabuto. This influence could also be seen in later Star Wars projects. The Star Wars: The Clone Wars film borrowed its inciting incident from Shogun's Shadow, and Din Djarin's relationship with Grogu in The Mandalorian was inspired in part by Lone Wolf and Cub. Yet there is one particular samurai character who arguably had a larger impact on Star Wars than any other: Zatoichi, the blind swordsman.

The character of Zatoichi originated in a short story by Kan Shimozawa, but he became far more famous thanks to Kenji Misumi's 1962 film adaptation, The Tale of Zatoichi. The film's success led to a long list of sequels, spin-offs, remakes, and knock-offs, making the story a permanent fixture of Japanese popular culture. Zatoichi was a former criminal trying to leave his dark past behind him by leading a simple life as a masseur, but he was inevitably drawn back into conflict time and time again. Though Zatoichi was blind, he was a better fighter than most who could see. Lucasfilm has confirmed that Zatoichi inspired three notable heroes from throughout Star Wars' history, and a recent Disney+ series paid direct homage to the character.

Rahm Kota and Kanan Jarrus Were Blinded by Lightsabers

The first Star Wars character to be inspired by Zatoichi was General Rahm Kota, who debuted in the video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Though The Force Unleashed is now part of Star Wars' Legends continuity, Rahm was canonized by an Easter egg in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which showed his name alongside some other Force-sensitive individuals who were rescued by the Hidden Path. As explained in The Force Unleashed, Rahm was a Jedi Master who served in the Clone Wars. He believed that clone troopers "were unfit for battle," so he exclusively fought alongside a human militia, which allowed him to survive Order 66. Darth Vader's secret apprentice, Starkiller, was therefore sent to assassinate Rahm.

During a saber lock, Starkiller pushed Rahm's own lightsaber towards his eyes and blinded him. Rahm was presumed dead after their duel, but he somehow survived. When Starkiller turned to the Light Side of the Force, he sought Rahm's help. Rahm had been reduced to a jaded drunkard with no motivation to fight the Empire, but Starkiller helped him turn his life around. Thanks to his strength in the Force, Rahm was able to fight even without his vision. Rahm became a founding member of the Rebel Alliance alongside Leia Organa, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, and Starkiller's pilot, Juno Eclipse.

The canon animated series Star Wars: Rebels paralleled The Force Unleashed in many ways, and Kanan Jarrus' story mirrored Rahm's. In the second season finale, "Twilight of the Apprentice Part II," Maul slashed his lightsaber across Kanan's face, blinding him. As a series, Rebels had more time to explore the concept than The Force Unleashed. Kanan needed to regain his confidence, which he did with help from the mysterious Bendu. In the Season 3 episode "Steps Into Shadow," Bendu told him, "If you can see yourself, you will never be truly blind, Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight." As a gift from the Force, Kanan regained his sight for a few seconds before his death, allowing him to see his beloved Hera Syndulla one last time. When asked on Twitter if Kanan was an intentional nod to Rahm, creative executive Pablo Hidalgo answered, "No, but they both owe a debt to Zatoichi, a character every [Star Wars] fan should know about."

Recent Star Wars Projects Have Referenced Zatoichi More Directly

The most recent and most famous Star Wars character to draw inspiration from Zatoichi was Chirrut Îmwe, who appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He was not a Jedi like Rahm and Kanan, but he had faith in the Force, and it aided him in battle. He was a Guardian of the Whills dedicated to protecting the kyber crystals on the planet Jedha. Chirrut was even more similar to Zatoichi than Star Wars' other blind warriors. He used a walking stick that doubled as a bo staff, calling to mind the sword that Zatoichi kept hidden in his cane, and he had a calm, monk-like demeanor that matched Zatoichi's. Creative Art Manager Phil Szostak once shared a clip of a Zatoichi film on Twitter, along with a caption explaining that the character "was a source of inspiration for" Chirrut and Kanan.

The reason for the existence of so many Zatoichi-inspired characters in Star Wars is not solely attributed to the samurai influence; a connection between blindness and the Force can be traced all the way back to A New Hope. Luke's first training exercise as a Jedi was to attempt to block lasers from a training remote while wearing a helmet that obstructed his vision. In the Ahsoka episode "Time to Fly," Sabine Wren practiced a similar exercise, though her task was to guard against Ahsoka Tano's strikes rather than a training remote's lasers. This was the most blatant reference so far, because Ahsoka referred to the traditional Jedi exercise as "zatoichi." There is much debate among fans regarding how well the Disney era of Star Wars has captured Lucas' original vision, but the allusions to one of the most famous samurai stories ever told certainly follow in his footsteps.