George Lucas was so fascinated by Japanese films that he admitted that Darth Vader’s most distinctive feature was inspired by the samurai.

George Lucas not only created a brilliant space opera franchise full of distinctive features and elements, but he also created one of the most iconic villains of all time, Darth Vader. Showing his brutal life journey from a loving and promising Jedi to becoming one of the most fearsome men in the universe, Star WarsThe main antagonist is as unique as the franchise itself.

Adored for his status as a “monster” and his redemption, Darth Vader will always be revered for his status as the villain “who loved too much.” Even his iconic appearance has become part of popular culture, which Lucas believes is a result of his love of Japanese films.

George Lucas modeled Darth Vader on the samurai

Creating Darth Vader’s iconic look was no easy task for George Lucas. As a young director creating a unique universe, it was important for him to get it right. Designed by Ralph McQuarrie, the director and his team tried many variations of the same design for the iconic outfit, in order to make the suit as mobile as possible. But one thing stuck out: the samurai mask.

Speaking to Rolling Stone decades ago, Lucas revealed how Vader’s visual evolution came about,

Darth Vader has always been Darth Vader. When he’s first mentioned in the script, he’s a guy with a helmet and a breathing mask who can’t breathe because of this fight with Obi-Wan. I took that description to designer Ralph McQuarrie. He did a few different designs, but they’re almost all the same: a guy with a cape, a portable iron lung, a mask, a samurai helmet, and a chest piece with electronics.

Lucas then revealed that Darth Vader’s most distinctive feature, namely the samurai mask, was a result of his fondness for Japanese films growing up,

I discovered samurai films at film school. And I became passionate about Japanese culture; I was going to make my first film, THX 1138, in Japan. Then reality set in.

Luckily, the whole costume and the iconic samurai mask fell into place as the series progressed. And now, Darth Vader, despite being a despotic and evil character, has become one of the most beloved villains of all time.

George Lucas Explains Why Fans Love Darth Vader

Heroes or protagonists are often portrayed as perfect creatures who can do no wrong and are willing to do anything to do good. On the other hand, there are villains or antagonists, who often seem to lack any basic morality and are motivated by evil gain or otherwise.

Yet throughout the history of cinema, fans seem to have a soft spot for villains despite their countless misdeeds. The same goes for Darth Vader, for example. In an interview with Rolling Stone, George Lucas explained why fans have gravitated more toward his iconic character Star Wars wicked,

People like bad guys because they’re powerful and they don’t care about rules. And as you go through puberty, you have to break away from social bonds and become yourself. So when you make a movie that’s aimed at teenagers, the movie is there to say, “Well, that’s all well and good, but this is what happens to you when you do this. This is why you’re compassionate and why you come together as a group to help each other.” It’s the same basic stories that have always been told.

As Lucas later explained, Vader is just a flawed character who has committed evil acts and isn’t even the only evil antagonist everyone is afraid of. He’s more of a villainous lackey who gets pushed around and treated like an Emperor’s henchman, with some very surprising “family issues.” His ability to remain endearing and human, despite his evil acts, is why fans have come to love Darth Vader.

THE Star Wars The franchise can be streamed on Disney+.