George Lucas’s inspirations for Star Wars

It's often said that, "Good artists copy. Great artists steal." In the case of George Lucas and his collaborators on the long-running Star Wars series, it might be added that, "Great artists steal and synthesize." Lucas famously combined ideas from a variety of sources to craft his galaxy far, far away, taking everything from world history and mythology to comic books and classic film. The variety of inspirations makes Lucas' saga feel all the more original. It should also serve as a motivator for all artists who believe originality is an elusive thing. Anything truly original grows from a compost pile of different sources.

In honor of May the Fourth, below is a list of some of the sources Lucas and his team used to create the world's most beloved space opera.

May the Fourth be with you: The inspirations behind Star Wars

List created by STPLReferenceMadisonville

Below is a list of fictional and real world inspirations for the Star Wars series.














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