The Six Films that Influenced Rian Johnson with Star Wars: Episode VIII

Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)

Synopsis: “Shiba, a wandering ronin, encounters a band of peasants who have kidnapped the daughter of their dictatorial magistrate, in hopes of coercing from him a reduction in taxes. Shiba takes up their fight, joined by two renegades from the magistrate’s guard, Sakura and Kikyo. The three outlaws find themselves in a battle to the death.”

It’s easy to draw parallels between the Samurai and the Jedi and Sith of Star Wars.  Could this particular film’s inclusion on the list be the influence for Luke Skywalker and Rey, in Episode VIII?

A showdown featuring Luke and Rey versus the Knights of Ren, would be the perfect nod to Three Outlaw Samurai, but who would be the third Force user in this scenario? Could Episode VIII see Kylo Ren forsake the path of the Dark Side, and join Luke and Rey? Or will Jedi Master Skywalker and his new padawan (Rey) face Snoke and his Dark Side Force users, all by themselves?

There’s also the fact that Finn — as a defector from the First Order who takes up the cause of the Resistance — could be the referenced character, here.

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