The Star Wars universe is crafted from various influences, such as the films of Akira Kurosawa — particularly Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress — and Flash Gordon (Star Wars architect George Lucas actually wanted to make a Flash Gordon movie.) Philosophy and religion helped shape the direction of the Force, as well as the Jedi Knights.
It was a tradition that Dave Filoni would carry on when shepherding Star Wars: The Clone Wars and its sequel Star Wars Rebels, especially when tackling the mysteries of the Force.
Concepts like the magic-wielding Nightsisters, the massive creature known as the Bendu, and the World Between Worlds delved deep into the aspects of the Force that the films only managed to briefly touch upon, opening up entirely new avenues of storytelling within the Star Wars universe.
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