Jedi Mind Trick

The Force is a metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the Star Wars fictional universe. It is wielded by characters in the franchise's films and in many of its spin-off books, games, and comics. In the story, the Jedi utilize the "light side" of the Force, while the Sith exploit what is known as the "dark side". The Force has been compared to aspects of several world religions, and the iconic phrase "May the Force be with you" has become part of the popular culture vernacular.

George Lucas created the concept of the Force to address character and plot developments in Star Wars (1977). He also wanted to "awaken a certain kind of spirituality" in young audiences, suggesting a belief in God without endorsing any specific religion. He developed the Force as a nondenominational religious concept, "distill[ed from] the essence of all religions", premised on the existence of God and distinct ideas of good and evil. Lucas said that there is a conscious choice between good and bad, and "the world works better if you're on the good side".

According to Michael Kaminsky in The Secret History of Star Wars, the first Star Wars film was based on the 1958 Japanese film The Hidden Fortress, the plot and characters of which Lucas borrowed so extensively that at one point he considered buying the U.S rights to the film to prevent a copyright violation lawsuit. As a film student, Lucas's favorite filmmaker was Akira Kurosawa, who made a series of films featuring samurai heroes and villains in the 1950s and 1960s, which Lucas has acknowledged as a major artistic influence. Critic Jason Serafino notes that the basic plot of Star Wars is based upon The Hidden Fortress, and that Kurosawa films in general are "...easily the most important cinematic influence on the Star Wars movies".The Hidden Fortress is a jidaigeki (historical adventure) film dealing with a brave samurai who saves a princess in 16th century Japan. In China, there is the concept of the qi (known as the ki in Japan), a mystical life force running through everything. Those who master the qi/ki are capable of superhuman feats, and it is a common plot device in jidaigeki films for those samurai who master the ki to achieve astonishing feats of swordsmanship. The concept of the Jedi knights, whose power is derived from mastering the Force, is based on the samurai and the relationship that jidaigeki films show them as having with the ki. The name Jedi is a tribute to these films. Kaminsky further noted that in 1970s San Francisco, where Lucas was living when he wrote the various drafts for the script that became Star Wars, New Age ideas, which incorporated the concept of the qi and other notions of a mystical life-force were "in the air", being widely embraced in that city. Critic Tim Robley wrote that some of the ideas and characters in Star Wars came from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, with the Force serving the same role as the ruby slippers, the magical entity that sends the protagonist on a quest.

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