If you’ve ever wanted to see Star Wars reinterpreted through the lens of its narrative lineage in Japanese myth and history, this is The Book. 1/
It all stems from the first entry in #StarWarsVisions, Kamikaze Douga’s “The Duel”: an homage to the jidaigeki (period piece) works of auteurs like Kurosawa, whose “Hidden Fortress” famously inspired George Lucas and “A New Hope.” 2/
Consequently, RONIN is intimately tied up in jidaigeki’s anxieties about violence and the scars it leaves on people and politics.
The Ronin, a lone swordsman and a Sith, has a history in this world, and it has at last begun to hunt him. 3/
I also drew from Japanese myth and folklore; you’ll find references to a number of folkloric entities and beliefs threaded throughout the book, both in characters and in the world.
Kitsune, demons, and the land of the dead—oh my! 4/
I can’t wait to hear about the journeys people take with this book and its characters. I’ve done my best to honor the unique narrative DNA of Star Wars while reshaping its elements in ways that are hopefully as intriguing as they are pleasing. 5/
It’s scary for this to be my debut, but at the same time, I’m unspeakably delighted to have been asked to contribute this story to the #StarWarsVisions project. Please enjoy. 6/
Here by popular demand, it’s time to talk Japanese folklore and ghosts in #StarWarsVisions RONIN! I’m going to keep it spoiler-lite, but there will be some vague references to characters, world, and themes. 1/
One of the first things I did upon being offered this project was to sit down and start listing folkloric entities and concepts that I wanted to see translated into Star Wars. 2/
For example, my eternal favorite, Yamamba/Yama-uba the mountain hag, a ravenous old ogre woman known for devouring travelers and their wagons alike. 3/