..... Wouldn't that mean Dark Jedi are more or less Ronin?

I've seen it like this. Jedi are heavily based on Samurai, with naturally a lot of Eastern Monk thrown in, and a samurai is distinguished by following a master and being completely and totally dedicated to that master. If the master is killed on the samurai's watch? The samurai must end his own life to atone for the carelessness, though this can be postponed if the killer of the master is not brought to justice at the time, in which case the samurai heads to kill the killer first.

Now the word ronin can be translated as "wanderer" and is a word to describe a samurai without a master, one who never served one or one who chose not to commit suicide. While the samurai was considered high class and part of the nobility, ronin were not and were often mercenaries or hired bodyguards with no real loyalty outside of who was paying them at the moment.

So with that in mind... SHOULD Dark Jedi be shown in this light more often? Not a villain or antagonist, but more of a protagonist and antihero. Not saying this hasn't been done before, but more or less asking SHOULD it be done more?

4496604 Hard to say. There is more inspiration than just the Samurai like European Knights (to at least some extent) and monks of at least a few religions beyond Eastern religion. I've actually seen one interpretation compare the Lightsaber to Excalibur.

Anyways. If we are just talking Dark Jedi and not Sith, then maybe. The Dark Jedi do leave the Order and do whatever they want. But I don't believe the Ronin were entirely without honor or self-centered like Dark Jedi are often portrayed. Maybe Grey Jedi or just former Jedi in general would fit a bit better. And SIth I think are anything but comparable to the Ronin.

4496604 they are not truly equal to samurai. They're like a combination of monks, European Knights and and Japanese Samurai.

More over, I'd say that that the ronin are more like grey jedi, or jedi that have other wise left the order properly. If we had to make a comparison, I'd say that the sith are more akin to a ninja mixed with a viking.

4497042

Nah, Vikings are more akin to Mandalorians than Sith. The Sith... I don't think have a real world analogue, at least none that I can think of. Unless you count malicious knights and samurai who acted like total bastards toward their serfs and other commoners.

4497042 4497247 Mandalorians are based on ancient Celtic tribes.

4497253>>4497247 I'd hesitate to say that much. There's certainly a clan structure, but I'd say it's like a cross between Celtic and Germanic principalities, similar to the Hessians.

The Sith are akin to the Aztecs, with some very dark takes on ancient Egypt.

4496604 The only thing I can remember how the samurai are even related to the Jedi, is that the fighting style of the original movies was based off of the samurais. Otherwise no, I don't think they're related at all. The samurais weren't the only people who fought and used a master/apprentice system.

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4497259 I would agree that the Sith have no real world inspiration given that they are intended to be evil. Mandalorians are comparable to several clan structured warrior cultures. According to their history, they were originally nomadic and acted more like the Vikings, raiding planets but never really attempting to make an Empire. With their culture, I see a comparison to Vikings, Spartans, Samurai, and perhaps the Celts. Honor drives them. They follow the Mandalore, their leader. Family is very important but can be added to or taken away. Armor is a defining feature and viewed the way the Spartans viewed their shield or the Samurai their sword. The Mandalorians view themselves more as a culture, an idea, rather than a race.

4496604

For me, both Jedi and Sith are more into Ninjas than Samurais. Due to their abilities about acrobatic, and their mystical powers.

Look mostly like the abilities of the Ninjas. But just not great as much as the Ninjas because they can't clones themselves out of smoke.

4496604
The Jedi are more of a mix between European Knightly orders like the Knights of the Round Table and the Knights Templar, Shaolin Monks, Samurai, and Old West Marshals. The Term Ronin would apply more to Jedi who have abandoned their Masters or have seen their masters killed before their training was completed (i.e. Asoka and Kanan)

The closest real world comparison to the Sith would be the Black Knights of Medieval/Fantasy Literature such as Sir Mordred

4497435 I think you're thinking more of the fictional ninja. Real ninja were poor peasants who were rather oppressed by the Samurai. They used underhanded tactics like assassinations and trickery to make it appear that they had mystical powers to defeat their enemies. Most of their weapons were re-purposed farm tools. Not a great comparison to the Jedi.

4497487 it's also noted that ninja were often hired by samurai and, on occasion, were samurai.