Star Wars: 12 Homages To Classic Cinema In The Last Jedi

Though not precisely a film, the impact of Wagner's operas are immeasurable on this newest installment in the Star Wars franchise. And that is not a sentence I ever expected to write.

This classic opera tells the tale of Siegfried, a human boy who has been a foster child for years. He is forced into a battle and story that is not his own, in which a broken sword plays a heavy (literally and thematically) part. Any of that sound familiar?

Rian Johnson confirmed as much on Twitter when asked about the connection.

Several aspects of Rey's characterization in Last Jedi seem to be directly influenced by Wagner's iconic opera, including the larger decisions Johnson made about Rey's parentage. While the easy and obvious choice may very well have been to simply label her a Skywalker, a Solo, a Kenobi, or what-have-you, he instead opted to make her an outsider.

Siegfried is ultimately left to re-forge the broken sword Nothung, which is left to him. Similarly, Rey ends Last Jedi holding the broken fragments of Luke's lightsaber - a sword left to her.