Star Wars is a franchise with a storied past, and one that starts with the first (or fourth, if you prefer) movie in 1977: A New Hope. With this movie, Star Wars virtually defined the space opera and science fantasy movie genres, and only a few other movies or franchises have had such a wide impact on the genre. 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Trek leap to mind, but they are rarities among a genre filled with an incredible variety of stories. Star Wars didn't come from nowhere, however, and while its influence is felt far and wide, said influence is also the work of other pieces that had an impact on Star Wars itself.

The most obvious parallel to Star Wars, and the one that is often referred to as the direct influence on the first movie, is The Hidden Fortress by Akira Kurosawa. The film follows two peasants (C3-P0 and R2-D2 in Star Wars) as they get caught up with a general (Obi-Wan Kenobi) who is attempting to bring a displaced princess (Leia Organa) and a fortune in gold (the plans revolving around the Death Star) to a safe haven (Yavin 6) where the group can rebuild the princess' kingdom and retake her ancestral lands (destroy the Death Star). There's quite a lot of similarities between the two movies, from the use of frame wipes to the importance of two relatively minor characters, but there are differences as well. There's no clear parallel for Han Solo or Luke Skywalker, for example. George Lucas has said many times that The Hidden Fortress heavily influenced A New Hope, and watching both movies will give you an appreciation for each.

Beyond The Hidden Fortress, the entirety of the Star Wars franchise draws upon a number of sources. The concept of a unifying presence surrounding all things, one which has a light side and a dark side, can arguably be attributed to the taoist philosophy of yin yang. This philosophy espouses that everything is made of a balance of yin yang. While yin yang doesn't correspond with good and evil like most people believe (it more roughly corresponds to any two opposites that balance out), its influence on the Force concept in Star Wars is clear. The light side of the Force can be seen as order, lack of emotion, or peace, with its many ways to peacefully resolve situations or maintain the status quo. The dark side of the force can be seen as chaos, passion, or power, as it has ways to forcibly change things to the user's bidding. The dark side is not inherently evil, but thanks to its power and the unstable nature of emotions, it corrupts users considerably.

Another major draw is the pulp science fiction of the early twentieth century. Such pulp fiction has little explanation as to how devices worked or even the logical sense of events within the story. Star Wars adapted this to its own effect, with the use of lightsabers, blaster pistols that shoot distinct lasers, planet-destroying space stations that are as big as moons, and even sound in space. All of this, plus the downright excellent (for the time) special effects, makes Star Wars one of those movies that will forever remain entertaining. Not because it is particularly deep or insightful, but because it appeals to such a wide audience regardless of age or gender. This wide entertainment value gave rise to the modern blockbuster film that so many moviegoers and critics detest greatly.

Star Wars: The Old Republic itself is obviously based upon Star Wars, but it is also based on BioWare's previous Star Wars game, Knights of the Old Republic. Knights of the Old Republic follows an amnesiac (big surprise there) during an outbreak of war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. As the player is enlisted by the Republic to act in defense, the player's background and the history of both the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic become known through a successive serious of revealing events. Knights of the Old Republic is one of BioWare's best games (alongside Baldur's Gate) and the plot twist is one of the best in role-playing games.