Inspiration for the Jedi and Sith

I wanted to open a thread that examines what are the inspirations for the Jedi and Sith. I have been ruminating on the similarities of the Jedi to the Fransican Friars and the Sith to the Dominican Friars and Inquisitors.



Jedi and Fransicans:

• Both seek peace and serenity.
• Both feel a deep connection to nature; Francis of Assisi preached to the birds and animals.
• Both Fransicans and Jedi wear brown robes. The Cistericans, a reformed Franciscan order wore white robes and habits which are like the Jedi underobes.
• Franciscans were Friars and so spent their time among people and were missionaries. The Jedi likewise travel the galaxy and seek to find Force Sensitives (proselytes).
• Both are Spiritual, Franscians serve Jesus Christ the Light of the World, while Jedi serve the Light Side of the Force.
• Franciscans prefer to mediate in prayer than read texts, Jedi like Yoda affirm mediation over studies, “the ancient Jedi texts, real page turners they are.”
• Jedi wield blue and green lightsabers, St. Francis of Assisi spent much of his time in the green forests and by blue rivers and under blue skies.
• Francis believed in not killing Muslims but preaching to them. Hence his missions to Islamic World. In the same way Jedi seek to help other cultures and those of other beliefs, not persecute them.

Sith and Dominicans:

• Both are intellectual, the Sith seek holocons, while Domnicans study texts.
• Both utilize torture, the Dominicans were the Inquistors in Spain and used torture, the Sith use torture, prime examples are Darth Vader torturing Han in ESB and Kylo Ren torturing Poe in TFA.
• Both have Inquistors, there is the Sith Inquisitor in The Old Republic, and the Dominicans were the backbone inquistors for the Spanish Inquisition.
• Both Sith and Dominicans wear black robes and hoods.
• Sith wield red lightsabers, Dominicana bled red blood out of those they tortured.
• Domnicans killed and burned heretics at the stake for false beliefs and ruthlessly persecuted the Muslim Moores. Sith kill and ruthlessly crush those inferior to them.

I am not claiming the Jedi and Sith are exactl copies of Franciscans and Dominicans, but rather have parallels and major similarities.

Please share some other inspirations you may notice or know that either were a direct inspiration for Jedi and Sith or what you see personally as inspirations.