So I watched this for the first time the other day-it's been said to be a major influence on SW, or at least have some similarities.


1) The first act is kind of similar to the Droids' arc in the first few scenes of SW, with the peasent guys bickering, seperating, getting captured and then reunited. However persona-wise they're kind of bumbling fools while R2-D2 is usually brave and 3PO, while cowardly, is still kind of a decent guy and is useful in several situations due to his language skills. So somewhat more Jar-Jarish.

2) The fast cutting during a horse chase definitely kind of reminded me of the last parts of the Trench run.


3) The "villain"-Tadokoro, I guess has some traits of Vader as being a rival/old compatriot of Mifune's character but pretty much ends the movie as being Han Solo, saving the good guys as literally the last minute.


4) Mifune's character is sort of the Obi-Wan, but does no mentoring and is more of a bodyguard.

5)The Princess of course has Tomboy aspects that Leia has, although her disguising herself as a commoner is more in line with Padme's TPM "disguise". She also uses a decoy who gets killed offscreen.


With the title like Hidden Fortress and knowing about the Star Wars connection, one who had not seen the film would think it had something to do with something akin to the Death Star or Yavin IV, but the actual hidden fortress in the movie really doesn't do too much. If anything the film's title would more accurately be THE HIDDEN PRINCESS perhaps.