2020’s Mulan received generally favorable reviews, and, while it was a very loose adaptation of the 1997 animated film, it did bear a very strange resemblance to another famous epic. Does this plot sound familiar? A young protagonist sensitive to a mysterious force ventures from their village with their father’s sword, joins a band of heroes, and battles an evil army.
Mulan might be inspired by the Chinese legend and the Disney property, but it takes a whole lot more from a galaxy far, far away than one might think. Just how much did the hero of China take from Star Wars?
The Protagonist Has a Secret Power
Granted, a lot of sci-fi and fantasy movies take this trope and run all the way to the bank with it. However, Mulan’s Chi sensitivity can be immediately compared with the ways of the Force. Since the Force is an energy that flows through all living things and allows its uses to do incredible feats, it can be assumed that Mulan might be tapping into some cosmic energy. We might not see Luke or Rey leaping over buildings, but it’s within the realm of possibilities.
The Combat Has a Mystical Quality
Jumping off the previous entry, the combat in the film also has a Force-like quality to it. Being a flick set in ancient China, it’s understandably obvious to see the film took more from the kung-fu genre with its fight scenes, but the full-armored battles have a Star Wars quality to them.
The battle on the mountainside could easily have taken place on Hoth, had the AT-ATs and troopers been exchanged for Asian warriors. Mulan could certainly hold her own with a lightsaber.
A Rag-Tag Resistance Takes on an Empire
Although they might be on the opposing side, the Rouran army is essentially equivalent to the Rebels of Star Wars. Think about it, they are a rag-tag group of nomads cobbled together to rise up against an empire. That certainly fits the description of many main players from the other side of the galaxy. Not to say that Mulan and the imperial army are essentially Stormtroopers in the making, but the comparisons are certainly there.
There’s A Brutal Fight in the Hallway
Taking more from Rogue One than any of the main series, the scene where Mulan has to leave Chen and the rest of her friends locked in the corridor with the Rourans is very reminiscent of Vader slaughtering the troops aboard the consult ship in A New Hope.
Although it’s not revealed until later who was victorious, combat scenes in narrow hallways will always seem familiar to those who are one with the Force. Similar but not congruent, anyhow.
A Character Wields Their Father’s Legendary Weapon
Just as Luke Skywalker took up his father’s lightsaber in the fight against the evil Empire, so did Hua Mulan take up her father’s sword. Even before the battles begin, there’s already a mystical presentation surrounding her father and his weapon of choice, but that’s mainly due to the performing prowess of Tzi Ma. While Mulan doesn’t receive it from a wise old space wizard, Hua Zhou definitely shares a few mentor qualities with old Obi-Wan.
Bladed Weapons are a Symbol of a Warrior Order
Again, another fantasy/sci-fi trope makes the scene, but this time with almost immediate connections to Star Wars. Although it’s not blatantly verbatim, the warrior’s code printed on the sword is presented in a way that might as well be saying “a weapon for a more civilized age.”
Not only that, but seeing all the members of the imperial army carry the exact same make and model of weapon brings to mind thoughts of a Jedi’s lightsaber.
A Character Wants to Avenge His Father
Böri Khan might not be as dark and sinister as Shan-Yu, but he definitely has the makings of a proper Star Wars antagonist. Black cloaks and brooding nature aside, it’s the character’s motivation that truly ties him in with the series.
Khan is like what would happen if Luke and Kylo Ren were put in a blender. Emporer kills his father, he goes on a dark-side rampage in vengeance. That all certainly sounds familiar.
Xianniang Tries to Seduce Mulan to the Dark Side
This one was so painfully and blatantly obvious that it’s a shock that someone from Lucasfilm didn’t stand up and say something. The scene where the witch, Xianniang, tries to persuade Mulan to use her Chi to join forces with her and combine their magical powers for personal glory.
This sounds scarily like a Sith seducing a Jedi to the Dark Side, especially when the pair are alone on the mountainside. The witch certainly seems like a red lightsaber away from fitting the part.
A Villain Sacrifices Themselves For the Hero
If the last point wasn’t enough to drive home the Sith Lord connection, consider the fact that the witch openly and willingly sacrifices her life to save the protagonist. Just like Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, Xianniang protects Mulan from the onslaught of barbarian forces awaiting her at the Emperor’s palace. Although the scene could have used more Force Lightning, the message is clear. Now, if only Vader could have had some impressive shape-shifting abilities.
Chi = The Force
There’s no other way to say it, but Mulan’s Chi is nearly identical to the Force of Star Wars. The film presents Chi as a source of power and life that flows all around humanity, just as the Force is a powerful lifeforce/energy that connects and affects all living things across the galaxy. Some are highly sensitive to it and others, like Mulan, can wield it as a weapon or a mystical power to their benefit. Ergo, Mulan is simply an earthbound Jedi. Case closed.
