Star Wars, is it science fiction? Is is a space opera? Western? Fantasy? Science Fantasy? From where I'm sitting, it's a little bit of all... and yet, for me, what captures the essence of Star Wars is a genre of literature, comics, television and film that has been extremely popular in China for decades. A genre that finds a growing audience throughout the globe. Wu Xia, or martial chivalry. Swordplay fantasies. You are probably familiar with a few wu xia films and don't even realize it. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is one such film, as are Hero and House of Flying Daggers.

A typical wu xia story usually revolves around a character or characters over a great period of time. One of the most popular wu xia series of novels in Chinese history is The Condor Trilogy by Jin Yong(aka Louis Cha). Partial translations of these books can be found here: Jin Yong Reading Room Each novel takes place in a different era, featuring members of the same families. Martial arts societies play a huge role in these stories... often one school will be pitted against another school. Sometimes sworn brothers will become sworn enemies through an act of betrayal. Corrupt government officials tyrannize the people and great patriots arise to stand for justice and overthrow the corrupt governors or the entire Imperial dynasty. There is the Jiang Hu underworld where groups of bandits, wandering chivalrous swordsmen(and women), and martial arts monks all interact and fight amongst themselves. There are even chivalrous bandits.

Star Wars has all the elements of a good wu xia story, only set in space. It has a monastic order of martial artists who fight for justice. It also has their polar opposite, evil cult who seek the destruction of the righteous and to dominate the world. Both groups master their internal energy, as well as the energy that surrounds, in order to accomplish great feats. The corrupt Republic becomes the Empire, and great patriots rise up to form the Rebel Alliance. The long lost son of a martial artist trains to become a great martial artist himself to confront the evil cult.

From the Jedi we see the extraordinary skills typical of the Chinese knight-errant(xia). Through years of cultivation of martial skills and energy work and meditation they are able to use the Force, which parallels with internal energy or chi, to push or pull objects, to make such extraordinary leaps to some they might seem to fly(such as Obi-Wan's huge leap onto a catwalk in the Duel of the Fates scene, or Luke's amazing leap out of the carbon freezing chamber, Yoda's ability to "fly" and flip around his foes, or Mace Windu's Superman-esque flight from that Seperatist seismic tank in Clone Wars), to percieve the Force in others. We see the same from the Sith, in addition to the ability to hurl lighting from their fingertips which is no unsimilar to fire balls and other such powers attributed to a xia's use of internal energy in a wu xia story.

To many in China when A New Hope was released in '77 Star Wars was an intergalactic wu xia. To me, this is what Star Wars is, I only wish the Jedi and Sith's kung fu were better! Star Wars, however, is my favorite wu xia. It has the same sort of cult following amongst us in the West as the wu xia has had in China for years upon years.

May the Force be with you!