George Lucas drew Star Wars from many sources including Joseph Campbell, Buck Rogers, and the adventure serials of the 1930s. He (and the creators who have followed him in guiding the most beloved franchise in the universe) also took strong inspiration from the stories of King Arthur and his fabled Knights of the Round Table. In this new video essay, ScreenCrush video editor Ryan Arey looks at Star Wars, and particularly Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to examine the full impact Arthurian legend had on the saga set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

You’ll see which Star Wars characters correlate to which Arthurian figures. (Who is Lancelot? Percival? The Lady of the Lake?) And you’ll see how objects like the lightsaber flew straight out of the King Arthur stories. (Excalibur, anyone?) The key to understanding where Star Wars is headed, into The Last Jedi and beyond, is understanding where the Knights of the Round Table went. Plus, there are a lot of good Monty Python jokes. Which are never not funny. (In a related story: Ni!)

If you enjoyed our Star Wars King Arthur video, check our more of ScreenCrush’s video essays below on movies like The Dark TowerReservoir Dogs, and Rocky. Plus, be sure to subscribe to the ScreenCrush YouTube channel to catch all our future episodes.

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