But there was one influence Lucas wasn’t remotely subtle about and that’s how much Palpatine’s rise to Emperor in the prequels was a direct analogy to Hitler’s ascendency in 1930s Germany.

For example, something that bothers a lot of new fans is: why the hell didn't the Jedi catch Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) sooner? He was always right next to them! Couldn't they have used the Force ...