Star Wars is one of the most popular multimedia franchises in history, so it isn't surprising that its long and documented influence on pop culture would extend to anime. What might surprise anime fans is that since the Original Trilogy premiered, multiple anime genres have been referencing it, all the way back to the early '80s.
Many anime feature action-packed adventures, quirky comedic moments, and inspirational stories that follow the themes found in Star Wars, and each genre has found a way to pay homage to the franchise regardless of whether a series focuses on a candy shop, an alien invasion, or catching Pokémon. From replicating imagery in title sequences to basing entire characters off of fan-favorite Star Wars heroes and villains, these are the references to the franchise that stand out the most.
Pokémon Sun & Moon - Ultra Legends
In the thespian-themed episode "Lillier and the Staff", The Pokémon School invites all its students and their respective Pokémon to participate in a school play. Ash and Pikachu don't know exactly what pop culture pieces they'll be drawing on for their performance but Rotomdex does, much to the delight of Star Wars fans.
He reveals his idea for a "grand sci-fi epic", showing Ash in the cream-colored ensemble Luke Skywalker wears in the original Star Wars, though this time instead of holding a lightsaber above his head, he wields his Z-Power Ring with Pikachu filling in for Leia and Rotomdex as Darth Vader in an homage to the theatrical poster from 1977.
Dagashi Kashi
For an innocuous series that revolves around candy and the slice of life interactions at a sweet shop, Dagashi Kashi unexpectedly manages to fit a Star Wars homage into the beginning of Episode 3, amidst a series of flashing images revolving around Hotaru, Kokonotsu, Yō, and other characters.
Eagle-eyed fans will notice that towards the end of the opening credits, Kokonotsu and his father Yō engage in a heated lightsaber duel like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader's in The Empire Strikes Back. The episode it's doesn't have anything to do with Star Wars, but the series does involve Yō trying to convince his son to inherit the family business.
Princess Jellyfish
In the coming-of-age anime Princess Jellyfish, Tsukimi Kurashita has two passions; jellyfish, and becoming a designer in Tokyo. Amidst the fabulous fashion, quirky friends, and jellyfish she encounters, there is a wide assortment of Western pop culture references in the series, especially in the opening credits.
The entire opening title sequence begins with an ode to the original Star Wars, with Tsukimi and her friends standing in for C-3PO, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and Princess Leia, with special attention paid to Luke Skywalker's trench run on the Death Star.
Gintama
Aliens and feudal Japan collide in Gintama, an amalgamation that inspired Star Wars itself when George Lucas combined the samurai movies of Akira Kurosawa and the sci-fi B-movies of the '50 and '60s. When the series introduces the Renho Tribe, there are several prominent Star Wars homages.
Despite wearing duck costumes, the mercenaries are incredibly formidable, with one, in particular, being the most dangerous; Dark Vader. One of the leaders made by Sagi to spy on Earth, residing in a space station that looks very much like the Death Star, bears a striking resemblance to a certain Sith Lord.
Excel Saga
When Excel Saga isn't parodying every anime genre in existence, it's referencing Western pop culture in fun and unique ways, like in "The Woman From Mars" featuring an opening credit crawl in the same style as the Star Wars Original Trilogy.
It even begins with "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...", and acts as a disclaimer from series creator Rikdo Koshi, indicating the episode will take on the tone of the popular sci-fi movies, complete with "two dominating powers continuously fighting a fierce war with each other". In addition, the Puchu ship seen later in the episode bears a striking resemblance to an Imperial Star Destroyer.
Hellsing Ultimate
Before much was known about the mysterious Millennium Organization, found to be based on Hitler's Thousand Year Reich and focusing on inhumane wartime experiments, Hellsing had to do some digging into its origins and machinations.
When Walter begins investigating Millennium, his first thought is the name of Han Solo's famous ship from Star Wars, the Millennium Falcon. He even goes so far as to confer with a Star Wars fan club, before getting on the right track. Amid the series doom and gloom, the light-hearted reference was a welcome distraction.
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is full of locations named after prominent planets in the Star Wars Universe, including "Tatooine Station", a reference to Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine, "Dagoba Municipal Park", a reference to Yoda's home on Dagobah, "Nabu Junior High" named after Queen Amidala's planet Naboo, and even the fictitious district in Tokyo called "Hosu" is named after the Japanese pronunciation of the ice planet Hoth.
The main villain All For One bears a striking resemblance to Darth Vader, in both his appearance (a black metal helmet and life support system) and his behavior. He even uses a facility called Kamino, named after the planet on which the clone troopers were created in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones to make Nomus.
Urusei Yatsura
Though it's known for its Western pop culture references, Urusei Yatsura has perhaps one of the longest love letters to Star Wars over the course of its five-year run in Japan from 1981 until 1986, particularly Return of the Jedi which premiered in 1983.
In Episode 89, while Ataru's parents are on a trip, the male characters try to keep Lum and Ataru apart while they're alone in the house. Characters like Megane and Chibi as Han and Leia and Mendou as Luke are included in extended fantasy sequences involving scenes from Return of the Jedi. In Episode 134, the words "Return of the Jedi" are seen on the door outside where Kitsune finds Lum and Ataru.
Crayon Shin-Chan
While Western animated series known for crassness like Family Guy have long been known for devoting entire episodes to Star Wars, Crayon Shin-Chan did it in Japan in 1997, but the episode didn't air in the US until 2008 after Funimation obtained the Shin-chan North America license.
In "Shin Wars", Shin stars as Puke Skypooper (Luke Skywalker), his father Hiro is Darth Bader (Darth Vader), a pig stars as Ham Solo (Han Solo), his little sister is Baby the Butt (Jabba the Hutt), Principal Ench is Emperor Principalpatine (Emperor Palpatine), and his classmates are Ewoks, among many other characters and references to the Original Trilogy. There's even a reference to Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace with the phrase, "Now this is Pod Racing!"
Transformers: Victory
A Japanese spin-off of the popular American Transformers series from the United States, Transformers: Victory is heavily influenced by anime of the time and features Autobots in a highly stylized way. The series borrows from Western pop culture in subtle ways by including Star Wars easter eggs for observant fans.
In Episode 1, Star Saber travels to Iron Town, an alien settlement featuring inhabitants that look like non-human characters seen in the Original Trilogy like Ewoks and Jawas, and in Episode 22, two "mechanoids" at the Schaffer Energy plant bear a striking resemblance to C-3PO and R2-D2.