Well, being isolated in a lifeless expanse of desert that is quite literally unending does give one a mildly different appreciation of the boundless and unending incarnations of life than Dagobah would.

I think that's a general rule of story telling. One or two samurai, wandering the countryside, occasionally meeting others, works. Showing thousands of them in the service of some lord, not so much, unless they're quickly slaughtered and we get down to just a couple wandering around. Same with guns. An army? Boring. Armed former soldier who's a bit insane? Fun.