Jedi and Samurai

Here's an annoyance I have with d20, particularly if one uses Prestige Classes: over-specific character classes.

In Star Wars d20, there are two base Jedi classes, not to mention the Force Adept class. In Oriental Adventures, there's the Samurai class. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the Samurai pretty much just a social caste of warriors in medieval Japan? In which case, shouldn't they be modelled using the Fighter class? Or, perhaps, the Ranger or Paladin classes if one wants a different style of Samurai. Add on prestige classes, to model different types of Samurai, and you get loads of variety of characters.

The Star Wars situation is a bit different, in that there are no real Jedi (census polls notwithstanding), and the only Jedi shown in the films do fit neatly into one of the two classes. That said, the Expanded Universe posits a whole host of force traditions that are not necessarily Jedi, and which now have to fit within a single class. Additionally, we have about a dozen published Jedi prestige classes, any of which has just as much validity as a base class as do the Consular and Guardian.

Of course, there are also the Barbarian and Paladin in base d20, which at least somewhat assume a social role for the character.

To my mind, base classes should be general enough to fit a broad array of character types (assuming the Prestige Classes are in use, of course). Prestige Classes should then be used to provide the social role for the character, if this is desired and considered necessary.

Or, put another way, you should be able to construct a whole host of character concepts, including ones from every playable race, without laughing, in order to allow a base class. The Fighter has that sort of utility. The Samurai does not.