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Hidden 'Star Wars' Easter Eggs

Fans have always been intrigued with the mysteries of a galaxy far, far away. But are you familiar with these hidden 'Star Wars' Easter eggs?

By Stephen HamiltonPublished 7 years ago 9 min read
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A list of hidden Star Wars Easter eggs is sure to hold at least one surprise for just about every Star Wars fan out there. Star Wars is a classic that has stood the test of time and is possibly the most recognizable sci-fi series to date. It has inspired generations since its making in 1977, and is inspiring new generations with its reboot. With each super series comes super fans. For our Star Wars fans, here are some of the greatest hidden Star Wars Easter eggs from the first six movies.

Bigger than B1

Some observant fans of the Star Wars movies may have noticed the repetition of the number 1138 throughout the movies. No, this is not a coincidence. George Lucas’s first movie, in fact, was THX/1138. In tribute to his first movie, he inserted the name of his first work into some of his greatest works.

One of the most noticeable places is on the back of a B1 droid in The Phantom Menace. The droid can be seen fighting Jar Jar in the battle on Naboo toward the end of the movie.

In A New Hope, when Luke and Han dress up as storm troopers, Luke states that they are transferring Chewbacca, their "prisoner," from cell block 1138. You thought that this was just a random number? Think again.

Lucas inserted another long-debated reference into Return of the Jedi. We see it in the scene where Princess Leia is dressed in the Boushh bounty hunter disguise. The side of her helmet has the numbers 1138 on it. The number can only be seen when enlarged by six times, but it was later confirmed by the makers of the Boushh costume.

THX/1138 strikes again throughout the Attack of the Clones. All of the clone trooper helmets have the infamous 1138 in LED lights on the back of the helmets. But don’t strain your eyes looking. The numbers are illegible throughout the movie.

Attack of the Lucases

George Lucas has always been a fan of cameos in the Star Wars movies, many of which we look at in this article, but what you might not know is that you have seen all of his children in the movies as well.

One of the most noted appearances of the Lucas children is his son, Jett Lucas. He appears not once but twice. The first time is in Attack of the Clones, as the Jedi padawan Zett Jukassa, and can be seen approaching the librarian after Obi-Wan finishes asking her about the planet Kamino. The second time we see him is in Revenge of the Sith as the same character. His character can be seen on a landing pad during the raid on the Jedi Temple. He attacks several stormtroopers as Bail Organa watches, eventually falling to a blaster bolt.

Lucas’ daughter played a role in all three of the prequel movies. Amanda Lucas played the voice of the Neimoidian Tey How in Phantom Menace in the beginning of the movie aboard the trade federation ship. In Attack of the Clones, Amanda played Adnama, an occupant of the Outlander Club when Obi-Wan and Anakin pursue the assassin Zam Wesell. Her final appearance was in Revenge of the Sith as Senator Terr Taneel, most notably seen outside the Galaxies Opera House. It is fair to say that Amanda has traveled the galaxy!

Katie Lucas is probably the face we remember the most from the movies. In Phantom Menace, we see her on Tatooine as the young human Amee, a friend of Anakin’s who is credulous of his pod working after spending years working on it. Further, we see her in Attack of the Clones as Lunae Minx, a purple Twi’lek who appears in the Outlander Club when Anakin and Obi-Wan are pursuing Zam Wesell. Katie makes her last appearance in Revenge of the Sith as Senator Chi Eekway Papanoida and is most notably seen outside the Galaxies Opera House.

Leave it to George Lucas to put such a classic movie reference right under our noses in the form of this next hidden Star Wars Easter egg, the Wilhelm Scream.

The scream originated in the 1951 western movie Distant Drums when a soldier was eaten by an alligator. The next time the scream was used was by Captain Wilhelm in The Charge at Feather River, giving the iconic scream its name. The scream has since become such an iconic part of many movies, including Lord of the Rings, Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, Titanic, and many others. While you may not recognize the Wilhelm name, the sound itself is highly associated with characters falling or being killed in modern films.

The Star Wars franchise helped bring the noise to the front of today’s most recognized sound effects when sound designer Ben Burtt decided to incorporate it into the original trilogy. The most iconic scene is when stormtroopers are pursuing Luke and Leia after her rescue in A New Hope. Luke shoots a stormtrooper and he falls off a ledge, letting out the ever-present Wilhelm Scream.

In a Galaxy Far, Far Away... 

George Lucas had a twin. Or he simply made a cameo appearance as a character that is based off his own persona.

In Revenge of the Sith, Lucas appears as the Baron Papanoida of Pantora. Papanoida is... wait for it, a playwright! His character is also the father of his daughter’s character, Senator Papanoida. Lucas can be seen conversing outside the Galaxies Opera House next to Katie’s character while his other daughter, Amanda, is pictured several feet away in a different conversation. While the Baron might not look like George’s twin per se (he has blue skin), there are definitely some unmistakable parallels between his in-character and out-of-character selves.

The Elephant in the Senate Chamber

This next hidden Star Wars Easter egg is right under our noses, and some might go so far as to say it is the elephant in the room, or else the Senate Chamber.

If you have ever watched Revenge of the Sith and done a double take at the appearance of a celebrity alien from another movie, then you know what I am talking about. Yes, you did just see E.T. and his two brothers.

If you look closely at the Senate Chamber when they are in session, you will see three representatives of the Asogian race of Brodo Asogi. Pictured is Senator Grebleips and his aides.

The insertion of these characters into a different movie actually stemmed from the relationship Lucas had with Steven Spielberg, who inserted the famous Jedi Yoda into his E.T. movie. Lucas repaid the favor by sliding in the symbolic alien in the form of an alien race. Kudos Lucas.

Boba Fettish

Boba Fett has always been a mysterious character, seeming cold and distant under that helmet. Despite this, we do get to see the man beneath the mask not once, but twice throughout the films.

Jeremy Bulloch appears in The Empire Strikes Back as an Imperial Officer in Cloud City, stepping in when the actor they hired for the job was a no-show. He grabs Leia when she tries to warn Luke of the trap. Remember now? Don’t tell me you recognized him without his jetpack.

The actor appeared again in the prequel, as Captain Colton in Revenge of the Sith flying Obi-Wan and Yoda to Coruscant. Good thing he had so much experience piloting Slave I.

Klaatu Barada Nikto

Star Wars fans may recognize these words as being alien species. However, true science fiction fans will know that these words have a much more deep-seated meaning in sci-fi culture.

The phrase originates in the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, when the protagonist Klaatu tells Hele Benson that should something happen to him (Klaatu) she should go to Goro (the antagonist) and speak the phrase “Klaatu Barada Nikto.” It is never disclosed what the words mean, but they hold a dear place at the heart of classic science fiction.

In homage to this movie, George Lucas inserted a small hidden Easter egg in the Star Wars movie Return of the Jedi. This one was snuck in there rather sneakily. We look to Tatooine on the sand skiff where Jabba’s guards are about to feed Luke to the sarlacc. One of the guards is descended from the Nikto species. Two guards are of the Klaatu alien species. And the last is named Barada. Lucas never fails to disappoint!

Droids or Gods?

R2-D2 and C3PO have certainly captured the hearts of Star Wars fans, becoming icons of the series, but have humans gone so far as to worship them as gods?

If we are looking at the film Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark, the answer is yes.

Another quirky collaboration between the loved George Lucas and Steven Spielberg evolved into the pair sliding in the beloved droid duo not once... but three different times in the film.

The most highly noted of these instances is shown when they open the Ark. If we look to the left of Indiana, we see several depictions of hieroglyphics, one depicting peoples of an ancient society worshipping what cannot be mistaken by Star Wars fans as anything but the dashing droid duo.

Covert Cameos

In this hidden Star Wars Easter egg, we get to see some of the crew go under cover in the film itself! After all, who wouldn't dream of being in a Star Wars film?

We turn now to the end of Phantom Menace, where the Chancellor can be seen congratulating Queen Amidala, who has various officials surrounding her. The two men standing behind her are, in fact, Producer Rick McCallum and Sound Effects Engineer Ben Burtt. Maybe these two should invest in an acting career now that they have experience!

The Ghost Ship

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s... the Millennium Falcon? That is right! Our favorite rust bucket makes a cameo appearance before she was ever flown by Lando or Han!

The YT-3000 first makes an appearance in Attack of the Clones, where fans see it for the first time since the original trilogy. Here we actually have three of these freighters clustered at the spaceport on Naboo, but none of these are actually the ship we were all waiting for. Nonetheless, the sight of such a beloved part of the trilogy warmed the hearts of fans everywhere.

The real treat came in Revenge of the Sith. Picture Obi-Wan and Anakin crash landing after fighting Dooku and the camera turns to the spaceport. Look in the lower right hand corner and you can see the Millennium Falcon going to port. That ship just can’t keep itself out of the spotlight can it? It is another hidden Star Wars Easter egg that is right under our noses!

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About the Creator

Stephen Hamilton

Definitive movie buff. Quickly realized that it was more financially prudent to write about film than trying to beg for millions of dollars to make his own.

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