The filmmakers behind the Star Wars films are just like the hardcore fans: they're movie nerds. The recent Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett and Kenobi have been jam-packed with references to classic Star Wars works, both the well-known and the obscure.
But beyond that, the films are full of easter eggs that fans would never spot the first time they watched them. There are loads of references to other films in the Star Wars movies, plus some other random things that are thrown in just for fun. It might help audiences see the movies in a new light if they keep an eye out for where to find them and contemplate why they were included in.
The Wilhelm Scream
First and foremost, this is the greatest audio in-joke of all time. As reported by no film school, the 1951 film Distant Drums featured a unique scream sound effect likely performed by Sheb Wooley, which was used in many subsequent films.
Legendary Sound designer, Ben Burtt, was fascinated with the effect, even doing significant research on it. He included it in 1977's Star Wars, during the scene where Luke is shooting stormtroopers across a chasm. The sound effect has continued to be used in Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, Lord of The Rings, and several superhero films (just to name a few).
ET Species In The Senate
Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic, The Phantom Menace.
Three E.T.'s appear in the Republic Senate scene. This suggests that there is a world in the Star Wars galaxy Screen Rant).
Indiana Jones Enjoys Podracing
Star Wars and Indiana Jones are the two biggest franchises created by George Lucas, so it should be no surprise that they reference each other. Hieroglyphics of R2-D2 and C-3PO appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Then in The Phantom Menace, the Star Wars franchise allegedly returned the favor.
During the podrace scene, someone dressed similarly to the snake-fearing archeologist could be seen walking up the steps. While the outfit isn't a 100% match, many fans believe this is an intended easter egg - especially since the character is isolated and stands out from the crowd.
Shaggy The Jedi
Before the launch of the computer-animated program, The Clone Wars, in 2008, there was Star Wars: Clone Wars. Genndy Tartakovky produced three seasons of short, hand-drawn cartoons set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
The Cartoon Network program paid tribute to a character frequently seen on the network, Scooby-Doo's Shaggy, by introducing the Jedi Sha'a Gi. He and several other Jedi were on a mission in Hypori when his master was killed. Sha'a Gi panicked and was soon killed by General Grievous.
Returning The Favor To Blade Runner
When Harrison Ford starred in 1982's Blade Runner, the film paid tribute to Han Solo by including a Millenium Falcon-shaped building. As with E.T., Star Wars returned the favor in 1999's The Phantom Menace.
When Queen Amidala's ship is preparing to leave Coruscant, there is a brief overhead shot of the landing platform. In the lower-left part of the screen, there is a spinner from Blade Runner. It is very small and difficult to spot.
Bad Robot In Babu Frik's Workshop
Bad Robot is the production company of J.J. Abrams. Since 2008, they have served as such for all of the Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and Cloverfield films among others. They were also behind both of Abrams' Star Wars films.
The company's logo features a red robot running through a field before stopping in front of the viewing. The robot appeared in Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker. Appropriately, it was seen in a pilot of droids in Babu Frik's workshop.
Fertility Idol From Raiders of the Lost Ark
Harrison Ford's two most iconic roles were both from Lucasfilm productions, Han Solo and Indiana Jones. So when Lucasfilm was making a film about Han Solo, it seemed like an Indiana Jones call back would be on the table. Literally.
In the scene where Han, Chewy, and Beckett meet with Dreyden Voss in his office, one of Indy's most famous artifacts could be seen on the table behind them. It's the Fertility Idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indy found it in the Chachapoyan temple in Peru, where he had to outrun a boulder only to have Belloq take the idol from him.
Watto Has The 2001: A Space Odyssey Pod EVA
Before Star Wars, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was the definitive sci-fi epic. The spacecraft Discovery had three extravehicular activity pods that could be piloted outside of the ship.
One of the pods was lost in space and it must have ended up in the Star Wars galaxy. It can be seen in Watto's junkyard on Tatooine during Qui-Gon's first negotiation. So much for "A long time ago."
Shoe And Potato Asteroids!
Some of the best easter eggs in the Star Wars films are just random things thrown in for fun. It seems like a giant shoe and potato would be easy to spot, but somehow it's easy to miss.
Shy of 40 minutes into The Empire Strikes Back, Han Solo pilots the Millennium Falcon into an asteroid field and decides to fly closer to one of the big ones. Just then, a shoe and potato come whizzing by from the left. They're only on screen for about a second.
And The Kitchen Sink!
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was said to be the last Star Wars film ever when it was released in 2005. That being the case, the filmmakers wanted to go out with a bang. The film started with an exciting "long take," albeit one achieved via CGI rather than by precise blocking and camera work.
During the shot, a Republic Venator-class Star Destroyer ruins a CIS munificent-class star frigate. The camera pans to the left as a piece of debris, a kitchen sink flies off and impacts the Star Destroyer. The insinuation that the CGI artists threw everything into the scene including the kitchen sink.
