The Mandalorian has laid a fresh batch of Star Wars Easter eggs in its seventh installment, with some honoring the past and others expanding upon it. The past few episodes of The Mandalorian have told mostly self-contained stories, exploring remote farming planets, revisiting Tatooine and catching up with Mando's old criminal pals, all while dropping a variety of nods to the Star Wars movies and wider universe. Last week's offerings included some series highlights, with X-Wings, director cameos and a throwback to the Luke Skywalker vs. Rancor fight from Return of the Jedi.
"The Reckoning" shifts gears somewhat, resuming The Mandalorian's overarching narratives and bringing back familiar faces such as Greef Karga and Cara Dune. The purpose of the mission to acquire Baby Yoda also comes back into focus, as Mando returns to Navarro to face the Empire and the Client once again, looking to put an end to the ceaseless stream of bounty hunters coming after him. As one would expect, things don't exactly go to plan, as the arrival of Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon and his considerable reinforcements throw a big Imperial spanner in the works.
Although The Mandalorian retraced its own steps more than those of previous Star Wars entries this week, there were still plenty of mentions, appearances and landmark moments that harked back to past stories. Here are all the Star Wars Easter eggs from The Mandalorian's "The Reckoning."
Familiar Aliens & Droids Pt. VII
As with previous installments of The Mandalorian, "The Reckoning" featured several characters of the alien and robotic kind that have appeared previously in the Star Wars universe and that may be recognizable to fans. Near the outset of the episode, Cara Dune is seen fighting a Zabrak on Sorgan when Mando arrives to recruit her as backup. This race most famously produced Darth Maul, but one of the species was glimpsed previously in episode 3 among the bounty hunters attacking The Mandalorian's fleeing title character.
When viewers are reacquainted with the Client, the bar is being worked by an RA-7 protocol droid. The use of droids as bartenders was highlighted previously on Tatooine, and it appears other planets are jumping on the free-labor bandwagon. Though neither an alien nor a droid, the Empire's Stormtrooper transport vessel turns up towards the end of the episode. Seen in a variety of projects, this vehicle features heavily in Star Wars Rebels.
The New Republic's Charter
Before meeting his untimely death, Kuill recounts how he managed to rebuild and reprogram IG-11 from a walking silver purveyor of death and destruction into a personal butler. The Ugnaught mentions how the New Republic Charter allows him to claim the abandoned property as his own. Although the New Republic's constitution was referenced in the canon Bloodline novel, the specific mention of "charter" is more in line with the old Star Wars expanded universe, where the New Republic Common Charter dictated the laws of the galaxy after the Empire's downfall.
Baby Yoda's Force Choke
In one of several shocking moments in The Mandalorian this week, Baby Yoda appears to misinterpret an arm wrestle between Mando and Cara Dune and begins choking out Gina Carano's character, receiving a stern telling-off for his troubles. The Force choke is a technique seen on several occasions, memorably used by Darth Vader in A New Hope and later by a fully-trained Luke Skywalker when entering Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi.
Bogwings
Baby Yoda has been called a variety of things in The Mandalorian so far (everything apart from "Baby Yoda," that is) and the latest pet name came from Greef Karga, who referred to the child as a "little Bogwing." Mostly native to Naboo (as well as Dagobah), Bogwings have been present within Star Wars mythology for years, appearing in deleted scenes from Revenge of the Sith and then seeing a proper outing in The Clone Wars. Culturally speaking, "Bogwing" has been used as somewhat of an insult in Star Wars lore.
Medpacs
When Greef Karga comes under attack from a nighttime native of Navarro, his arm is left in bad shape and dripping with poison. Cara Dune is the first to rush to Karga's aid and asks if any of his associates are carrying a Medpac. This is a catch-all term for a First Aid Kit in the Star Wars universe and has previously been used in Star Wars Rebels, the Shattered Empire comic book and renowned novels such as Thrawn and Aftermath.
Force Healing In Live-Action
When a Medpac isn't forthcoming, the task of healing Greef falls to Baby Yoda, who uses the Force the fix the wound and remove the poison, much to the amazement of everyone present. Force healing is a Jedi power not often seen in the Star Wars franchise, but is certainly not a new phenomenon. The practice was used widely in the "Legends" section of canon by the likes of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade, but has yet to be properly enshrined into new canon, other than in the Uprising video game. Undoubtedly, Baby Yoda's usage of Force healing cements the technique as part of a Jedi's arsenal.
Mando & Greef Copy Han, Luke And Chewie
When attacking the now Imperial-controlled Bounty Hunters' Guild, the Mandalorian comes up with a cunning plan whereby Greef would pretend to have captured the renegade bounty hunter, but the cuffs wouldn't be locked, allowing the duo to launch a surprise attack in enemy territory. This tactic is virtually identical to one used by Han Solo, Luke and Chewbacca while on the Death Star in A New Hope. Dressed as Stormtroopers, Han and Luke pretend to have captured the Wookiee in order to trick some actual Empire guards.
Comlinks Return
When enacting their plan to assassinate the Client and claim freedom for Baby Yoda, Mando and Kuiil keep in touch via communicators that might look very familiar to Star Wars fans. These comlinks can be seen in A New Hope, for instance when Luke Skywalker is imploring R2-D2 to turn off the enclosing walls of the trash compactor aboard the Death Star, but comlinks have been a frequent presence throughout the Star Wars universe, both on the big screen and beyond.
Imperial Scout Troopers & Speeders
With the Empire sweeping through the Bounty Hunters' Guild like a plague of aimless white locusts, it's no surprise to see a few familiar varieties of Stormtrooper propping up the town. Most notably, Scout Troopers are stationed by the entrance, along with their familiar speeder bikes. This ilk of soldier are best known for their appearance on Endor in Return of the Jedi and when the pair set off in pursuit of Kuiil and Baby Yoda, a chase occurs that's similar to the one Leia experienced in that very film.
Mandalore Resisted Empire Influence
The Mandalorian distaste for the Empire has already been referenced by the Disney+ series, but the Client makes a more explicit allusion this week, raising the fact that Mandalore resisted Imperial occupation. This key tenet of Mandalorian culture has been told previously in Star Wars mythology, largely via The Clone Wars, and weaving Mandalore's neutrality into the world of live-action goes even further towards making the animated Star Wars efforts all the more vital.
Death Troopers Debut
When Moff Gideon arrives, he is preceded by a small unit of Death Troopers who attempt to take out both the Client and the Mandalorian in one fell swoop. This is the first time the crack Stormtrooper rank has appeared on the The Mandalorian, but they have previously wreaked havoc in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story after making a brief debut in comic form. While The Mandalorian has made plenty of references to the original and prequel trilogies, there have been less ties to the spinoff movies, so this nod to Rogue One is certainly a welcome inclusion.
Gideon's TIE Fighter
As with last week's X-Wings, Moff Gideon's TIE Fighter in the closing moments of this week's The Mandalorian is a giant Easter egg throwback to the original trilogy that will delight veteran fans. In addition to the Fighter itself, however, the craft comes complete with unique folding wings that aid in landing. This pragmatic wing mechanism is actually a leftover design from concept art by Doug Chiang for The Force Awakens, making the ship's appearance a reference to both the original and sequel Star Wars trilogies.
The Mandalorian concludes December 27th on Disney+.