Warning: Major SPOILERS ahead for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Here are all the Easter eggs in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. 2019 has been a year of endings, with Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga coming to a head, and now Lucasfilm closing the trilogy of trilogies that is the Skywalker Saga. Writer Chris Terrio and director J.J. Abrams faced the unenviable task of wrapping up a story that's been over 40 years in the making.
The driving force of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's narrative is the mysterious return of Emperor Palpatine, who returns to threaten the galaxy once again. That leads to an arc in which the sequel trilogy's heroes quest across the galaxy to find the location of the Sith planet Exegol. Along the way, they meet a lot of familiar faces, repeat a number of classic lines, and explore secrets of the Force that may not be quite so unprecedented as many viewers think on first watch.
Abrams packs his film with all kinds of references and callbacks to the saga's 40+ year history, so here it is - our guide to all the Easter eggs in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, ranging from spacecraft to starfighting tactics, from recurring characters to unexpected cameos.
37. The Emperor's Speech To The Galaxy
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's opening crawl reveals Palpatine has just announced his return to the galaxy. In a strange twist, the message seems to have been reserved for Fortnite players. On December 14, players were given an exclusive clip from the movie and a message from Emperor Palpatine himself. "At last the work of generations is complete," the Emperor proclaimed. "The great error is corrected. The day of victory is at hand. The day of revenge. The day of the Sith."
36. Welcome to Mustafar
Kylo Ren begins his quest for Palpatine by heading to the fiery planet of Mustafar. Strong in the dark side of the Force, Mustafar was the place where Anakin Skywalker was critically wounded. He then made it his home, and Vader's Tower was seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Since the fall of the Empire, Mustafar has become a magnet for dark side cultists, who travel there on pilgrimages. Needless to say, Kylo Ren cuts a bloody swathe through them before recovering Darth Vader's Wayfinder. Rae Carson's novelization and the junior novelization both present alternate versions of this scene, and in the junior novelization Kylo Ren actually enters the ruins of Vader's Tower.
35. The Sith Temple on Exegol Is Very Familiar
Kylo Ren's hunt for Palpatine takes him to the Sith planet of Exegol, which is an entirely new location in Star Wars. The Sith Temple, however, will be familiar to anybody who's watched Star Wars Rebels - the design is reminiscent of another Sith Temple, discovered on the planet Malachor. Look closely at the statues of ancient Sith inside the temple; one of them recognizably bears the mask of Darth Nihilus, a major villain in the classic (non-canon) game Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. The junior novelization names other Sith Lords of old, namely Locphet, Mindran, Sissiri, Felkor, and Sadow. The last appears to be a reference to Naga Sadow, another Sith Lord from the old Expanded Universe.
34. The Emperor's Throne on Exegol
Kylo Ren soon discovers Palpatine is indeed alive, and the Dark Lord is responsible for the creation of a number of Snoke clones; in fact, he's making another, for unknown reasons. But the scenes on Exegol are dominated by an ancient Sith throne, which is based on sketches from artist Ralph MacQuarrie, when he was putting together ideas for the Emperor's Throne Room in Return of the Jedi. Similar MacQuarrie designs are used later in the film, when the Millennium Falcon jumps at speed through multiple locations.
33. The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise
Surprisingly, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is silent as to just how Palpatine has returned from the dead. The Emperor's only explanation is to claim "the dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural." That line is a quote from Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, where Palpatine told Anakin Skywalker of the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise. Plagueis was supposed to have learned how to manipulate the Midichlorians in order to conquer death.
32. Palpatine Is In An Ommin Harness
Rae Carson's novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker clarifies Palpatine is actually a clone. The novelization also names the medical harness keeping the Emperor's clone body alive; it is an Ommin harness. This is lifted from the Expanded Universe, where Ommin was an ancient Sith Lord from the Sith planet of Ziost. Ommin's obsessive studies of the dark side led to the physical decay of his body, and he became dependent on a harness to sustain his life. This is shown in Tom Veitch's Tales of the Jedi comic, and indeed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker perfectly duplicates it.
31. Rey Trains As A Jedi
Rey's story picks up with her training under Leia, with the General doubling as Jedi Master. Her training is amusingly reminiscent of Luke's in the first Star Wars film, complete with a blast-shielded helmet and a training remote to sting her.
30. Rey's Hood Is Based On Leia's Original Costume
Rey clearly has a great deal of respect for her mentor, and in fact her costume is evocative of Leia's in the first Star Wars film. "From the side, I based [the hood] on the Leia hood from A New Hope," chief costume concept designer Glyn Dillon notes in The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Apparently Rey deliberately styled her clothes on classic Alderaanian fashion.
29. Rey Gets More Visions - And Demonstrates A Subtle New Power
Rey experiences another series of Force visions, mostly reliving "Forceback" moments from Star Wars: The Force Awakens; when she experiences the battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader on Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back, there's even dialogue playing from the film in the background. This Forceback ability appears to be one of Rey's special skills, and it's related to another little-known Force power, psychometry, which allows a Jedi to sense the past of an object when they touch it. This has featured prominently in the Jedi: Fallen Order game and Kevin Shinick's young-adult novel Force Collector, and Rey demonstrates it when she senses the history of the Sith dagger.
28. Kylo Ren's Committee Includes Alex Guinness' Granddaughter
It's easy to miss, but when Kylo Ren meets the leaders of the First Order, there's an important face among them. Sally Guinness is the granddaughter of Alec Guinness, the actor who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first Star Wars film. Sally has previously worked on Marcella, Black Mirror, and Shallow Grave.
27. The Dejarik Game Aboard The Millennium Falcon
Dejarik (sometimes called Holochess) has always been a popular game aboard the Millennium Falcon. Interestingly, it looks as though Chewbacca has been practicing, given he's previously been shown losing games rather than winning them. Alternatively, it's possible he just cheats, as Poe and Finn suggest. The scene also confirms Chewbacca's age; apparently he's 250 years old.
26. Pasaana's 42-Year Celebration Is An Amusingly Meta Touch
The heroes pursue the Sith Wayfinder to the planet Pasaana, and are shocked to discover a 42-year celebration is taking place. This, of course, is an amusingly meta touch; the first Star Wars movie released in 1977, i.e. 42 years ago. Attentive viewers will notice the score becomes very familiar in the Pasaana scenes, echoing Endor in Return of the Jedi. It doesn't take the team long to meet up with Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian, who initially disguises his identity with a helmet for no particular reason, again echoing Return of the Jedi.
25. Force Heal Is A Fascinating New Power
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker strongly develops the idea of Force Heal, which was a common Jedi power in the old Expanded Universe, but has been switched up. The Disney canon version involves a transfer of life energy from one person to another. Rey uses this to heal a python, then to prevent Kylo Ren dying from a severe wound she had dealt him. In the end, Kylo Ren uses Force Heal to bring Rey back to life, sacrificing himself in order to accomplish this feat. In a nice bit of synergy, this Force power was introduced into Disney-era Star Wars canon in The Mandalorian episode 7, when Baby Yoda demonstrated the same ability.
24. D-O Has A Very Familiar Voice
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker introduces a cute new droid, D-O, who proves to be essential to the story because his memory banks actually contain all the secrets of Exegol - quite a convenient twist, and a little reminiscent of Artoo's holding the Death Star plans in his memory banks in Star Wars. D-O is voiced by J.J. Abrams himself.
23. Rey And Kylo Ren Play Tug of War With A Starship
Rey is horrified to learn Chewbacca has been captured, and she attempts to use the Force to drag down the transport taking him away. Kylo Ren sees her, and the two then engage in a strange Force version of tug of war. The idea - and even the visuals - are lifted from the 2008 Star Wars game The Force Unleashed, where its protagonist Starkiller pulled down an Imperial Star Destroyer. Interestingly, Ken Liu's novel The Legends of Luke Skywalker suggests that - in Disney canon - Luke was the one who used the Force to bring down an ISD.
22. John Williams Finally Gets A Star Wars Cameo
If anyone deserves a Star Wars cameo, it's John Williams, the composer responsible for so much of the franchise's most iconic music. He shows up as a bartender on the planet Kijimi, and appropriately enough his name is Oma Tres; it's an anagram of the word "maestro." Sadly, Oma Tres probably doesn't make it out alive.
21. A Clone Wars Battle Droid
The Resistance heroes head to Droidsmith Babu Frik, who they hope will be able to hack Threepio in order to translate the forbidden language of the Sith. It's easy to miss, but in the backdrop of Babu Frik's workshop there's an old Clone Wars era Battle Droid. It makes sense for the droidsmith to have old droid parts lying around.
20. The REAL Reason Stormtroopers Rebel
When Finn deserted the First Order in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he thought he was the only Stormtrooper to ever switch sides. He learns otherwise when he arrives on Kef Bir, and encounters Jannah and an entire company of deserters, all of whom spontaneously downed weapons rather than gun down civilians. The junior novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker fleshes this out a little, hinting the First Order used the dark side as part of their conditioning process. Given that is the case, it stands to reason Force sensitives ultimately resist the brainwashing; this fits with Finn's resistance to conditioning, and suggests Jannah and her company may also be strong in the Force.
19. The Death Star Wreckage Is Very Familiar
Rey's quest takes her to the oceanic moon of Kef Bir, presumably one of Endor's neighbors given the wreckage of the Second Death Star has landed there instead of causing an extinction level event on Return of the Jedi's Forest Moon. Watch carefully in the scenes where Rey clambers over the wreckage; there's a pillar identical to one Obi-Wan Kenobi climbed over in the first Star Wars. She then heads to the Emperor's Throne Room to locate the Sith Wayfinder.
18. Dark Rey Is An Empire Strikes Back Callback
Rey experiences a haunting vision, which kicks off with the mirror motif that characterized her similar mystical experiences in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She then finds herself confronting a twisted image of her possible future, a Dark Rey who has committed to the cause of the Sith and wields a double-bladed lightsaber. This is clearly reminiscent of Luke's vision in the Dagobah cave in The Empire Strikes Back.
17. Luke Asks Rey To Show A Lot More Respect For His Lightsaber
Rey decides to cut herself off from the Force, and repeats Luke Skywalker's exile by traveling to the planet of Ahch-To and attempting to strand herself there. To her surprise, when she attempts to cast Luke Skywalker's old lightsaber into the flames of the TIE she'd stolen, his Force Ghost manifests and catches it. Luke admonishes her that a lightsaber should be treated with a lot more respect. It's a self-conscious throwback to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, where Luke treated a lightsaber in a far more contemptuous manner, and it feels like a critical commentary on Rian Johnson's film as well.
16. Rey Takes Luke Skywalker's Old X-Wing
Rey may have stranded herself on Ahch-To, but the Force Ghost of Master Skywalker knows there's still a way off the planet. He levitates his old X-Wing out of the waters beside the island, a mirror of Master Yoda's doing the same in the swamps of Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. When Rey transmits coordinates to Exegol to the Resistance, they're initially confused because they read as being sent by "Red Five" - Luke Skywalker's old call-sign in the first Star Wars movie.
15. The Resistance Contemplate The Holdo Maneuver
The Resistance desperately attempt to plan how to take out the Final Order's Death Star Destroyers, and one suggestion is the Holdo Maneuver. This was Vice Admiral Holdo's strategy in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, when she used a jump to lightspeed to destroy the Supremacy. The Resistance are told this would never work, because each attempt is a "one in a million chance." This explains why the tactic has never been used before, although oddly enough it is seen again at the end of the film, used to destroy a Star Destroyer over the skies of Endor.
14. Admiral Ackbar's Son Appears On The Big Screen
Admiral Ackbar may have died in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but he has a legacy in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. His son Aftab Ackbar was introduced in the Star Wars: Allegiance miniseries, and is voiced by scriptwriter Chris Terrio himself in the movie. Appropriately enough, when Aftab later joins the Battle of Exegol, he flies a B-Wing. In the old Expanded Universe, his father designed that particular fighter.
13. Snap Wexley Is Back - And Sacrifices Himself For The Resistance
J.J. Abrams has always liked to cast Lost alumni, and Greg Gunberg has played the character of "Snap" Wexley throughout the sequel trilogy. He returns for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and participates in the Battle of Exegol. Tragically, Snap is shot down, and it's his death that causes Poe to briefly lose hope. Snap is quite an important character, connecting the movies to the wider tie-ins; he plays a prominent role in both Chuck Wendig's Aftermath trilogy and Rebecca Roanhorse's Resistance Reborn.
12. The Galaxy Assembles To Defeat The Emperor
The Millennium Falcon leads a fleet to bolster the Resistance. Most of the Resistance's own fleet are repurposed vessels from the Galactic Civil War, ranging from X-Wings to Bunker Busters; attentive viewers will spot the Tantive IV, Leia's consular vessel from the first Star Wars movie. The reinforcements, however, are far more diverse. They include:
- A modified VCX-100 light freighter, which may even be the Ghost from Star Wars Rebels.
- The Crucible, an ancient Jedi training vessel that dates back over a thousand years and was seen in The Clone Wars.
- Shadow Caster, a Lancer-class pursuit craft used by the bounty hunter Ketsu Onyo.
- A Balleen-class bulk frigate, possibly the Eravana - the vessel piloted by Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens before he set foot on the Falcon again.
- A Corellian YT-2400.
- The Colossus, the mobile platform seen in Star Wars Resistance, and the Fireball as well.
- Several Consular Class Cruisers and Venator-Class Star Destroyers, which date back to the Clone Wars; there's also a Pelta Class frigate, which was usually used for troop transport.
- A Lucrehulk Droid Control Ship, of the type that blockaded Naboo in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
Incidentally, the Millennium Falcon has ditched the sequel-era rectangular sensor dish in favor of the traditional circular one. Lando's Return of the Jedi copilot Nien Nunb is on board the Tantive IV, which is sadly destroyed.
11. The Return of Wedge Antilles
The Millennium Falcon has a new/old gunner as well; Wedge Antilles, played by Denis Lawson, who was one of the key pilots in the original trilogy. Wedge joined the Resistance in Rebecca Roanhorse's Resistance Reborn novel, but there's actually a touch of tragedy to this particular Easter egg; Snap Wexley is Wedge's son through marriage, and he arrives just too late to save his life.
10. Palpatine's Force Drain Power Was Set Up In Tie-Ins
Palpatine restores himself by drawing the power of the bond between Rey and Kylo Ren, and using it to rejuvenate himself. Although the Force Drain ability is new to the films, it was set up in 2015, in Chuck Wendig's "Aftermath" trilogy. In one scene, a Sith cultist named Yupe Tashu taunts a prisoner with tales of the powers of the Sith. "Did you know that the Sith Lords could sometimes drain the Force energy from their captives," he observes. "Siphoning life from them and using it to strengthen their connection to the dark side? Extending their own lives, as well, so that they could live for centuries beyond their intended expiration?"
9. The Jedi Force Ghosts Assemble To Support Rey
Rey appears to be overwhelmed by Palpatine, but fortunately receives a boost when a legion of Jedi Force Ghosts speak encouraging words to her. This features the return of Jedi from all mediums, including the animated Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars.
- Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
- Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker
- Olivia D'Abo as Luminara Unduli
- Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano
- Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura
- Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu
- Ewan McGregor & Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Frank Oz as Yoda
- Angelique Perrin as Adi Galia
- Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus
- Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn
It's unclear how some of these learned to become Force Ghosts, given this is a learned skill. The most interesting is Ashley Eckstein, because this seems to confirm Ahsoka has died by the time of the sequel trilogy.
8. Rey Uses A Familiar Trick To Defeat Palpatine
Rey borrows a trick from a long-dead Jedi Master in order to finally defeat Palpatine. In Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Mace Windu used his lightsaber to deflect Palpatine's lightning back at the Sith Lord, and the energy of his own attack seemed to do lasting damage to the Emperor. Rey uses the same tactic, first blocking and then deflecting the Emperor's Force lightning back at him. This time round, there's nobody to intervene on the Emperor's behalf, and he destroys himself.
7. Chewbacca Finally Gets A Medal
One of the oldest controversies in Star Wars is the fact Chewbacca didn't get a medal at the end of the first film. "Medals don't really mean much to Wookiees," Lucas explained. "They don't really put too much credence in them. They have different kinds of ceremonies." Tie-in comics have revealed he did indeed receive a medal, but he gave it away. This is actually Han Solo's old medal, a fact that's only made clear in the junior novelization; Maz Kanata gives it to Chewie, which seems entirely appropriate.
6. Lando (May) Have A Connection To Jannah
A curious scene at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker sees Jannah take a seat next to Lando Calrissian. It's an odd moment, clearly seeming to imply a connection between the two characters. The film and the tie-ins avoid explicitly stating anything, but it's generally believed Jannah is supposed to be Lando's daughter. Presumably the scene was edited badly, and as a result the scene feels more than a little odd.
5. Celebrations Across The Galaxy
George Lucas Star Wars Special Editions added the idea of the entire galaxy celebrating the Emperor's defeat in Return of the Jedi. Abrams chooses to repeat that idea, and he showcases Bespin, Endor, and Jakku. Endor is recognizable because there's a brief shot of Wicket, the Ewok leader in Return of the Jedi, who is once again played by Warwick Davis.
4. Rey Heads To Tatooine
Star Wars goes full circle, with Rey considering herself to be a Skywalker rather than a Palpatine. Rey settles on Tatooine, in a sequence that's full of nostalgic shots and even features a Jawa sandcruiser, and she makes her way to the Lars homestead - where Luke grew up. She begins the process of recovering the building, and slides down the sand in exactly the same way she did as a scavenger on Jakku in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But, while Rey may have apparently chosen a fairly solitary life, she evidently still considers herself a Jedi; Rey has constructed her own lightsaber, proving herself to be a Jedi Knight. It's fashioned from parts of her traditional staff weapon. Its blade is yellow, which in the old Expanded Universe denoted a Jedi who balances their life between combat and scholarly pursuits.
3. A Lot of Key Lines of Dialogue Are Repeated
This wouldn't be Star Wars without repeats of some classic lines. In fact, the conversation between Kylo Ren and the memory of his father involves dialogue lifted straight from their final, fateful chat in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. "I know what I have to do," Kylo Ren declares, "but I don't know if I have the strength to do it." This time, the scene ends with Ben attempting to say that he loves his father, and Han cuts him off with his trademark "I know."
While this is the most emotionally powerful moment to lift dialogue, there are other prominent examples as well. They include:
- Threepio gets in some very familiar lines - "This is madness" and "We're doomed!" He even repeats his first line from Star Wars; "Did you hear that?"
- This time round, it's Lando who has a bad feeling in the scenes on Pasaana.
- Lando refers to Chewie as his "old buddy," the same greeting he used for Han in The Empire Strikes Back
- Even a Stormtrooper repeats a line when going door-to-door. "Door's locked," he states, "move to the next one." It's lifted straight from the first Star Wars, when Stormtroopers were looking for two very particular droids.
- Rey complains that Poe should be careful with the Millennium Falcon because of a hyperdrive compressor. This was also discussed in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
- Kylo Ren, of course, gets in a "where is she?" scream.
- And Palpatine repeats his trademark "Good," while also getting in the comment "Only you have the power to save them."
2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Features Surprising Cameos
As well as repeated dialogue, there are also a number of key cameos. Keep your eyes peeled for Lin-Manuel Miranda as a rebel. Ed Sheeran plays a Stormtrooper, Killing Eve star Jodie Comer is Rey's mom and Dunkirk's Billy Howle is her dad. Carrie Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd reprises the role of Resistance leader Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix, with hair and even clothing a homage to her late mother.
1. Anakin Skywalker Could Have Saved Padmé After All
There's a fascinating parallel between Ben Solo's resurrection of Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker's desire to keep his beloved Padmé alive in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. In the latter case, Palpatine seduced Anakin to the dark side by promising this was the only way to conquer death. Ben's actions prove that Palpatine was lying, because it is through the light side that he is able to use Force Heal and offer his own life in place of Rey's. Of course, this also highlights the contrast between Ben's true love of Rey and Anakin's obsessive, possessive relationship with Padmé; Anakin would have been incapable of sacrificing himself, too consumed with ego and desire.
