The Star Wars prequels have a complicated legacy, to say the least. Greeted with much hype and anticipation, they were controversial at the time of their release among general audiences and hardcore Star Wars fans. Yet the young kids who grew up with the trilogy as their entry point to a galaxy far, far away embraced it, and as the years went by, the prequels were embraced even more. In many ways, the movies have also come to be propped up by the same fans who hated them at the time of their release, especially since the sequel trilogy.
Like the original and sequel trilogies, the prequels are filled with Easter eggs. These include visual references to past films, cameos from background characters who would later become important to the larger canon, and even nods to real-world events. These are the best Easter eggs in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Why You Should Trust Me: I’ve been a writer for MovieWeb for over 4 years and have covered Star Wars extensively. Star Wars is one of my favorite film franchises, and the prequels were my entry point to the saga. Episode I — The Phantom Menace was one of the first films I saw in theaters, and Episode III — Revenge of the Sith was the first midnight screening I ever attended.
‘American Graffiti’ Gets the Spotlight
While most Star Wars fans know that the number 1138 appears across the franchise as a reference to Lucas’s first film, THX 1138, his second film, American Graffiti, also gets multiple references in Attack of the Clones. The first is the yellow speeder Anakin takes for the Coruscant chase, a reference to the 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe that Paul Le Mat’s character, John Miller, drives in American Graffiti. The 1950s-inspired diner run by Dexter Jettser appears to be a reference to Mel’s Diner, which was featured in American Graffiti.
Utapau’s Name Dates Back to the Original Trilogy
In Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Grievous’ epic battle takes place on the planet Utapau. It is a subterranean planet filled with catacombs and passageways. Interestingly, Utapau was the original name for the desert planet in George Lucas’s first draft of Star Wars, which would later become Tatooine. For Episode III​​​​​​, Lucas repurposed the planet name that had gone unused in the original trilogy.
Commander Cody’s Name Is Taken From Elsewhere
Commander Cody was the leading Clone Trooper working under Obi-Wan Kenobi. The character’s name is lifted directly from Commander Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe, a 1950s sci-fi serial. George Lucas would have been eight years old when it was released. With Star Wars and Indiana Jones being Lucas’ love letter to the film serials of his youth, it is clear that Commando Cody was a personal favorite of the director.
Thank the Maker, George Lucas Is Here!
It took six films and 28 years, but George Lucas finally gave himself a cameo in a Star Wars movie. He appears as Baron Notluwiski Papanoida, a Patoran chairman in Revenge of the Sith. He is briefly seen when Anakin Skywalker enters the opera to meet Chancellor Palpatine, although very little attention is drawn to Lucas’ character. The director actually included roles for all three of his children in Revenge of the Sith, with his two daughters appearing in all three prequel films.
Amanda Lucas’ Cameos
Amanda Lucas was George Lucas’ oldest daughter, whom he adopted with his ex-wife, Marcia Lucas. Amanda appears in all three Star Wars prequels as four distinct characters. She appears twice in The Phantom Menace. One is Diva Funquita, the Theelin assistant seen in Jabba the Hutt’s viewing box during the pod race scene. In the same film, she voices Tey How, the Neimoidian of the Trade Federation, though her voice is combined with Marc Silk to give her a distinct sound. Amanda appears in the background of the underground Coruscant bar in Attack of the Clones when Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi enter. Finally, she appears in Revenge of the Sith as human Republic senator Terr Taneel.
Katie Lucas’ Cameos
Katie Lucas is George Lucas’ second daughter. She first appears in The Phantom Menace as Amee, a young friend of Anakin’s on Tatooine. In Attack of the Clones, she appears as a Twi’lek in the underground bar on Coruscant. Then, in Revenge of the Sith, she plays Galactic Senator Chi Eekway Papanoida, a Patoran who is seemingly the daughter of George Lucas’ character.
Jett Lucas’ (Very) Mini Arc
One Lucas family cameo has a somewhat larger story. Lucas’ son Jett plays Padawan Zett Jukassa. The Padawan is briefly seen in Attack of the Clones when Jedi librarian Jocasta Nu steps away from speaking with Obi-Wan Kenobi about Kamino. He then returns in Revenge of the Sith, briefly holding off the 501st Clone Troopers before being shot and killed in front of Bail Organa. Despite appearing on-screen for less than a minute, audiences get to see a brief history of a background character in a magic only Star Wars can deliver.
The Millennium Falcon in ‘Revenge of the Sith’
After Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi return to Coruscant after rescuing Chancellor Palpatine, their shuttle docks at Palpatine’s office building. In the lower left-hand corner, a familiar ship can be seen docking. This is none other than the Millennium Falcon, the iconic ship that would go on to be piloted by Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy. At this point in the timeline, it is unclear who is piloting the ship, since it appears to be before Lando Calrissian won it playing Sabaac. Still, it’s cool to think about.
‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Shuttle in Watto’s Junkyard
When Qui-Gon Jinn is looking for a new hyperdrive generator in The Phantom Menace​​​​​​, he stumbles into Watto’s shop and meets Anakin Skywalker for the first time. Hidden in Watto’s junkyard out back is something far from the Star Wars galaxy. Seen among the junk is a pod from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is part of a larger off-screen connection between the two legendary sci-fi properties, as Marvel Comics published both Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey comics in the 1970s. Whether the shuttle in Watto’s junkyard suggests a shared continuity between the two stories is up to the viewer, but it’s more than likely just a harmless Easter egg.
Members of E.T.’s Species Are in the Galactic Senate
In The Phantom Menace, the E.T. species can be seen in the Galactic Senate. This is a nice reference to George Lucas’ friend and frequent collaborator, Steven Spielberg, who directed E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, which at one point held the record for the highest-grossing movie of all time, surpassing Star Wars. Spielberg himself included multiple references to Star Wars in E.T., including one kid wearing a Yoda costume. How does that work within Star Wars canon? Best not to think about it. Just like the implied Space Odyssey crossover, sometimes an Easter egg is just for fun and not meant to be a big canon reveal.
Quinlan Vos Is in ‘The Phantom Menace’
Quinlan Vos has become a notable Jedi during the prequel era. He is the master of Aayla Secura, the lover of former villain-turned-anti-hero Asajj Ventress, and one of the Jedi who survived Order 66 and helped set up The Path. That being said, most of his story takes place away from the movies. While he did not appear in Attack of the Clones or Revenge of the Sith, he actually made his debut as a background character in The Phantom Menace​​​​​​.
Quinlan Vos can be seen on Tatooine in Mos Espa. He’s in the background when Sebulba is about to beat up Jar Jar Binks. Since The Phantom Menace‘s release, the eagle-eyed fans who have noticed Vos have wondered why he did not help fellow Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn get off the planet and back to Coruscant. Expanded Universe novels have explained that Vos was deep undercover and could not risk exposing himself. Qui-Gon also knew about Quinlan’s mission and did not want to risk blowing his fellow Jedi’s cover.
Jango Fett Bumping His Head
One of the most famous goofs in Star Wars history was the Stormtrooper who bangs his head on the doorway in the Death Star. When Attack of the Clones came out, George Lucas intended to retcon the original trilogy’s Stormtroopers into being clones, which would have been an evolution of the Kamino twist from the prequels. Since all the Stormtroopers would have been clones of bounty hunter Jango Fett, the infamous lack of spatial awareness on display in the original trilogy could have been playfully interpreted as being inherited from the original donor.
Jango enters his ship after a fight with Obi-Wan Kenobi in Attack of the Clones​​​​​​, and he can briefly be seen bumping his head. Later Star Wars additions would reverse Lucas’ intended retcon. For instance, The Bad Batch shows how Clone Troopers were initially carried over and folded into the Empire’s military infrastructure, but were then phased out in favor of conscripted soldiers. Yet Jango’s head bump in Attack of the Clones remains as a nice little reference to Star Wars‘ wider history and ever-evolving status.
The Tragic Real World History Behind Order 66
Any self-respecting Star Wars fan knows about Order 66, Palpatine’s order that labels all Jedi as traitors to the Republic and orders Clone Troopers to execute them. It is the moment where Star Wars‘ power balance shifts, leading to the rise of the Empire. The event is depicted from various points of view across the galaxy in Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Mandalorian, and Jedi Fallen Order. Order 66 bears similarities to a real-life executive order from a dark chapter in America’s history.
Order 66 is widely believed to be named after Executive Order 9066. Signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1942, the infamous directive allowed for the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans following Pearl Harbor. While Lucas has never directly commented on this connection, the director draws so heavily from history for Star Wars that it’s reasonable to assume the influence. Like Order 66, Order 9066 wrongly accused citizens of criminal activity and portrayed them as threats without credible evidence.
What’s your favorite Star Wars Easter egg in the prequels? Let us know in the comments!
