SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY SPOILERS - 22 Easter Eggs And References You Need To See
Solo: A Star Wars Story is now in theaters and we've combed through the movie in order to bring you all the biggest Easter Eggs, references, in-jokes, and nods to the wider Star Wars Universe. Take a look!
Solo: A Star Wars Story may have been surrounded by troubling reports about some serious issues behind the scenes but it still somehow managed to remain one of 2018's most highly anticipated blockbusters, mostly because fans wanted to know if it was going to be good or a total disaster. Thankfully, it's a fun adventure and one which exceeds expectations in pretty much every way.
We've already seen the spinoff a couple of times and have combed through it in order to bring you an in-depth breakdown of all the biggest Easter Eggs and references which you guys need to see.
It goes without saying that you'll find spoilers below but regardless of whether or not you've seen Solo, you'll want to take a look at this list in order to find out what exactly you should be keeping your eyes peeled for. So, to take a look at these Easter Eggs, all you need to do is click on the "View List" button.
Aurra Sing
If you haven't watched The Clone Wars, then you're probably not familiar with Aurra Sing. However, she'll probably still be familiar to you due to the fact she's factored heavily into Star Wars merchandise and Solo reveals that the woman who briefly appeared in The Phantom Menace and later trained Boba Fett was actually killed by Tobias Beckett off-screen. Not the most dignified end for her, eh?
Jabba The Hutt
Unfortunately, there's no room for Jabba the Hutt to make a physical appearance in this movie and while his name is never mentioned, he's obviously the big time gangster that Tobias Beckett is referring to when he talks about someone on Tattooine looking to put together a crew to pull of a job. Needless to say, that adventure would be the perfect story for a Solo sequel if one were to happen.
The Decraniated
The Decraniated made their first appearance in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and while they were easy to miss there, we get a much closer look at them in Dryden Vos' lair. In case you didn't know, they're people who have had the majority of their heads removed in order to turn them into slaves and a previously released "Ultimate Visual Guide" revealed that they're the creation of Dr Cornelius Evazan.
Scariff
When the gang is discussing all the possible places they could find unrefined Coaxiam, Qi'ra mentions that Scariff is one possibility but notes that it's far too well-guarded. Well, that's because it's the planet we paid a visit to in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story which ultimately ended up being destroyed by the Death Star after the heroes of that move managed to successfully steal the battle station's plans.
Bossk
As Val chastises Beckett for rescuing Han and Chewbacca from the Imperials, she mentions that they would have been better off hiring someone else to help them on this job, with one of the names she brings up being Bossk. He was the lizard-like alien from The Empire Strikes Back who has since become something of a fan-favourite and appeared in everything from comic books to video games.
The Gold Dice
You might think Han's gold dice have some importance given the way they were used in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi but they were only spotted briefly in A New Hope and were nowhere to be seen in the films that followed. While we've previously heard that the smuggler used those to win the Millennium Falcon, the truth is that they were just a good luck charm for him and Qi'ra in their youth.
Mynock Roast
Rio mentioning that he enjoys a Mynock roast may not mean much at first glance but those of you who know your stuff will no doubt be aware that the alien - voiced by Jon Favreau - is referring to the same type of creature which attacked the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back. Why anyone would want to hunt those horrible creatures is hard to say but they must taste good!
The Millennium Falcon's Computer
Remember when C-3PO said in The Empire Strikes Back that the Millennium Falcon has a "peculiar dialect"? Well, in Solo, L3-37's unfortunate demise results in Lando plugging her consciousness into the ship and making her nav computer part of the ship. Just how much of her remains in there isn't clear but this at least sheds some light on what makes the Falcon so different to other ships.
The Trade Federation
It's fair to say that the vast majority of Star Wars fans would rather forget the machinations of the Trade Federation but there's a fun nod to them here when Qi'ra claims to be an associate of theirs looking to do business with those who are in charge of Kessel. The Viceroy she mentions isn't someone we're familiar with but it's interesting to think that this group still exists somewhere out there.
"Solo"
When we first meet Han, that's the only name he has. While it's made clear later on in the movie that he knew who his father was, it seems being orphaned led to him giving that up. Regardless, he's given his surname by a random recruiter for the Empire who refers to the youngster as "Han Solo" when he makes it clear that he has no people. I guess this is what Bob Iger meant all those years ago!
Clint Howard
Solo: A Star Wars Story director Ron Howard is well-known for giving his brother Clint cameos in his movie and this one is no exception. Here, he plays the proprietor of the droid fights which L3-37 is so dead set against and she gives him a pretty nasty beating (this may also be an indication that this was yet another sequence which was reshot entirely by the filmmaker during those reshoots).
Warwick Davis
Warwick Davis is no stranger to making cameo appearances in the Star Wars franchise and he obviously worked for Ron Howard in Willow. In this movie, the actor shows up as one of Enfys Nest's crew of Rebels and is actually given a few lines, something which is a first for him! It's just a shame that his delivery isn't all that convincing and he's probably better off sticking to being an extra in future.
Darth Maul
Solo's coolest moment comes when it's revealed that the leader of Crimson Dawn is, in fact, Darth Maul. The Clone Wars and Rebels shed some light on what he got up to after surviving the events of The Phantom Menace but there's clearly more to the villain's machinations than we realised. When this will come into play isn't clear but if you'd like to know who played the character, click here.
The Thermal Detonator
In order to get himself out of a sticky situation with Lady Proxima, Han claims that he has a thermal detonator. In reality, it's just a rock but it gives him and Qi'ra enough time to escape. This ploy is clearly something the smuggler told Leia about because she also whips out one of those weapons during a confrontation with Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi while attempting to rescue him.
"I Know"
There are a lot of great callbacks to dialogue from the original trilogy in Solo with the best coming when Lando Calrissian tells Han he hates him to which the anti-hero replies, "I know." L3-37's complaint that the bar they're in don't serve her kind is a reference to the cantina on Tatooine, while Lando is also the first person to be threatened with having their arms torn off by an angry Chewbacca.
Dryden Vos' Interest In The Sith
The daggers wielded by Dryden Vos appear to be powered by the same tech as lightsabers but that's not the only Sith influence in the villain's lair. As well as nods to the Indiana Jones franchise, his collection features a massive Sith Holocron which is bound to have some sort of link to Darth Maul seeing as he's the leader of Crimson Dawn. Whether or not this will have any significance isn't clear.
How Han Made The Kessel Run
Neither Luke nor Obi-Wan appeared to believe Han's claims that he "made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs" and it's here we learn how he was able to do that. It turns out that the smuggler actually took a shortcut racing through the Maw Cluster, a series of black holes which are too close together for most pilots to navigate safely. It also sounds like the trip may have taken a tad more than 12.
"Fair And Square"
In The Empire Strikes Back, there was clearly some tension between Han and Lando when the former said that he won the ship "fair and square." While he technically did, in order to teach Lando a lesson after he cheated in their first game of Sabacc, Han stole the card he uses to rig games, meaning that he won the Falcon by pretty dishonest means as well. Still, they're both as bad as each other.
Star Wars Rebels
Solo takes place roughly around the same time as Star Wars Rebels but has Han crossed paths with the heroes? During the movie, Han claims he owns a CEC VCX-100 light freighter in a bid to get Lando to put the Millennium Falcon on the line. Those of you familiar with the animated series, however, may be aware that the Ghost is the same model and this is a really nice little Easter Egg for hardcore fans.
Lando's Cloud City Dreams
Before the team arrives on Kessel, Lando points out that "mining colonies are the worst." Of course, he ultimately ends up in charge of one in the form of Cloud City but if you take a closer look at the chrome models he has on board the Falcon, he may have always wanted to get to be in charge of somewhere like that. Why? Well, a miniature version of Cloud City can be seen alongside a tiny Falcon.
Alien
The gleaming interior of the Millennium Falcon is definitely a departure from what we're used to but it was Alien that first used regular kitchen appliances as props because they looked beyond their time. That's why a coffee maker can be seen on the Nostromo and if you look closely in this kicthen, the Braun Aromaster KF 20 coffee maker and its distinctive chrome legs show up here as well.
Teras Kasi
Qi'ra is something of a mystery to us but we learn that she's become an expert in Teras Kasi, a form of martial arts which is bound to be familiar to fans of the franchise. It was referenced in beloved novel Shadow of the Empire and was also the focus of PlayStation fighting game Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi (no, I don't remember that one either). It's a cool nod and she proves to be a real badass.