Andor embraces podracing with an Easter egg that calls back to a Star Wars Episode 1 video game from 1999

Andor season 2 has pulled off one of the silliest, most entertaining Star Wars Easter eggs in a show or movie yet, with Eagle-eyed viewers catching a glimpse of a classic Star Wars video game lurking in the background of Andor season 2 episode 4.

Nestled in the background of the scene with the reception of the ISB headquarters in Ghorman, around 22 minutes into the episode, a guard is seen casually watching some podracing (one of the favorite sports of the Star Wars galaxy, as somewhat infamously introduced in The Phantom Menace).

But it's not just a random race the guard is watching - it's a snippet from the Grabvine Gateway track from the 1999 PC and N64 game Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, which was tied to the release of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. The game extrapolates the film's divisive podracing sequence into a whole series of challenges starring some of The Phantom Menace's most recognizable pilots and characters.

The comparison was pointed out on social media, with user Kyle Katarn (who takes his name from a character who stars in some classic Star Wars video games), who voices the enthusiasm of a slightly younger generation of Star Wars fans, declaring "Guys, we are so back."

Since the release of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, the fictional sport, in which pilots race special carts that are essentially flying chariots pulled along by huge rocket engines, has been less and less prevalent in the mythos of the venerable science-fantasy franchise thanks to the somewhat mixed legacy of the film, which hinged a significant chunk of its runtime on a podracing sequence.

Now, Andor is reminding fans that those podracing tracks are still out there in the Star Wars galaxy, embracing not just the idea, but giving fans who grew up loving the fast-paced podracing action of Star Wars Episode 1 and its related media a direct nod. For a franchise that has sometimes been criticized for leaving too much of its past behind as it has grown over recent years, that's exactly the kind of thing fans are eating up.

New episodes of Andor premiere weekly on Disney Plus. Keep up to date with every episode using our Andor season 2 release schedule, or see our Andor season 2 review for our spoiler-free verdict on the whole show.