The Book of Boba Fett episode 5 answers an oddly specific Star Wars: A New Hope question

Star Wars: A New Hope
(Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Book of Boba Fett episode 5! Turn back now if you're not caught up on the latest episode on Disney Plus!

The Book of Boba Fett episode 5 is packed with Easter eggs linking to the rest of the Star Wars saga, from that prequel era N-1 starfighter to two familiar looking droids. One callback, though, answers a strange question about A New Hope.

While Din Djarin and Peli Motto are fixing up the starfighter, at one point, they use something you might recognize from the very first Star Wars movie.

In A New Hope, when Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia find themselves stuck in the trash compactor, Han and Leia try to stop the walls from closing in with a big, strange looking stick of some kind.

As it turns out, thanks to episode 5, we know exactly what this is – a cryogenic density combustion booster. What exactly that is – and why the Empire threw one away – remains a mystery for now, though. All that's revealed in The Book of Boba Fett is that the Jawas stole it from beneath a refuelling Pyke spice runner. 

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Considering episode 5 ended with a tease of Mando heading off to visit Baby Yoda, AKA Grogu, we might be seeing some more original trilogy callbacks next week. That's because the little green guy is currently in the care of Luke Skywalker himself, which could mean another cameo from the Jedi.

The Disney Plus show drops a new episode weekly, and you can see our The Book of Boba Fett release schedule to find out exactly when the next installment arrives in your time zone.

In the meantime, check out our ultimate guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows on the way from the galaxy far, far away.

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.