The amount of Easter eggs in The Mandalorian season 2 premiere was staggering. Tucked away in Tatooine and elsewhere in that galaxy far, far away was a Death Star’s-worth of cameos, Star Wars references, and other deep cuts.
Everything from the games, to the prequels, original trilogy, and even some of the new novels got their moment to shine – and it’s all here in our rundown of The Mandalorian season 2 premiere Easter eggs.
Boba Fett/his armour
Perhaps the most mysterious Easter egg – and one that's not abundantly clear if you’re not tuned in to the rumours that surrounded The Mandalorian season 2.
Sure, the armour should be recognisable to most Star Wars fans. We witness Timothy Olyphant’s Cobb Vanth (more on him later) stealing some sparkly swag and trading some crystals with the Jawas. What does he get in return? Boba Fett’s legendary armour, complete with bullet dings and battle scars. It’s a good thing he’s the exact same height and build as Boba…
Speaking of Fett, the bald man overlooking the Tatooine sunset at the end of the episode is almost certainly Boba Fett himself. He’s played by Temuera Morrison, who portrayed Jango Fett in the prequels. He’s been heavily linked to a return for some time and this looks like the beginning of a new arc for the fan-favourite character.
Weequay
Notice anything about the barman in Mos Pelgo? The alien may be a little skittish but perhaps he has good reason to be. He’s a Weequay, best known for being among Jabba’s skiff guards on Tatooine during Return of the Jedi.
Podracer
The prequels aren’t all bad – the podracing scene in The Phantom Menace is up there with anything in the sequels. Don’t @ me. We even see a speeder in the Mandalorian that looks very similar to Anakin’s ship. Either Anakin put two of these ships together for his podracer (he was, after all, a boy wonder) or the Marshal has salvaged some of Anakin's old racer for his own purposes.
Dathomirians
You might not recognise the name off-hand, but you’ll certainly recognise its most famous son. Darth Maul was a Dathomirian and the spiky-headed aliens are seen in the fighting pits getting quickly dispatched by Mando in the episode’s opening minutes.
Gamorreans
Speaking of the fighting pits, the two duking it out in the ring were both Gamorreans. The pig-like creatures are dotted around Star Wars lore but first appeared in Return of the Jedi as mercenaries for Jabba the Hutt.
Pit droids
Now, this is the sort of deep cut you’re here for. The droid equivalent of the Three Stooges – who worked on Mando’s ship at the request of Amy Sedaris’ Peli Motto – have been around for ages in-universe. The DUM droids (to give them their full name) first appeared in The Phantom Menace and later showed up in The Clone Wars. Hilariously, you can see their parts scattered throughout Jedi Fallen Order too. DUM by name, dumb by nature.
Banthas
The horned, hairy mounts used by the Tusken Raiders are treated with reverence on Tatooine. While they’re used for travel and other materials, the Raiders won’t kill them. So they’re probably less than happy that one of their steeds was used as bait for the Krayt dragon. Still, it’s good to see these familiar creatures make a return.
Tusken raiders
The sandy sons of Tatooine make a return once more. They have an uneasy working relationship with Cobb Vanth, but eventually form an alliance thanks to Mando’s intervention and seeming fluency in their tongue. Babysitter, killer, linguist. Din Djarin can do it all.
Krayt dragon: A New Hope to Knights of the Old Republic
Mando certainly got up close and personal with the Krayt dragon this week. The sand worm tormented those in Mos Pelgo, but this isn’t the first time the creature has been seen – either dead or alive.
C-3PO’s trek across Tatooine in A New Hope saw him walk past a Krayt skeleton, while the beast also served as an enemy during a late-game encounter in Xbox game Knights of the Old Republic. The Krayts have a long history in the Star Wars franchise, even appearing in playing cards dating back to 1997. They also appeared in the book Aftermath. Speaking of which...
Cobb Vanth
Cobb Vanth has already been established in Star Wars lore. He was first introduced in the 2015 Star Wars book Aftermath, which takes place after Return of the Jedi but before The Force Awakens. There, he takes part in some unsurprisingly shady deals and it’s even explained in greater detail how he came across a certain set of Mandalorian armour and protected the mining colony. Give it a read if you want to find out more about Mando’s new BFF.
C-3PO graffiti
Maybe? Maybe not. Antony Daniels’ golden droid probably won’t show up in The Mandalorian but there’s a piece of C-3PO-style artwork adorning a building near the fighting pits at the very beginning of the episode. Even if it’s not Threepio, the similarities are striking to say the least.
The Mandalorian returns next week for another episode – check out when with our The Mandalorian season 2 release schedule.
