The Mandalorian season 2 creature has an unlikely history – dating back to a 1975 Disney movie

The Mandalorian season 2 may have kicked off with a Krayt dragon – the Dune-like creature – attacking Mos Pelgo on Tatooine, but that’s not where the creature's story began. Incredibly, its origins can be traced back to a discarded prop from an obscure 1970s Disney movie.

As uncovered by Reddit user anonymous_meatbag (fantastic name, by the way), the Krayt dragon first appeared in the Star Wars franchise during 1977’s A New Hope. But it was only there by chance.

A 2016 report in The Telegraph confirmed that the skeletal prop of a Diplodocus was from the 1975 Disney movie One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing. It was apparently a last-minute decision too, with there being just enough space to throw on some bits and bobs lying around the lot at Elstree.

Of course, The Mandalorian version is a little different to the model we saw C-3PO trek past over four decades ago. But its journey from there, to its popularity soaring thanks to appearances in video games such as Star Wars Galaxy and a particularly memorable mission in Knights of the Old Republic, through to The Mandalorian season 2 premiere is undeniable – and it’s all because someone suddenly decided to take a dino all the way to Tunisia for the Tatooine scenes.

That isn’t the only secret hiding in The Mandalorian season 2 premiere. There are ties to the original trilogy, a fantastic prequel Easter egg, and so much more. For the full selection of references and cameos, check out The Mandalorian season 2, episode 1 Easter eggs list.