Yahoo News 8 Star Wars: The Last Jedi Easter eggs you might miss
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is packed with Easter eggs, hidden references and in-jokes – so many that it's almost impossible to spot all of them in one sitting. It's one of the many things we found amazing about the film.
We've used the force to gather together the most important eight, so you'll know exactly what to look for when you go in for a second, third or fourth watch.
But do make sure to watch it before you read this feature – as SPOILERS most definitely follow!
1. Laser swords
At one point, Luke manages Rey's expectations by telling her he's not about to go and save the day with a 'laser sword'. This is a lovely reference to the fact that George Lucas doesn't call lightsabers 'lightsabers' – he also refers to them as laser swords, as described by Stephen Colbert in the above video. It's a lovely in-joke, and might partially explain why Lucas reportedly loves the film so much.
2. Gareth Edwards
There's a tradition of directors appearing in Star Wars films – remember George Lucas' cameo in Revenge of the Sith? OK, we don't blame you if you don't, but check out the above video for a complete guide to Lucas' character.
We hope Gareth Edwards' Resistance Fighter gets a similar level of backstory at some point. He pops up in a trench during the Battle of Crait – but do pay attention, it's a blink and you'll miss it cameo.
3. Blue milk
This one's a bit more subtle, but when we follow Luke's daily ritual, he milks a massive space cow on the side of a mountain (with the cow appearing to enjoy the process a little bit too much). Now, what comes out is actually green, but it fits into the Star Wars tradition of coloured milk (usually blue) popping up in the series.
We first saw it in A New Hope (you can watch it being poured at the start of the iconic scene above), but this is the first time we've seen where it comes from! Does blue milk start off green, then turn blue when it goes off? Enquiring fans want to know!
4. Sunken X-Wing
As Rey explores Ahch-To she spots a sunken X-Wing just under the surface of the sea. This is a nice nod to Luke's past, as well as filling in a plot hole as to how Luke actually made it to the island without anyone knowing where he was.
Oh, and it's a brilliant callback to the above scene from Empire Strikes Back, to the extent we half expected Luke to test Rey by asking her to lift it out of the water.
There's also a nice line from Luke mocking his Yoda training – telling Rey he's not going to help her "lift rocks". That's something that pays off later in the film, too.
5. Cave reflection
Another subtle callback to Empire – which saw Luke going into a cave strong with the dark side, facing Vader, cutting off his head and seeing a shattered mask which revealed Luke's face.
It was a Freudian warning that if Luke lashes out at his father, he'll fall to the dark side and become him. In The Last Jedi, Rey goes into a cave which is also suggested to be the home of the dark side.
Once there, she sees herself reflected hundreds of times, with the reflections all slightly out of sync with each other. She asks to see her parents in the mirror, with two blurry figures coming towards her, but only revealing herself in the reflection.
So, dark cave, parents, seeing oneself unexpectedly – it's definitely a poetic callback to one of Empire's key scenes, and could foreshadow a reveal later in the movie.
6. British actors
Sticking UK character actors in supporting roles is one of the backbones of the Star Wars saga, and, as much as Rian Johnson pushes the franchise forward in The Last Jedi, he doesn't ditch this tradition.
One of the first First Order employees we see on screen in The Last Jedi is played by The Young Ones' Adrian Edmondson, which is pretty surreal for anyone who grew up on British comedy in the 1980s.
Game of Thrones fans are also well served – Kate Dickie, who plays Lysa Arryn on the show, is around to aid General Hux in that opening sequence, while Hugh Skinner also pops up in the background later on for any W1A and Fleabag viewers in the audience.
7. Celebrity Stormtroopers
Some of the most impressive cameos are actually impossible to spot. Daniel Craig played a Stormtrooper in The Force Awakens, but he had dialogue, which helped us winkle him out.
In The Last Jedi, Prince William, Prince Harry, Gary Barlow and Tom Hardy all play Troopers – but none of them speak. We have a feeling they appear in the sequence where Finn and Rose are brought to Captain Phasma, as it makes the most narrative sense – it's the only scene containing featured Stormtroopers.
Even though the fact none of them speak makes our job harder, we prefer it to the alternative of a protracted monologue in which Prince William tells Finn he's a traitor, shortly before describing the various charities he's involved with. As for the prospect of Gary Barlow's GB-P0 singing 'Back for Good' as he slaps some handcuffs onto Finn – no thanks.
8. Gary the dog
In possibly the greatest Star Wars cameo ever, Carrie Fisher's beloved dog Gary appears in the Canto Bight sequence as a gambler's pet. Look to the left of your screen when Finn and Rose have an intense discussion on the casino floor to spot Gary. For more info, we've written about the cameo here.
As The Last Jedi tragically ended up being as much a tribute to the much-missed Carrie Fisher as it is a Star Wars film, we're glad Gary got to be a part of it. Especially because, as Carrie admits in the above interview, she tried to get him in The Force Awakens.
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