Top 10 Star Wars Easter Eggs in Video Games

Finding the Best Star Wars Easter Eggs

With Easter behind us and Star Wars Day upon us, I have been looking back at all the times video game developers hid a small (or not so small) nod to a familiar galaxy far, far away within their digital creations. Finding a clever easter egg hidden away in your favourite game is always a reason to smile, but when it’s a Star Wars easter egg, that feeling of joy is elevated to the next level and you just have to share it with everyone who will listen.

In the decades since it was first released in cinemas, Star Wars has become a cultural phenomenon beloved the world over. While some may be purists who see only the original trilogy as “true” Star Wars, and others love every last thing that features their favourite lightsaber-wielding heroes (as well as the plenty in between), fans young and old know there is a certain magic to the galaxy-spanning space opera. The magic to bring joy with a simple sound effect, iconic line, or unforgettable silhouette.

And it seems plenty of game developers must be fans, too, as they have left some truly fantastic easter eggs that only the most dedicated of Star Wars aficionados will have found on their own. So, in the spirit of Star Wars Day, here are ten of the very best.

10. C3PO’s Head – LEGO Indiana Jones

Starting off with one of the most overt easter eggs out there, but still a charming nod nonetheless, C3PO, the ever-present protocol droid, makes a short-lived appearance in LEGO Indiana Jones.  More of a joke than a true easter egg, this one is impossible to miss.

In a fun cutscene at the end of the very first level, “The Lost Temple” (which takes Indy through the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark, complete with rolling boulder), Belloq has Dr Jones surrounded and demands he hand over the relic he’s just pinched. Instead, Indiana Jones attempts to trick him with an assortment of other “treasures”, one of which being poor old C3PO’s golden head. Belloq finds this especially amusing, even impersonating the talkative droid , much to the delight of his minions, but in the end, only the golden idol will do.  While it may be on the nose, it’s a fun wink to fans of the movies and Traveller’s Tales LEGO Star Wars games alike.

9. The Death Egg – Sonic the Hedgehog 2

First appearing in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but then going on to feature in almost two dozen other Sonic titles, Dr Eggman’s “Death Egg” wears its inspiration on its sleeve. Figuratively speaking.

Described in the Wiki as a “massive orbital fortress and space station” and Dr Eggman’s “ultimate weapon and a key component in his various quests for world dominance”. It seems the hedgehog-hating doctor employs the same engineers as the Emperor, as there can be no doubt as to the fact that the “Death Egg” shares more than a passing resemblance to the one and only Death Star. The Death Egg’s “eyes” even perfectly mirror the Death Star’s superlaser dish, and both meet similar fates: brought down by a team of plucky young heroes.

8. Djenge Frett – The Witcher 3

The self-professed “most famous bounty hunter north of the Yaruga”, if Djenge Frett’s name and profession don’t ring any bells, you probably haven’t seen enough Star Wars.

Of course, he is a walking reference to none other than Jango Fett, father of Boba and face of the Clone Army. And while he may not look anything like Jango, decking this bounty hunter out in a full set of Mandalorian armour may have been a stretch too far even for the fantastical realms of The Witcher 3.

Players can find Djenge roaming around the isle of Skellige, keen on the heels of the notorious Grossbart Brothers. If the player decides to help him, they can take this nefarious trio down together and split the reward. But if they refuse, Djenge will go it alone, and, not being anywhere near as capable as the man he’s named for, meets an untimely end.

7. “I Thought They Smelt Bad on the Outside” – Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies

Zombies and Star Wars have more in common than you may initially think – especially when looking into the weird and wonderful Extended Universe of books and comics. The zombies of Call of Duty: Black Ops, however, are only connected by a single line.

“Five” is the first DLC zombies map the game received and puts players into the shoes of the very unlikely allies John F. Kennedy, Robert McNamara, Richard Nixon, and Fidel Castro, and tasks them with protecting the Pentagon from hordes of the undead. Play as good ol’ JFK and every once in a while players might hear a strangely familiar line. “I thought they smelled bad on the outside,” will randomly punctuate a gruesome kill, the very same line Han Solo famously puffs after cutting open a tauntaun in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. I wouldn’t use a zombie as a sleeping bag, mind you. No matter how cold it gets.

6. “Don’t Get Cocky, Kid” – Dead Space

If the original Dead Space had one flaw it was that God-awful turret section, in which players had to fend off seemingly endless waves of meteorites which threatened to blast the USG Ishimura’s hull to bits. (A section which the much-loved Remake removed entirely). The only upside was the fun little easter egg players could unlock by completing it.

Janky controls, hard-to-see projectiles, and incredibly limited health do not a good mission make. Fortunately, those who persevered with this infuriating section were rewarded with the Trophy/Achievement “Don’t get cocky, kid”, which is the exact line Han Solo feeds Luke after he takes out his first TIE Fighter. Of course, Dead Space is far from the only game to have included this line, but the fact that it pops up after using a laser turret to defend a spaceship is just too similar to the movies and too perfect to ignore. It doesn’t make the turret section any more bearable, but it’s enough to make you smile.

5. “I Like Mario Just Where He Is” – Luigi’s Mansion

It seems games can’t get enough of Han Solo quotes – either lines spouted by the roguish smuggler himself, or lines said about him – and the Mario spin-offs are no different. Luigi’s Mansion is full of brilliant easter eggs referencing other games and movies, but its Star Wars easter egg is by far its best, and one of its most subtle.

Players who visit King Boo before capturing all of the necessary portrait ghosts will find the regal spectre boasting over the newest painting in his collection. “I will not give up my favourite decoration, I like Mario just where he is,” he gloats. Fans of Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi should immediately recognise these words as the very same words spoken by Jabba the Hutt when he shows off his latest decoration, Han Solo frozen in carbonite. (Just swap the name Mario for Han Solo and you have the movie quote verbatim.) At one point, the trapped Mario even holds his hands up in a similar pose to the frozen Han Solo.

4. Revenge of the Jedi – Bioshock Infinite

When meeting Elizabeth for the first time in the excellent Bioshock Infinite, players will watch on as she goes about her day from behind a series of one-way mirrors. In one of these little vignettes, Elizabeth can be seen painting a picture of Paris, before setting down her brush and ripping open a tear to an alternate reality. On the other side of this tear is none other than the real city of Paris, complete with Eiffel Tower, and a careening car which forces Elizabeth to slam it shut. The tear is open so briefly that many fans may have missed the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Star Wars easter egg hidden in plain sight.

Displayed up in lights on the side of the theatre is the title “La Revanche du Jedi”, or in English, “The Revenge of the Jedi”. Now, casual fans may not be aware that this was indeed the original title for Star Wars Episode VI. George Lucas then changed it before release to “The Return of the Jedi” because a true Jedi would never seek revenge. He would then go on to reuse the idea for Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith, which was much more fitting.

3. Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru – Fallout: New Vegas

Wandering around the Mojave Desert can lead to the discovery of all sorts of brilliant and bizarre easter eggs, especially for players who invested in the “Wild Wasteland” perk. “Not for the faint of heart or the serious of temperament,” Wild Wasteland allows players to see the weirder side of things. With this perk active, the seemingly innocuous suddenly become self-aware references. References such as a burnt-out fridge containing a fedora-wearing skeleton. Or, a couple of charred skeletons with some very familiar names.

Travel to the town of Nipton and check out the ground in front of a ruined house right of the town hall, and players will find two burned skeletons lying beside each other with the names “Owen” and “Beru”. These, of course, are the same names as Luke Skywalker’s aunt and uncle, who met a similar horrible fate at the hands of Stormtroopers in Episode IV: A New Hope.

2. Wampa Cave – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Wampa cave scene in Episode V is famous for first showing off the true power of the Force. Suspended from the roof of a cave and trapped in the ice, Luke must calm his mind and allow the Force to flow through him in order to pull his lightsaber free from the ice below and into his waiting hand. In doing so, Luke is able to cut himself free, “disarm” the Wampa, and escape. But what would have happened if he hadn’t been able to get free?

A handful of games have given us their own version of this grisly ‘What if?’, but The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s is by far the most memorable. While exploring Bleakcoast Cave in the northeast corner of the world, players may stumble upon a cavern filled with bones and guarded by Tamriel’s version of the Wampa, a Frost Troll. What at first glance may just appear to be another Frost Troll feeding ground makes itself known as a sneaky easter egg when players look up. There, they will find the dangling corpse of a poor soul who got themselves caught in the ice, unable to reach the blue-glowing enchanted sword lying just out of reach below.

1. Biggs and Wedge – Final Fantasy series

Taking on the Death Star and the might of the Empire isn’t a job for one lone hero, it takes an entire rebellion. While many of the Rebels remain nameless extras, two stand out as being key players in Episode IV’s assault on the Death Star: Bigg Darklighter and Wedge Antilles. The Final Fantasy series clearly echoes the sentiment that an evil empire can only be defeated when the oppressed join together in rebellion – it’s a major theme among many of the games. And what better way to show that than by subtly referencing the biggest Rebel vs. Empire war in the galaxy?

First introduced in Final Fantasy VI, Biggs and Wedge have appeared in at least twenty-five Final Fantasy mainline games ad spin-offs. While their appearances and mannerisms change in each title they appear in, they are always seen together, and are always there to help lighten the mood. This inseparable duo have become something of a running gag in the series, proudly showing off the developers’ love for all thing Star Wars, while also giving something special for the fans to look out for in each new entry.