![\"Comparison](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/INT-4.jpg\")
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Barro attempts to flee from Din in an INT-4 Interceptor \u2013 this small craft is based on a 1982 vintage Kenner toy set. This isn\u2019t the first time a Kenner set has been recreated for\u00a0The Mandalorian. The finale of Season 1 saw Stormtrooper reinforcements dropped off by an Imperial Troop Transport, also based on a Kenner design.<\/p>\n
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He\u2019s hardly an Easter Egg at this stage, but let\u2019s acknowledge the return of Zeb, who picks up Mando in his trusty U-Wing (first seen in Rogue One). Zeb first appeared in Rebels, alongside Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Chopper, and Kanan Jarrus. Zeb made a brief appearance in The Mandalorian, but has an expanded role in this movie where we see him acting as Mando\u2019s handler and taking down Stormtroopers with his trusty bo-staff, also from Rebels. Kanan is now the only Rebels character to not appear in live action.<\/p>\n
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Zeb takes Mando back to Adelphi Base, the New Republic outpost introduced in the third season. The base features classic X-Wing and Y-Wing starfighters, and also has a B-Wing seen briefly. We also get to see maintenance being done on the starfighters with one of the X-Wing\u2019s nose cones lifted up for repair. The base is packed with Imperial helmets and droids, but these all appeared in Season 3, so I won\u2019t go into detail.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/p>\n BDX droids, these droids are seen waddling in line in the background of the base. While created for the movie, these practical droids first debuted at Galaxy\u2019s Edge in Disney Parks last year, and have since returned as the parks have been updated to tie in with the movie\u2019s release.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n There are many cool pilots in the bar on Adelphi, including some familiar faces. One such face is Lucasfilm Senior Vice President and Executive Design Director Doug Chiang, who worked with George Lucas on the prequel trilogy and has been influential in the design of pretty much every modern Star Wars project, including The Mandalorian. Fellow art department member Michelle Thieme also appears alongside returning cameos from Lucasfilm President Dave Filoni and directors Rick Famuyiwa, Lee Isaac Chung, and Deborah Chow.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sigourney Weaver\u2019s Colonel Ward hands Din a target on a card dubbed the \u201cace of staves.\u201d This is a reference to Sabacc, the infamous card game best seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story as the game which won Han Solo the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian. Ward\u2019s deck of cards are also a reference to the Aftermath books and Dr. Chris Kempshall\u2019s The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, where it was established the New Republic created a deck of Sabacc cards with wanted Imperial fugitives. Some others included Rae Sloane, Brendol Hux, and Enric Pryde.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ward sends Din to Nal Hutta, the homeworld of the Hutts. The planet was created in the Legends continuity, but first appeared in canon in The Clone Wars. The swampy planet and the Hutt citadel matches its appearance in the animated series. Dragonsnakes, the fearsome creature which almost made a meal of Din, were shown to be native to the planet in The Clone Wars. As the Razor Crest approaches the planet, we briefly see it\u2019s moon, Nar Shaddaa. I\u2019d theorised wrongly that Shakari was Nar Shadda, so I\u2019m glad the smuggler\u2019s moon at least made a brief appearance!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n On approach, the air traffic control operator is voiced by Anthony Daniels<\/a>, best known as C-3PO, continuing his streak as the only actor to appear in every\u00a0Star Wars movie.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As they make planetfall Zeb observes that the Hutts have hired the Droid Gotra for protection. This is a criminal syndicate formed by droids who operate independently of any organic masters. The Droid Gotra have been built up as a major faction in the Marvel comics and were indirectly name-dropped by Gor Koresh in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. The Gotra\u2019s forces is mostly made up of B1 and B2 battle droids, as seen in the prequel trilogy, but also included KX security droids, KH-87 assassin droids, N5 sentry droids and a new saucer-headed model.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The two massive sentry droids guarding the Hutt throne room were built and animated in stop-motion by Tippett Studios. Phil Tippett worked on the original trilogy, animating AT-ATs and creatures for George Lucas\u2019 films. Tippett Studios have worked on numerous Star Wars\u00a0projects, including recently bringing a giant trash crab to life for\u00a0Skeleton Crew.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The main villains of this movie are the Twins, who declared themselves heirs to Jabba\u2019s throne in\u00a0The Book of Boba Fett. Also returning is Rotta the Hutt, who first appeared as baby Stinky in The Clone Wars movie. The Twins use the word \u201cpunky\u201d (little) when threatening him, a possible reference to Jabba\u2019s \u2018punky muffin\u2019 pet name for his son.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Arriving on Shakari, Din tries to get information from Ardennian chef Hugo Durant, voiced by Martin Scorcese, in a scene packed with references. The name Hugo is a reference to Scorcese\u2019s 2011 film of the same name<\/a> and Durant refers to another Ardennian, Rio Durant (possibly a relative?) who was voiced by Jon Favreau in Solo: A Star Wars Story. The menu features a number of exotic items including a mudhorn egg (sooga!) from Season 1.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Lord Janu Coin (and let\u2019s take a second to acknowledge Janu Coin played by Jonny Coyne!) owns the salt bar, which is full of exotic creatures in cages. One of these creatures is a fuzzball, which appeared at Port Borgo in Skeleton Crew \u2013 in fact, given that the Imperials are known to be bankrolling the pirate nation, they might even be from Borgo. Fuzzballs are a nod to Captain EO, a Disney Parks film written by George Lucas. Coin\u2019s estate also features a number of taxidermic creature heads, including a barghest, reek, vexis and a nexu which matches the one on Dok Ondar\u2019s wall at Galaxy\u2019s Edge.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n When Din faces off against Rotta, he gets one up on his much bigger opponent by circling around and stepping on his tail \u2013 much like Han does to Jabba in the special edition of\u00a0A New Hope.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Rotta\u2019s final match is a Dejarik match, where he is pitted against an array of deadly creatures. These creatures are the same as seen on the dejarik holochess table first seen on the Millennium Falcon in\u00a0A New Hope. You can see the huge savrip pick up and throw the kintan strider in its signature move from the game and, if you listen closely, you can hear the creatures makes the same noises from the holochess version as they move.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A door outside the Shakari arena is marked \u201cWeathers Apollo\u201d in tribute to the late Carl Weathers, who played Greef Karga in the series, and his role as fighter Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n When Lord Janu is brought to Adelphi base he is said to he \u201cready to sign like a Yuzzum\u201d. This is a reference to Yuzzum singer Joh Yowzah, the \u201cJedi Rocks\u201d singer from the special edition of Return of the Jedi.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n When the duo opt to help Rotta instead of bringing him home, the Twins send bounty hunter Embo<\/a> to capture him. Embo, like Rotta, is another character to transition form animation to live-action in this movie and his weapons and fighting style match the series. In a recent talk with StarWars.com<\/a>, Dave Filoni says Embo was always destined for live action. When Lucasfilm was making The Clone Wars, George Lucas was also developing the now-canceled Underworld live-action series. Embo would\u2019ve eventually shown up there.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Like in the animated series, Embo is accompanied by an anooba hound, though this is a new hound called Keibu. Embo\u2019s ship, the Guillotine, was designed for the sixth season of The Clone Wars, but was cut from the series. Embo\u2019s original companion, Marrok, died sometime before the Battle of Jakku, which took place a year after the Battle of Endor. In that same StarWars.com interview, Filoni said he might have another story to tell about Marrok.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Two more\u00a0Clone Wars ships appear in live action. The bulky Turtle Tanker which transports Rotta to Nal Hutta, and the Hutt HH-87 Starhopper starfighters both first appeared in the series.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n When Din is dropped into the pit by the Hutts, the Amani who attack him first appeared in Return of the Jedi as a background character in Jabba\u2019s Palace. Their rolling attack was described in Legends sourcebook \u201cGalaxy Guide 12\u201d and first appeared in comics.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n And that\u2019s every Easter Egg and reference we caught watching the movie. You can also check out the official guide<\/a> on StarWars.com. What did you spot while watching the move? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Jabba and Rotta, \u201cStinky\u201d the Hutt in The Clone Wars<\/p>\n<\/a>Ardennian Shopkeeper in The Mandalorian and Grogu<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Concept art of Embo and Keibu for The Mandalorian and Grogu by Nick Gindraux<\/p>\n