Star Wars: Rebels - 12 Easter Eggs, In-Jokes And References You Need To See
These are the easter eggs you're looking for.
There’s a wave of excitement that has been building around Star Wars ever since it was announced back in 2012 that Disney had purchased the rights, and would be releasing a whole new trilogy.
The first of those films, The Force Awakens, is due out in December, but those clever folks at the Mouse House devised a way to make the wait a little more bearable.
Star Wars Rebels began last year on the Disney XD channel, a new animated series that was definitely a part of the updated canon.
Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, it tells the story of a band of - you guessed it - Rebels, as the Empire tightens its grip on the galaxy and aims to stamp out any surviving members of the Jedi Order.
There was lots in it that would win over a new legion of younger Star Wars fans, with brightly-coloured animations, alien-creatures, lightsaber battles, spaceships, and characters that were easy to root for.
However, this being Star Wars there is a huge amount of history that the show can tap into, and an almost unrivalled fanbase who’ll watch almost anything within the universe. The story and characters of the show are enjoyable enough, but there are also plenty of little things included for the keen-eyed fan to spot…
12. The Kessel Run
The planet Kessel is known for being home to spice mines, making it a popular haven for smugglers, who obviously wished to sell the spices on elsewhere, while there were Wookiee slaves under Empire rule charged with working the mines.
The Millenium Falcon is famous - at least in Han’s eyes - for making the Kessel run in 12 parsecs, while C-3PO expressed fear of being sent to the spice mines.
Despite the fact that its name is known across the galaxy, the planet hadn’t actually been seen on screen until Star Wars Rebels’ first episode, Spark of Rebellion.
The Rebels learn that Wookiees are being taken to the spice mines as slaves, and embark on a mission to rescue them, which is when Kanan reveals he is a Jedi.
The basis for Kessel, including the appearance - rocky mountains and a barren landscape - and the major mining operations setup there, were taken from George Lucas’ initial designs and concepts, as he had long-ago developed the look of of the planet, as well as its culture and economy.