The Mandalorian season 2, episode 1 has a prequel trilogy Easter egg you may have missed
Now this is podracing!
The Star Wars prequels have undergone a bit of a renaissance in recent years. Opinions have been swayed and, generally, Episodes 1 through 3 are now looked back on with something resembling fondness. So it stands to reason that The Mandalorian season 2 would have a quick nod to the prequels. And that it does.
Spoilers for The Mandalorian season 2 premiere follow…
The biggest Star Wars property in the galaxy right now includes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it link to a certain Anakin Skywalker and his storied history.
Not only has Timothy Olyphant’s Marshal snapped up Boba Fett’s armour, but it appears he also has another relic on Tatooine – Anakin Skywalker’s podracer.
Sure, it may not have the garish yellow paint job that Annie opted for in The Phantom Menace, but the design is practically identical. There are two options: either the marshall has made a speeder out of the leftovers of a podracer or Anakin's podracer – which was made of scraps – was created using the parts from two of these types of speeders, making this a nice nod to Anakin's boy-wonder abilities.
That’s not the only Easter egg that can be found in The Mandalorian season 2 premiere either. One character has ties to Return of the Jedi, while the episode’s closing shot is almost definitely an iconic Star Wars character, waiting in the wings to return.
We’ll have to wait to see whether that man is who we think he is – as well as if other Easter eggs crop up in the background of other Mando scenes. For more on when to watch the next episode, check out The Mandalorian season 2 release schedule.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.