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Think you know Star Wars? These 13 secrets and Easter eggs surprise even die-hard fans
May the force (and the facts) be with you.
- Louise Griffin
Published: Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 7:00 am
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Almost 50 years after the first Star Wars film, A New Hope, was released, the beloved franchise still has a big place in the heart of every sci-fi fan.
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And, with (almost!) 50 years of history comes a whole lot of lore, behind-the-scenes secrets, Easter eggs, and weird little trivia facts to delve into.
So, the next time you're at a pub quiz, or are rewatching the original movies for the billionth time, you might want to whip out one of these facts to impress (or exasperate) your loved ones with.
How many did we surprise you with?
1. "I am your father” was never said on set
Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back starring David Prowse as Darth Vader (Voice by James Earl Jones).
The reveal that Darth Vader was actually Luke Skywalker’s father has gone down in cinema history – but the plot twist was so well-guarded that the immortal words were never actually uttered on set.
Instead, David Prowse (the actor in the Darth Vader suit) delivered the line: “Obi Wan killed your father."
The actual line, “No, I am your father,” (which itself is often remembered incorrectly as “Luke, I am your father,” was dubbed in post-production.
Even many of the cast and crew were surprised by the twist – despite ‘Vader’ meaning ‘Father’ in Dutch.
2. NSYNC almost starred in a Jedi battle
NSYNC.
During the height of their fame, NSYNC took a break from their battle with the Backstreet Boys to battle the Dark Side as Jedi knights.
At George Lucas’s request, Joey Fatone, his brother Steven, Chris Kirkpatrick, and JC Chasez filmed scenes in Jedi robes, but sadly they were cut from the movie – a missed opportunity, given how important NSYNC and Star Wars both are for the month of May.
3. Yoda could have been played by a monkey
Frank Oz's Yoda in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Lucasfilm, HF) Lucasfilm
Thankfully, famous puppeteer Frank Oz was enlisted to bring Yoda to life, but the Jedi Master could have been very different.
Early ideas for the film involved a monkey being screen-tested for the role. He wore a mask and was even trained to use Yoda’s cane – but the idea was ultimately abandoned when the monkey proved too difficult to train.
As the great Jedi Master once told us: “The greatest teacher, failure is.”
4. Porgs were created after Rian Johnson’s set was overrun by puffins
Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Lucasfilm
You can’t say Rian Johnson isn’t resourceful. After discovering that Skellig Michael, the island that stands in for Ahch-To in The Last Jedi, was covered in puffins, the director decided to run with it rather than digitally erasing the birds from the movie, according to visual artist Jake Lunt Davies during an interview on StarWars.com.
As Johnson said, “It's covered in these adorable little puffin birds waddling around, and they would try to fly and look really pathetic. It was hilarious, and so I thought 'We need the Star Wars version of this.'”
5. Laura Dern couldn’t help making ‘pew pew’ noises when firing her gun
Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron and Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Lucasfilm
And who can blame her? Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo might have been a powerful member of the resistance, but it turns out actress Dern is just like any other Star Wars fan.
Director Johnson confirmed in behind-the-scenes commentary that she would make the noise of the blaster “every time” she fired the gun – perhaps making her a little tricky to film.
In fact, eagle-eyed fans have noticed that you can actually see her doing the noises in the final cut of the film.
6. Mark Hamill was wearing jeans in the first movie
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker on the set of Star Wars movie A New Hope. Screen Archives/Getty Images
The costumes in Star Wars quickly became iconic – but they’re easier to replicate than you might imagine.
Years after the first film was released, Mark Hamill revealed on X (formerly Twitter): “The pants I wore in the 1st film were just Levi bluejeans- bleached-out, with the back pockets removed.
"George called #StarWars "The most expensive low-budget movie ever made" & every penny spent had to show up on the screen. I think they started with my costume... #TrueStory.”
7. Frank Oz banned Yoda impressions on set
Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, starring Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Frank Oz as Yoda. Lucasfilm
Perfecting your Yoda impression is a rite of passage for any self-respecting Star Wars fan, but Frank Oz, who played the Jedi Master, wasn’t having any of it.
According to Hamill, everyone on set was giving the voice a go – but Oz had to step in and ask them to stop, as it was influencing his performance.
He told Wired: "When Frank was doing Yoda, everybody started doing Yoda. The cameramen, the caterers, wardrobe, stand-ins, stunt doubles. 'Oh, hungry are you? To the commissary you are going?' Look, I'm being influenced by your impressions and I want to keep it pure.' So I could see exactly what he was talking about. We all stopped on a dime. And the rest is history.’
8. Some of the best moments are improvised
Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. LucasFilm
From Han Solo’s classic “I know” line, to Luke kissing Leia’s forehead during their sweet goodbye in The Last Jedi, some of the most iconic moments from the franchise were never scripted.
While those two were intentional additions from the actors, some bloopers also made the cut.
While donning a Stormtrooper disguise in A New Hope, Hamill declared at one point: “I can't see a thing in this helmet!”, a line that made it into the final film.
9. Mark Hamill burst a blood vessel – and then got told off for it
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Speaking of unexpected moments – on the first film, Mark Hamill ended up bursting a blood vessel in his eye and, to quite literally add insult to injury, got a telling off from George Lucas.
Recalling the famous trash compactor scene, Hamill said on X: “I purposely made myself red-faced for a strangulated look, causing a blood vessel in my eye to burst. Afterwards-they had to shoot carefully to hide it until I healed. George told me I should've asked him 1st because w/ the lighting & red-filters it made no difference.”
10. James Earl Jones and Carrie Fisher met for the first time on The Big Bang Theory
Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones, and Jim Parsons on the set of The Big Bang Theory. Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images
Despite the duo being two of the leads in the franchise for so long, the first time they met was actually on the set of the divisive sitcom decades later.
According to EW, TBBT showrunner Steve Molaro said at a Comic Con panel: The first thing Carrie said was “Dad!”
The episode, titled The Convention Conundrum, aired in 2014 and saw Sheldon (Jim Parsons) strike up an unlikely friendship with the Darth Vader actor.
11. Samuel L Jackson has a Pulp Fiction reference engraved on his lightsaber
Samuel L Jackson as Mace Windu in Star Wars Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith. LucasFilm
What Samuel L Jackson wants, Samuel L Jackson gets! The actor famously asked for a purple lightsaber when he appeared in Attack of the Clones – but it’s also unique in another way.
The Mace Windu actor revealed that his lightsaber has the initials “BMF” engraved on the switch, a reference to the wallet in Pulp Fiction.
However, the engraving didn’t make its way into the film, and was added as a wrap gift to Jackson.
12. Anthony Daniels is the only actor to have appeared in all nine films
Anthony Daniels as C3PO and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope. LucasFilm
Of course, faithful droid C3PO is the most consistent presence across the Skywalker saga, with Anthony Daniels being the only actor with credited roles on all nine of the theatrical movies.
That’s not to say the role has always been easy for Daniels. Speaking to StarWars.com, he admitted: “Those first days on the set back in 1976 were difficult. Not only the suit, because nobody had ever really made a suit like that, but one of the issues of wearing it was to be so isolated from people.
“You see the crew dressed up in parka jackets and I’m there in a pair of tights and some plastic knickers. It’s not a good look. Not a warm look at all. But I am professional enough to [say] I don’t think I’ve ever walked away from a job.”
Frank Oz came close to Daniels's record, appearing in seven of the movies.
13. Chewbacca's voice was made from various different animals
Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca and Harrison Ford as Han Solo in The Force Awakens. Disney/Lucasfilm
Specifically, the wookiee’s voice was created by sound designer Ben Burtt, who mixed together recordings of four bears, a badger, a lion, a seal and a walrus.
He said in a Star Wars production video: “Out of all these recordings you could extract little bits of sound, little grunts, moans, and ughs and arghs and purring sounds, whatever it might be.
“I collected and put all on one tape all these sounds that had emotional feelings associated with them. You play this sound and it sounded affectionate. You play this other sound and it sounded angry.
"In that manner, I had these categories of little sounds that each had an emotional tone associated with it. I began cutting those together to get a sense of speech out of Chewy."
Meanwhile, actor Peter Mayhew, who was originally in the Chewy suit, was inspired by the movement of animals, too.
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The Star Wars movies are available to stream on Disney+.
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Authors
Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
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