The eagerly awaited anime series Star Wars: Visions premiered exclusively on Disney Plus. In this series, seven Japanese anime studios were given considerable creative freedom to bring their visions of a galaxy far, far away to life across nine episodes. These episodes are packed with all kinds of Easter eggs and references, some of which we’ll share with you below.
Star Wars and its lasting impact on modern entertainment
Star Wars: Visions shows how much the saga still inspires creators today. Its look, sounds, and characters continue to shape films, series, games, and even theme parks. The influence is everywhere, and people always want more.
This demand has also reached online gaming. Many players enjoy sci-fi themes, so space-inspired slot machines have become popular on major casino sites. You can see this trend on platforms like Stay Casino, where fans often explore themed options after a quick Stay Casino login. It’s another example of how Star Wars keeps shaping entertainment far beyond the screen.
Easter eggs in The Duel
Let’s start with The Duel, the first episode of the anthology series. It follows a wandering warrior who stops in a village that is soon attacked by bandits. The visual style clearly pays homage to master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, particularly his film Yojimbo. Some shots in the episode are recreated almost shot-for-shot from the classic movie.
Kurosawa’s work was also a major inspiration for George Lucas’ original Star Wars, which, in a way, brings us full circle. If you look closely at the background before the titular duel begins, you can even spot a subtle Star Wars poster in the scene.
Easter eggs in Tatooine Rhapsody
The second episode is packed with references to Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The children watch the main characters’ concert on the same device Shmi Skywalker used to watch Anakin’s podracing. Some audience reactions during the concert were recreated almost shot-for-shot in the anime short.
A brief shot also shows Obi-Wan Kenobi’s hut. The title fits the episode perfectly — a “rhapsody” refers to an ecstatic poem or song, a form that was especially popular during the Sturm und Drang period (1765–1785).
Easter eggs in The Twins
The third episode takes place after Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker and tells the story of twins, a boy and a girl, created through the power of the Dark Side. They may have been brought into existence on Exegol by the Sith acolytes who dwell there.
The episode contains even more Easter eggs. The girl’s Sith mask echoes Darth Vader’s, while her throne is modelled on the Emperor’s. The interior of the twin Star Destroyer visually draws from the core of the second Death Star. The most striking moment is clearly inspired by the infamous Holdo manoeuvre from Episode VIII – The Last Jedi.
Easter eggs in The Village Bride
In The Village Bride, we follow a Jedi on a planet whose inhabitants share a deep connection with nature. Her abilities and weapons, used to fight villains employing battle droids, appear inspired by various points in Star Wars history.
For instance, she can freeze a blaster shot, reminiscent of Kylo Ren in Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Her yellow lightsaber blade evokes Rey’s weapon in Episode IX and the swords of the Jedi Temple guards. The design of her sword, particularly its thin blade, seems to draw from the dark sword featured in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Easter eggs in The Ninth Jedi
Perhaps the most intriguing Easter egg in The Ninth Jedi appears when a girl is tasked with delivering several lightsabers to a group of Jedi, crafted by her father, a blacksmith. When she activates one of the swords, its blade initially appears colourless. In the presence of a Jedi, it glows blue or green, while with Sith followers, the blade turns red.
This references the comic adaptation of Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. In one scene, Darth Vader activates Luke’s lightsaber, which glows red. In the old Legends canon, it was believed that a lightsaber’s colour reflects the personality of its wielder: a virtuous user produces blue or green, while an evil one produces red.
Easter eggs in T0-B1
The short story about the droid T0-B1 is primarily a loving homage to the anime classic Astro Boy, arguably the most famous creation of Osamu Tezuka, the “God of Manga.” The droid’s name references Tezuka’s creation Tobio, while its pronunciation in English also hints at Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi.
T0-B1 is Force-sensitive, echoing the old Star Wars comic character Skippy, another droid with a connection to the Force. The story is full of visual nods to the Star Wars saga, with pictures on the walls referencing key events. Additionally, the mantra of T0-B1’s “father” — “I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me” — is directly lifted from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Easter eggs in The Old Man
In The Old Man, likely set before the events of Episode I, a Jedi Master and his Padawan encounter a dangerous old man on a world in the Outer Rim. His yellow eyes, reminiscent of Sith like Darth Maul or Darth Vader, suggest he may have once been part of that dark order.
Time plays a unique role in the story: the old man’s best days are behind him, the Jedi Master is at the height of his powers, and the Padawan has his prime still ahead. Together, the trio can be seen as a symbolic representation of the stages of human life, echoing themes found in the classic riddle of the Sphinx.
Easter eggs in Lop & Ochō
In the penultimate episode, we meet Lop, a humanoid rabbit alien seemingly inspired by the character Jaxxon. Jaxxon, a smuggler, first appeared in Marvel Comics’ old Star Wars series and was notably unpopular with George Lucas, who was reluctant to include a cartoon rabbit in his universe — which led to the character’s eventual disappearance.
Additionally, several characters engage battle droids, a nod to Rogue One and Star Wars Rebels. Lop also wears a scouter over his left eye, a device famously used in Dragon Ball Z to measure a being’s fighting power. Finally, Ochō makes her escape in a Raider-class corvette, which served as a base for the Inferno Command in Battlefront II.
Easter eggs in AKAKIRI
The main character of the final episode, AKAKIRI, a Jedi Knight, bears striking similarities to Anakin Skywalker from Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Like the Chosen One, this Jedi is haunted by visions of the Force that reveal possible futures. Like Anakin, he loses his beloved and falls to the dark side — but unlike the young Skywalker, he succeeds in bringing his partner back to life.
The Jedi’s decision to travel to this planet despite his visions and his master’s warnings parallels Luke Skywalker in Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, when he disregards Yoda’s advice to leave. Additionally, the title of the episode itself references the dark side of the Force: Aka means red, while kiri means fog. This “red fog” of the dark side clouds the Jedi’s visions and ultimately permeates the episode, ending the series on a somber and haunting note.