The Mandalorian and Grogu, which debuted in theaters on May 22, had an opening Memorial Day weekend of $163 million worldwide.
On one hand, that is the lowest opening for a Star Wars film since Disney acquired the franchise in 2012. On the other hand, the film only cost $165 million to make, which means it's already made back its budget. Meanwhile, Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) made roughly the same amount against a $300 million budget. With The Mandalorian and Grogu, Disney took a smaller risk for a much better return.
Narratively too, The Mandalorian and Grogu aims modestly and hits its mark; there is little essential backstory that you need before walking into the theater. The movie uses prologue text to tell you who these characters are and what their mission is, and although you'd benefit from watching The Mandalorian: Seasons 1-3 and The Book of Boba Fett, it's nothing that you can't catch up to in the first 20 minutes. This is a standalone adventure, with no connection to the extensive backstory surrounding the Mandalorians and the Jedi.
It's perfect for a casual audience member who hasn't done their “homework,” while allowing for unobtrusive references and nods for the observant fan. Here are 15 of the best The Mandalorian and Grogu Easter eggs and trivia bits that we managed to spot.
Snowtroopers
In the opening scene, where Mando and Grogu attempt to take an Imperial loyalist prisoner, we see Snowtroopers, a type of Stormtrooper that is outfitted for colder temperatures. They're famous for their appearance on Hoth in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. We also see the AT-AT walkers that Episode V made iconic. Mando rides an AT-RT that dates back to the Clone Wars.
Zeb Orellios
Mando's wingman is Zeb Orellios, who debuted in the TV series Star Wars: Rebels. He was an early member of the Rebel Alliance who sought vengeance against the Empire for destroying his people.
Sigourney Weaver’s cameo
Colonel Ward, who gives Mando his missions and targets, is played by Sigourney Weaver. A sci-fi acting legend, Weaver is best known for her role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise.
Weaver is not the only cameo during these mission briefing scenes. The other pilots in the bar are several of The Mandalorian directors for the TV series.
Sabacc cards
The rogue Imperial officers are printed on a set of Sabacc cards. Sabacc is an in-universe game of chance and strategy. Lando famously lost the Millennium Falcon to Han Solo in a game of Sabacc.
The new Razor Crest
Colonel Ward gives Mando and Grogu a brand new Razor Crest as a pre-emptive gift. This was Mando's original ship in Seasons 1 and 2 of the Disney+ series, before Moff Gideon destroyed it.
The Twins
The two Hutts who run crime in the Outer Rim are known as The Twins, and they are cousins to the late Jabba the Hutt. They first appeared in The Book of Boba Fett, where they sought to take over Jabba's enterprises.
Rotta the Hutt
Rotta is Jabba the Hutt's son. He made his debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he was a key plot point; Count Dooku framed the Jedi for his kidnapping before he was rescued by Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano.
In the new movie, Rotta is fully grown and takes part in pit fighting. He is also a good person, and he wants to escape his father's criminal shadow.
Martin Scorsese’s cameo
The food cart alien, who clams up after being interrogated by Mando, is played by Martin Scorsese. Scorsese is one of the greatest living American film directors, famous for directing Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Dejarik Match!
Rotta's final pit match is a Dejarik match, in which he has to fight all of the alien species from the holochess game simultaneously. Dejarik is the game that R2-D2 plays against Chewie in Episode IV: A New Hope during their downtime on the Millennium Falcon. It leads to the famous C-3PO quote: "Let the Wookiee win!"
An homage to Carl Weathers
When the Dejarik monsters break out of the arena, you can see, written in the Aurebesh language over the doorway, "Weathers Apollo." This is an homage to actor Carl Weathers, best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise. He also played Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, appearing in all three seasons of the show. Weathers died in 2024.
Anzellans
Mando hires a team of Anzellans to tune up his ship. The Anzellans made their debut in Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. A particularly gifted engineer named Babu Frik helped Rey to translate the Sith language by rebooting C-3PO.
Blurrgs
On Mando's homestead on Navarro, we see a pair of Blurrgs. Blurrgs are temperamental and difficult to tame, but Mando learned to ride one from Kuiil the Ugnaught in the pilot episode of The Mandalorian.
Embo
The samurai-esque bounty hunter who tracks down Mando is a longtime antagonist named Embo, who first debuted during Season 2 of The Clone Wars TV show. He is invariably ruthless and efficient.
An homage to Dagobah
During the montage sequence where Grogu nurses Mando back to health, we see him meditating in a manner similar to Yoda’s in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. He also finds and begins carrying a walking staff, which further underscores the comparison. It's no wonder that the fandom referred to Grogu as "Baby Yoda" before we knew his name.
Dragonsnake
In a callback to Jabba in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, The Twins drop Mando through a trap door in their throne room. Instead of a Rancor, the twins have a Dragonsnake in their basement. The Dragonsnake made its debut in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, where it tried to eat R2-D2 on Dagobah before spitting him out.
