Pixar has earned a reputation for dropping as many Easter eggs into their films as possible; frankly, whatever movie they make tends to feel almost like a love-letter to the genres that have influenced it. Lightyear is no different, and it’s clearly going to be packed with Easter eggs and references to some of the greatest science-fiction and fantasy franchises. The first Lightyear trailer was particularly notable for numerous Star Wars Easter eggs, as well as even a joke on the MCU’s Captain Marvel, with what appears to be an alien cat. No doubt Pixar is helped by the fact they are owned by Disney, meaning they can do references to the MCU and Star Wars without any fear of going too far and getting into trouble.
As always with Pixar, Lightyear‘s Easter eggs feel like a loving and respective nod to other great franchises. In this case, though, they go deeper than anyone would expect, and they’ve prompted some fans to jokingly ask whether Lightyear could even be set in the Star Wars galaxy. Here are all the Star Wars Easter eggs in Lightyear.
Lightyear’s Space Base Is Reminiscent Of Geonosis
Lightyear‘s space station is immediately reminiscent of Geonosis, a planet introduced in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. This was the first capital of the Separatist movement, and the First Battle of Geonosis marked the beginning of the Clone Wars in the prequel era. Geonosis was noted for its harsh arid environment and red sands, and many structures on the world were circular while others looked rather like rocket launchpads just as in Lightyear.
Buzz Lightyear’s Spaceship Is Powered By Coaxium
The Lightyear trailer opens showing Buzz’s spaceship being prepared for launch, and it seems it runs on crystals placed within some sort of fuel cell. Most viewers will assume this is some sort of reference to Star Trek‘s dilithium, but in reality the crystal is another Star Wars Easter egg. It’s a perfect visual match for coaxium, the precious but rare hyperfuel that appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story. When used as a fuel, just a small amount of coaxium is powerful enough to propel an entire fleet through hyperspace, and it tends to form in places with strong interstellar energy such as on the planet Kessel, near a complex spatial phenomenon.
Lightyear Features Possible Hyperspace Rings
Buzz Lightyear flies through a number of rings in orbit around Earth. While these seem to be simply part of a piloting exercise to test his skill, visually they’re very similar to the Jedi hyperspace rings in the prequel trilogy. Few smaller ships possessed on-board hyperdrives in the prequels, and even Jedi starfighters needed to dock with hyperspace transport rings that they left in space to pick up later. Recent Star Wars tie-ins have revealed the Jedi acquired this hyperspace technology from a group of space pirates known as the Nihil.
Take the link below for more Lightyear trailer Star Wars Easter eggs.
