This article contains spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 2.
The second episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi is absolutely packed with Star Wars Easter eggs and call-outs. George Lucas' prequel trilogy was controversial when it was first released, but the movies' reputations have improved as the years have passed - in part because the generation of children who grew up with them has come of age. That means the return of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ TV show is one of the most exciting developments in Star Wars since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.
The show is set ten years into the Dark Times, the era when the Empire ruled the galaxy. It sees McGregor's Obi-Wan lured out of his Tatooine exile when Princess Leia is kidnapped; the Inquisitors have no idea she's Anakin Skywalker's daughter, and instead simply intend to use her as bait. Their plan is a success, and in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 2 the aged Jedi Master struggles to keep both himself and Leia alive as his enemies close in.
The bulk of Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 2 is set on the planet Daiyu, a world that hasn't been seen on screen before. But, unsurprisingly, it's also packed with Easter eggs and Star Wars references. Some of them serve simply as amusing details, but others are woven in to avoid continuity errors.
Obi-Wan Encounters A Clone Trooper On Daiyu
When Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives on Daiyu, he discovers a veteran clone trooper begging for credits. It's easy to miss, but the clone trooper appears to be wearing the armor of the 501st, the battalion led by Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano during the Clone Wars. The clone trooper is, of course, played by Temeura Morrison - the actor who played Jango Fett in the prequel trilogy, and who has played Boba Fett in various Disney+ TV shows.
Obi-Wan Is Told The Three Types Of Spice
A street vendor offers Obi-Wan three different types of spice: Kessel pure, glitterstim, and Felucian. The first two types both actually originate from the spice mines of Kessel - seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story - while Felucia was seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The last time anyone offered Obi-Wan drugs, he used the Force to tell them to reconsider their life; he's fallen too far to do the same here.
Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Adopts An Alec Guinness Mannerism
Obi-Wan Kenobi is set ten years into the main character's self-imposed exile to Tatooine, and subtle details signpost that Ewan McGregor's incarnation of the Jedi Master is transforming into Alec Guinness' version. One of the most notable is a new habit of pulling his beard while thinking, a characteristic trait of Guinness' Obi-Wan. It will be fascinating to see whether any other Guinness details come through as the Disney+ TV show continues.
Haja's Force Tricks Are Inspired By Legends
Obi-Wan encounters a man named Haja who's pretending to be a Jedi, using tricks involving magnets. This idea is lifted from the old Expanded Universe, where a con man named Ghitsa Dogder used the same tactics. Han Solo may well have good reason to believe the Force is just trickery in the first Star Wars film if he's encountered men like Haja. Interestingly, recent comics have revealed there's a history of imitating the Force with technology, although doing so was considered a heresy to the Sith.
Haja Sends People To Han Solo's Homeworld, Corellia
In a rather more direct Han Solo reference, Haja sends a mother and her son to Han's homeworld Corellia for sanctuary. The dialogue here is particularly interesting, foreshadowing Haja's proving to be a better man than Obi-Wan thinks; Haja implies the boy is Force-sensitive, and he's helping him get away from Daiyu before he's found out. This is actually quite a high-risk project given the Empire had standing bounties on Force-sensitives, with Darth Vader's Inquisitors combing the galaxy looking even for children.
Obi-Wan Faces An Assassin From The Empire Strikes Back
Reva hires every lowlife and bounty hunter on the planet to hunt down Obi-Wan, and one of them will be very familiar to viewers - 4-LOM. A LOM-series protocol droid created to service insectoid species, 4-LOM became bored with his mundane directives due to a glitch in his programming and instead pursued life as a jewel thief and bounty hunter. Although he takes serious damage in Obi-Wan Kenobi, he'll clearly be repaired - he's among the bounty hunters hired by Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back.
Obi-Wan Uses An "Uncivilized" Blaster
Obi-Wan initially attempts to avoid detection as a Jedi by using a blaster instead of a lightsaber. There's a great deal of irony in this firefight, given he considered blasters to be so very "uncivilized" - but, of course, he no longer lives in a time he would call "civilized." By the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 2 the Jedi Master is considering drawing his lightsaber once again, as he realizes the scale of the threat facing him.
The Inquisitors Believe Obi-Wan The "Last Ember" Of The Jedi
The Inquisitors believe Obi-Wan to be a particularly important target, no ordinary Jedi - the "last ember" of a dying flame. The dialogue is curious, suggesting they consider Obi-Wan to be the last surviving member of the Jedi Council. Comics have already established the Empire believed Master Yoda died of old age. Ironically, tie-ins have revealed the Bail Organa connection could have led them straight to Yoda if they'd looked for him.
Obi-Wan Calls Himself "Ben" To Leia
Leia Organa is less than impressed by her rescuer, and initially refuses to believe he's really a Jedi - especially when Obi-Wan introduces himself as "Ben." This is the name he had taken up during the Dark Times, one initially given to him when he was just a Padawan by Duchess Satine of Mandalore. It makes perfect sense for Obi-Wan to call himself Ben at this point in time, but also avoids a continuity problem because it explains why Leia doesn't know the name "Obi-Wan Kenobi" in the first Star Wars film. This may well be Leia's first hint her father is more than just a senator, because Bail Organa and his fellow rebel conspirator Mon Mothma tried their best to keep her in the dark about the nascent rebellion for her own safety.
Reva Uses The Dark Side Mind Probe
Reva uses a familiar Force power on Haja, the dark side mind probe. Comics have established this is an easy technique for former Jedi to pick up because it is related to the Jedi Mind Trick, although of course it is far more invasive. It's been seen used before by Darth Maul, Darth Vader, and ultimately Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens - although that time it backfired. Reva seems unusually empathic, even able to sense the emotions of Obi-Wan himself in a later scene; this makes her a formidable hunter.
Leia Reminds Obi-Wan Of Padmé
Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 1 briefly focused on the similarities between Luke and his father Anakin, and in episode 2 Obi-Wan finds Leia reminiscent of Padmé. He describes Padmé in the most general terms, avoiding giving too much away. Unfortunately, Leia is naturally inquisitive, so again seems to suspect he's holding back. It's rather amusing to see Obi-Wan struggle to deal with the precocious child, who - just like Carrie Fisher's Leia - is no damsel in distress.
The Inquisitors Know Darth Vader's True Identity
The Empire kept Darth Vader's true identity a secret during the Dark Times, largely because Palpatine enjoyed the sense of mystery and intrigue that surrounded his apprentice. For all that's the case, though, Reva reveals the Inquisitors know Anakin Skywalker is really Darth Vader. She clearly knows about Mustafar, too, because she uses the information that Anakin Skywalker is alive to goad a reaction from Obi-Wan.
Darth Vader Senses Obi-Wan In A New Hope Nod
Obi-Wan Kenobi is shaken to learn Darth Vader is still alive, presumably believing his former apprentice died on Mustafar. Disturbingly, the dramatic end of Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 2 suggests Darth Vader has sensed Obi-Wan's actions on Daiyu - a nice nod to the first Star Wars film, where Vader could likewise sense Obi-Wan's presence on the Death Star. Vader is in a bacta tank, likely in his base on Mustafar, which had been constructed to amplify the power of the dark side and boost his own natural abilities. That's presumably why he can sense distant events across the galaxy with such ease.