Things Only Adults Notice In Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

"Star Wars" has been around longer than the average gamer, and during its tenure, the label has accrued many tiny details and side stories that expand on the franchise. While Disney threw a lot of that away when the company purchased "Star Wars" — much to the chagrin of longtime fans — "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" still pays homage to much of the property's history.

Even though "The Skywalker Saga" is marketed towards kids, the game is still filled with tiny details, references, and additions that will likely go over their heads. What some players might think is just a cute little dance number (because what's funnier than seeing Stormtroopers boogie) actually references a show not meant for younger audiences. Meanwhile, other details are so incredibly small that only an adult would even notice them, let alone think to look for them.

Here are some Easter eggs, secrets, and other fun nuggets that only adult gamers, "Star Wars" fans, and Lego enthusiasts might notice in "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga."

"Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" is full of secret bosses, including a snarky protocol droid and a Supreme Leader Snoke in a disco wig. One boss of note is the mighty krayt dragon, a creature most fans should recognize as the giant wormlike monster from "The Mandalorian" Season 2. Players even have to lure it out with Tusken Raiders just like in the show — except when the boss appears something is off. Instead of resembling the krayt dragon from the show, which is almost Graboid-like in appearance, the version "The Skywalker Saga" looks like an overgrown lizard. The creature is quadrupedal and sports a distinct pair of horns, almost like a stereotypical fantasy dragon minus the wings. 

So, why the changes? It's because this is how krayt dragons used to look. Before Disney bought "Star Wars," krayt dragons were almost universally large, four-limbed lizards seen in "The Skywalker Saga." These were somewhat officially referred to as canyon krayt dragons, but a larger, multi-limbed variant also existed back then: the greater krayt dragon. Both subspecies were grandfathered into the current "Star Wars" canon, although they don't have a quarter of the prevalence they used to. To add to the confusion, the krayt dragon from "The Mandalorian" is neither. That creature is classified as an "unidentified krayt dragon species." "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" is the closest longtime "Star Wars" fans will get to fighting a krayt dragon from their youth.

Even though most sentient species in "Star Wars" seemingly speak English, they actually use a language called Galactic Basic. This dialect is phonetically identical to English but its written form is an almost unrecognizable series of symbols called Aurebesh. The developers of "Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" sprinkled Aurebesh liberally throughout the game, and when translated, many provide Easter eggs and references.

Whenever players encounter a boss in "The Skywalker Saga," the title plays a small cutscene to introduce them. The enemy spouts a pre-battle quote, and their name appears onscreen with an Aurebesh subtitle. Certain players took the time to decipher and catalog each Aurebesh subtitle, and they come in a variety of flavors. Some are just quick character summaries, such as Darth Maul's, which reads "Red dude with a bad attitude," while others are memes. For instance, the Sovereign Protectors' subtitle says, "They protec but they also attac." One subtitle in particular is a reference to an adult-oriented video game series — the Praetorian Guards' translates to, "Red Guard Redemption," a clear reference to "Red Dead Redemption."

While "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" loves to make fun of the "Star Wars" franchise's more memeworthy moments, it isn't the only toy-based medium on the market to do so. The show "Robot Chicken" has ribbed "Star Wars" through various skits since the series aired on Cartoon Network's adult-oriented late night programming block Adult Swim. Judging by some jokes in "The Skywalker Saga," the developers might be fans of the show.

Two jokes in "The Skywalker Saga" mirror ideas from "Robot Chicken." The first belongs to everyone's favorite blue musician Max Rebo. Players can accept a quest from Max to help him reach a "hot gig." It's an escort mission, and players need to help him cross a desert. Fairly generic stuff as far as video games are concerned, but in one "Robot Chicken" skit, Max complains about having to get to a gig, and he's willing to walk across a desert to get there.

Another potential reference rests with the Clone Troopers. It's no secret that NPCs tend to goof off in "Lego" games, and in "The Skywalker Saga" players can find these characters relaxing in hot tubs, exercising, and even playing music. Near the end of Episode 3, Clone Troopers start dancing, albeit at the request of Emperor Palpatine when he tells them to "Execute Order Sixty-seven." This is amusing on its own, but it isn't the first time Palpatine made this mistake. In one "Robot Chicken" skit, he calls a bunch of Ewoks and asks them to execute the same order to similar results.

The "Star Wars" movies are full of disposable Stormtroopers, and viewers never learn most of their names. Granted, the sequel trilogy confirms that First Order Stormtroopers are completely dehumanized and don't have names, just designations (e.g., FN-2187). Given how much the First Order patterns itself after the First Galactic Empire, it's not a stretch to assume Imperial Stormtroopers followed a similar "naming" convention. "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" features a boss that uses this logic while also referencing the franchise's history.

During Galaxy Free Play mode, players can eventually board the capital ship The Executor, but they also have to fight waves of Stormtroopers, one of whom is tougher than the others. This final wave boss is TT-2005, a Stormtrooper wielding a heavy minigun of a blaster and a back-mounted energy pack to power it. The character was invented for the game, but his name wasn't picked out of a hat.

If players think real hard about TT-2005, they might notice that "TT" is short for Traveller's Tales, the developers of "The Skywalker Saga" — the studio's symbol is two "T"s next to each other. So, what is so important about 2005? Among other things, that was the release year of Traveller's Tales' first "Lego Star Wars" game. Yep, Traveller's Tales has been building "Lego" video games for almost two decades now, and TT-2005 pays homage to that.

Lego pieces come in a wide variety of shapes, most of which are bricks. However, some pieces, especially those for licensed sets, are more specialized to recreate the iconic looks of their source materials. Because each part has to be mass-produced, they all come with serial numbers to help keep things organized, and while video games normally don't carry such limitations, the developers at Traveller's Tales went the extra mile to make the game feel like a galaxy full of Lego bricks come to life.

Every now and then, audiences might notice some weird little bumps on different in-game models. These are barely visible during normal gameplay and cutscenes, but if players zoom in (which, depending on the part, requires a bit of camera wizardry), they will discover that these bumps are serial numbers, and each one is identical to their real-world counterpart. For instance, every Battle Droid arm sports the numbers 30377 (sometimes reversed), which are the same serial numbers on the Battle Droid arms in real-world Lego sets. And Battle Droids aren't the only models with specially labeled parts. Every character who carries a two-barreled pistol wields the same weapon model, which are marked with the numbers 95199, same as their real-world counterparts.

This detail isn't even limited to serial numbers. A close inspection of in-game assets reveal copyright information, as well as mold lines and other tiny imperfections common on real-world Lego pieces. Just goes to show you that even the smallest of additions can go a long way.

Long before "Lego Star Wars" games honored and mocked "Star Wars" tropes and clichés, Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs" was the de facto "Star Wars" parody. The movie, much like other Brooks productions, is a legendary work of art quoted and referenced to this day. "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" was only the latest in a long line of products to do this.

"The Skywalker Saga" is littered with jokes that reference some of the most iconic moments from "Spaceballs." For instance, in the first Cloud City cutscene, a mop falls on C-3PO's shiny head to resemble hair. Traveller's Tales wasn't the first studio to think the droid would look good in a wig. In "Spaceballs," Dot Matrix resembles C-3PO but with a head of hair. When the mop lands on C-3PO's head, it mirrors Dot's hairdo. Coincidence or intentional?

Two other noteworthy "Spaceballs" references appear in the level "Best Leia'd Plans." During the story mission, players can create a Darth Vader prop to sneak past Stormtroopers, although this replica has a ludicrously big helmet — an allusion to the Darth Vader-esque character Dark Helmet and his comically oversized headpiece. If players revisit the level in Galaxy Free Play mode and search for the mouse droids, they will eventually enter a room with a hologram of Emperor Palpatine playing with toys. While still amusing in a vacuum, it's also a clear reference to the legendary scene of Dark Helmet playing with dolls. Although, Lego Palpatine isn't half as miffed someone caught him in the act.

Memes aren't created, they are born. Audiences take an idea or moment and immortalize it on the internet. That's what happened to Adam Driver when he appeared shirtless in "The Last Jedi" as Kylo Ren. Viewers thought he looked good and invented the "Ben Swolo" meme. "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" dives headfirst into this and turns it into a running gag complete with small details no youngling would likely notice.

In "The Skywalker Saga," Kylo Ren's room is decorated with workout equipment that he uses it in several cutscenes. Players might glimpse some red and black bottles too. At first glance, these seem like cheeky in-universe First Order branded merch, as red and black are the First Order's primary colors. However, older audiences (especially those interested in bodybuilding) may know that red and black are also the signature colors of whey protein bottles. Just walk into any GNC and you will see plenty of them.

If that's not enough for you, Kylo Ren's bottles sport labels in Aurebesh. Like many other in-game items, these are not randomly assembled vowels and consonants — they actually spell out a four-letter word. When translated, the labels read "BULK." Admittedly, the reference would have been too on the nose if it translated to "WHEY," but that's still the kind of label one might expect on a bodybuilding supplement made of whey or that provides the same benefits.

Licensed "Lego" games tend to shove as many characters in as possible. Most are iconic faces, while others are obscure. Different personas come equipped with their own abilities, but at the end of the day, players have a huge roster of heroes and villains to choose from. However, wouldn't beating up henchmen as the main antagonist ruin the immersion? "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" solves that problem before it even crops up.

As gamers travel through the chapters, they encounter plenty of friendly NPCs and hostile enemies. Unlike similar games, though, "The Skywalker Saga" doesn't determine who is friendly and who isn't with a simple code but rather a complex one that adapts to the character currently in use. For instance, Clone Troopers post-Order 66 target any Jedi they see, but if players use Darth Vader, these ex-allies suddenly drop all hostilities and start saluting. The same is true on the opposite side of the morality spectrum since Rebel soldiers salute Princess Leia.

This small detail even extends to factions and characters most players might not expect, namely the infamous Tusken Raiders. Normally, they attack everyone, but if players don the Mandalorian's armor, the aliens show a rare bit of pacificity. Granted, you have to purchase the character to witness this (he's DLC, after all), but it's still fascinating to see how many tiny details the developers crammed into "The Skywalker Saga."

"Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" isn't just a celebration of the "Star Wars" movies — it also celebrates and references past "Lego Star Wars" games. Some references stare players in the face, while others are a tad more hidden.

If players explore enough, they will encounter crates full of boxes labeled "Star Wars." These look like they could be special edition movie boxes, but longtime "Lego" game aficionados might recognize them as old "Lego Star Wars" games. These containers are found in different levels and their contents are always related to their respective locations. For instance, the box for the original "Lego Star Wars" game is found on the Trade Federation battleship, which is the first level of that entry, while the box for "Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is hidden in Maz's Castle. As an added bonus, if you attack the crates next to the in-game boxes more copies will spill out.

Given the prevalence of digital storefronts and sales, "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" is probably the closest younger audiences will ever get to seeing the covers of previous "Lego Star Wars" games.

The setting of "Lego" video games are fittingly constructed out of Lego bricks. As technology grew, though, the game worlds grew with it. While developers mostly built these ever-expanding levels out of digital bricks, sometimes they added more natural materials such as mud, dirt, and snow. Like most things in the world, even living Lego minifigs can get dirty.

"Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" is made out of equal parts outdoor and indoor environments, and as players trek through the former, they might notice a layer of muck building on their characters and weapons. It's not quite enough to completely cover whoever players control at the time, but it gives a subtle, pseudo-realistic highlight that mimics how mud gets trapped in the crevices of a real-life minifig.

Admittedly, this feature doesn't translate well for every character. Mud blends in with browner outfits, while darker colors more easily show off the grime. However, "The Skywalker Saga" has more than one environmental highlighter. Snow sticks to characters, although it uses the same system, making the end result look less like snow and more like white mud. Regardless, if you ever wanted to make your Lego figures look dirty without actually tossing them in a puddle, "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga" simulates this outcome.