Empire Strikes Back Movie Facts, Easter Eggs and hidden details

33 of the most interesting Empire Strikes Back easter eggs you didn't know about. Handpicked and verified, these little-known hidden details can be obscure enough most people will miss. These behind the scene easter eggs and hidden messages will give you another view of Empire Strikes Back movie message.

Empire Strikes Back poster
Empire Strikes Back poster
Empire Strikes Back Plot

After the Rebels are brutally overpowered by the Empire on the ice planet Hoth, Luke Skywalker begins Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader and a bounty hunter named Boba Fett all over the galaxy.

Genre Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Director Irvin Kershner
Stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
IMDB score 8.7

Empire Strikes Back Movie Trivia

1 - Boba Fett was originally supposed to have an all white costume. Here's some test shots of it.

Boba Fett was originally supposed to have an all white costume. Here's some test shots of it.

1 - Ending, the original script had Vader telling Luke: "Obi-Wan killed your father". This was to ensure that the reveal was kept secret from the entire cast. The line was changed in post preduction to "No, I am your father".

Ending, the original script had Vader telling Luke: "Obi-Wan killed your father". This was to ensure that the reveal was kept secret from the entire cast. The line was changed in post preduction to "No, I am your father".

1 - Concept designer Ralph McQuarrie makes a cameo with his sketchbook while rebels ready for battle

Concept designer Ralph McQuarrie makes a cameo with his sketchbook while rebels ready for battle

Features one of the few times a safety railing is used by someone in the Star Wars saga. This ironically causes Luke to lose his hand.

1 - <b></b>Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back [1980], George Lucas envisioned Yoda as the hybridization of both Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, even going so far as to describe the character as their "illegitimate child."

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back [1980], George Lucas envisioned Yoda as the hybridization of both Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, even going so far as to describe the character as their "illegitimate child."

The "Phantom" Darth Vader has an alternate sound effect of his iconic "breathing" and his lightsaber is colored in a more orange tone and not his traditional red in the original theatrical release.

Empire Strikes Back Movie Easter Eggs

By Irvin Kershner, while Chewbacca is looking for C-3PO in Bespin, you can spot an IG-series droid dismantled, BUT ALSO you can see Ugnaughts working with droid parts.

Accuracy details in Empire Strikes Back

1 - Han evades the Imperial Fleet by hiding in an asteroid field. An asteroid takes out the bridge on one of the Star Destroyers, and you see the holograph of the crewman react.

Han evades the Imperial Fleet by hiding in an asteroid field. An asteroid takes out the bridge on one of the Star Destroyers, and you see the holograph of the crewman react.

1 - During the escape from Cloud City scene, while C-3P0 is in pieces on Chewbacca's back, C-3P0 has a second right arm in the bag of parts, leaving him with no left arm.

During the escape from Cloud City scene, while C-3P0 is in pieces on Chewbacca's back, C-3P0 has a second right arm in the bag of parts, leaving him with no left arm.

Costume details in Empire Strikes Back

1 - Detail I find hilarious is how among all the scratches and dents and other damage on Boba Fett's armor, there is a very noticeable chip on his, um, "cup" for lack of a better term. Which means someone has canonically shot Boba Fett in the crotch at some point.

Detail I find hilarious is how among all the scratches and dents and other damage on Boba Fett's armor, there is a very noticeable chip on his, um, "cup" for lack of a better term. Which means someone has canonically shot Boba Fett in the crotch at some point.

1 - The actor who play the imperial officer would be dragging Leia away in cloud city was a no show. So the actor who played Boba Fett, Jeremy Bulloch, put on the costume and did the part.

The actor who play the imperial officer would be dragging Leia away in cloud city was a no show. So the actor who played Boba Fett, Jeremy Bulloch, put on the costume and did the part.

Small details you may not have noticed in the Original Trilogy. Star Wars (1977)/The Empire Strikes Back (1980)/Return of the Jedi (1983)

1 - On the back of C-3PO's head is a probe hole to access his memory commonly used by many droids, but shown to be used by R2 mostly throughout the Saga.

On the back of C-3PO's head is a probe hole to access his memory commonly used by many droids, but shown to be used by R2 mostly throughout the Saga.

1 - You can see ig-88 having an actual face

You can see ig-88 having an actual face

Empire Strikes Back movie hidden details

The Rebel Alliance uses bubble wrap on the shoulder harnesses of their snowspeeders.

1 - By Irvin Kershner. In the scrap room on Bespin where C-3PO is dismantled next to the furnace you can see the remains of what appears to be the assassin droid IG-88. One of the bounty hunters hired to track down Solo, later killed by Boba Fett.

By Irvin Kershner. In the scrap room on Bespin where C-3PO is dismantled next to the furnace you can see the remains of what appears to be the assassin droid IG-88. One of the bounty hunters hired to track down Solo, later killed by Boba Fett.

Luke is upside down each time he has his worldview turned on itself: when he realises Rebellion life isn't so glamorous in the Wampa Cave, when he's training with Yoda and learns what being a Jedi actually is about, and after learning Vader is his father at Cloud City

1 - During the battle on Bespin, Vader goes on and on about Luke's training with Obi-Wan. This is because he's unaware that Yoda is still alive, and who actually trained him.

During the battle on Bespin, Vader goes on and on about Luke's training with Obi-Wan. This is because he's unaware that Yoda is still alive, and who actually trained him.

1 - Luke is seen taking on the three defining characteristics of Darth Vader: the breathing apparatus, the mask, and the mechanical limb.

Luke is seen taking on the three defining characteristics of Darth Vader: the breathing apparatus, the mask, and the mechanical limb.

1 - A star destroyer is seen getting hit by a meteor, which fatally damages the ship, and the very next scene a hologram can be seen cutting out abruptly.

A star destroyer is seen getting hit by a meteor, which fatally damages the ship, and the very next scene a hologram can be seen cutting out abruptly.

1 - You can see the Pilot of a Tie-Fighter being launched into space and bursting into flames after crashing his ship.

You can see the Pilot of a Tie-Fighter being launched into space and bursting into flames after crashing his ship.

Boba Fett was inspired by Clint Eastwood's 'Man With No Name' cowboy character; you can hear the spurs on Boba Fett's boots as he walks through Cloud City

1 - George Lucas used the Wampa scene to help adjust audiences to Luke's slight change of appearance, when Mark Hamill had to have his nose reshapen after a car accident. George knew Luke would look slightly different from "A New Hope" and wrote it into the scene.

George Lucas used the Wampa scene to help adjust audiences to Luke's slight change of appearance, when Mark Hamill had to have his nose reshapen after a car accident. George knew Luke would look slightly different from "A New Hope" and wrote it into the scene.

Han Solo gets tortured by the Empire in Cloud City. The Empire does this because the Emperor knows Luke will see it in the future. Han Solo even says, "They didn't even ask me any questions."

1 - As Han is being frozen in carbonite, Lando appears to feel a slight force choke from Darth Vader. This comes right after Vader tells Lando, "I have altered the deal. Pray I don't alter it further."

As Han is being frozen in carbonite, Lando appears to feel a slight force choke from Darth Vader. This comes right after Vader tells Lando, "I have altered the deal. Pray I don't alter it further."

1 - Towards the end of the battle of Hoth, there's a snow speeder that is seen, this piloting the snow speeder is Wedge, Who is the only member of Rogue Squadron that was not shot down.

Towards the end of the battle of Hoth, there's a snow speeder that is seen, this piloting the snow speeder is Wedge, Who is the only member of Rogue Squadron that was not shot down.

1 - General Veers targets the main power generation saying 'Target, maximum firepower!' and the AT-AT blast is significantly larger than usual.

General Veers targets the main power generation saying 'Target, maximum firepower!' and the AT-AT blast is significantly larger than usual.

During the iconic "I am your father" scene in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) the shot of Vader saying this line is actually played backwards for 1 second to make it last a few frames longer.

Leia is the first character seen immediately proceeding Yoda revealing that "No, there is another (hope)" aside from Luke.

1 - C-3PO mentions that the Millennium Falcon has a "peculiar dialect." This is because Lando's Droid, L3-37, was integrated into it in Solo (2018), and she had a personality most droids don't understand.

C-3PO mentions that the Millennium Falcon has a "peculiar dialect." This is because Lando's Droid, L3-37, was integrated into it in Solo (2018), and she had a personality most droids don't understand.

Han almost knocks the helmet off of a stormtrooper

1 - When Chewbacca is carrying C-3PO in pieces, he has two right arms

When Chewbacca is carrying C-3PO in pieces, he has two right arms

1 - Darth Vader prevents Boba Fett from shooting Chewbacca because C-3PO (his creation) is on his back.

Darth Vader prevents Boba Fett from shooting Chewbacca because C-3PO (his creation) is on his back.