Star Wars Fan Points Out Subtle Nod to 'A New Hope' in 'Attack of the Clones'

The prequel trilogy of Star Wars films contained multiple references to the original trilogy, in ways both blatant and subtle. One fan recently pointed out one of the more subtle references that viewers may have missed in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones which serves as a nod to the Battle of Yavin in Star Wars: A New Hope.

Over on Epicstream, one fan pointed out a specific piece of dialogue in Attack of the Clones in which Cliegg Lars explains to Anakin Skywalker what happened to Shmi. Cliegg recalled that, after Tusken Raiders abducted Shmi, 30 people went out in search of her and only four of them returned. The scene resulted in Anakin going out in search of Shmi himself, serving as a pivotal moment where he exacted his revenge on those who had captured her.

During the Battle of Yavin, when the Rebel ships descend upon the Death Star, an Imperial relays to Darth Vader that he counts 30 Rebel ships. After Luke shoots the proton torpedoes that cause the destruction of the station, we see two X-Wings, a Y-Wing, and the Millennium Falcon returning to base.

Given that George Lucas wrote and directed both films, and with the specificity of these numbers, we can only assume this was an intentional detail that the filmmaker included. It's worth noting, however, that the Millennium Falcon wasn't technically included in the Imperial's count of Rebel ships, so technically it was 31 ships that attacked the Death Star, but it's a detail we're willing to overlook.

While devout Star Wars fans were initially apprehensive about the prequel trilogy, largely due to these being the first new films in the franchise since the high standards the original films set, but recent years have seen fans begin to embrace those adventures more positively. Actor Ewan McGregor recently shared his excitement at younger generations embracing the films.

"Episode III was all green screen: they had us on green disks on a green floor with a green background, and a guy on the floor rotating us like chickens, as we lunged at each other with lightsabers," McGregor shared with Vanity Fair. "What keeps you emotionally grounded is the other actor. Episode II, I was on my own, speaking to thin air. But this scene was harrowing for Obi-Wan. I lose Anakin, and we see the danger of what it might lead to in Episodes IV, V, and VI. For all my moaning about green screen, I did enjoy playing Obi-Wan and this link to Alec Guinness."

He added, "George Lucas wanted to do something very different with the prequels. That's why people felt cheated. It was upsetting when people would laugh and joke about it. Now, many years later, the prequels meant a lot to the generation that were kids then. So from smirking, cynical opinions, now I'm getting feedback from the kids they were made for. I'm really happy about that."

Had you ever noticed this connection between the two films? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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