A Subtle Nod to ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ Is Found in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’
Star Wars has one of the largest fan bases in the entertainment industry and some of the keenest ones ever. Fans usually get excited at the mention of Easter eggs and potential crossovers, and Raiders of the Lost Ark isn’t the first time Star Wars has crossed over with Indiana Jones.
With that said, Star Wars: The Clone Wars gave a subtle nod to Raiders of The Lost Ark that is easy to miss.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were the links in ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Star Wars’
Steven Spielberg became a Hollywood legend in the ’70s with his talent shining through everything he touched. His movies broke box office records, and it was only a matter of time before his longtime friend and creator George Lucas caught up with him.
The first Star Wars was released in 1977 and became an immediate hit, thus putting Lucas on the map. The film helped establish Lucas as a force to beat and helped even the playing field between him and Spielberg. Both collaborators had worked on Star Wars together, and the production process solidified their bond.
1981 saw the release of the widely successful Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film was based on a story by the Star Wars creator and directed by Spielberg. The debut of the Indiana Jones franchise made the movie a success and established the duo’s popularity as collaborators.
The connection between Indiana Jones and Star Wars extends to more than Spielberg and Lucas. The two franchises are also intertwined with their music composers, with John Williams, Malcolm Weaver, and Robert Watts writing scores for Indiana Jones films and Star Wars films.
A subtle Easter egg in ‘Raiders of The Lost Ark’ is found in ‘StarWars: The Clone Wars’
The main focus in the Indiana Jones and Raiders of The Lost Ark movies is the Ark of the Covenant. The film follows Indiana Jones as he tries to recover the Ark of the Covenant from the Nazis who intend to use it in warfare. He finds himself entangled in a rekindled relationship with his mentor’s daughter Marion who seemingly gets killed.
Jones realizes that the Nazis who took a medallion from Marion are using it to dig into the Ark. An Imam warns Jones of the implications of disturbing the Ark. Jones realizes the Nazis have the wrong location for the Ark and he seizes it and uses the transcription at the back of the medallion to locate the Ark’s resting place.
The Ark of the Covenant might have been a significant plotline in Raiders of The Lost Ark, but it makes a minor cameo in Star Wars: Clone Wars as Medium reports. If you closely watch the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series season 1, an easy-to-miss Easter egg reveals itself in the form of the Ark. In the episode, Wat Tambor, leader of the separatists, plunders the riches of the city of Ryloth.
In the background, we see some droids loading up treasures into a vessel. One of the items being loaded is the Ark of the Covenant from Raiders of The Lost Ark, which fans last saw bundled up on other crates after Jones seized it from the Nazis.
What’s next for ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Star Wars’: Other Easter eggs in the future?
After years of speculation, fans will finally get the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones films. The movie began filming in June 2021, and although things started in high gear, an on-set injury might affect the release date, although nothing is confirmed yet.
A missing piece of the action, however, is director Spielberg, who directed the other films. Logan director James Mangold is at the helm of the movie. This might mean that fans won’t get many Easter eggs in Indiana Jones 5, if any.
