Even though we just got a brand new Star Wars movie for the first time in a decade last year with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the wait leading up to Star Wars: Rogue One was a long one for many fans. Fear not, because the long wait is finally over! After months of countless trailers, rumors and reshoots, the first ever standalone movie taking place in the Star Wars universe is finally here. Even though the movie does stand on its own, and isn't completely void of flaws, it is absolutely jam packed with fun references, easter eggs and throwbacks to all kinds of stuff from every corner of the Star Wars galaxy far, far away.

Disney purchased all of Lucasfilm from George Lucas back in 2012 for more than $4 billion and in that time, we have now seen two new live-action Star Wars movies, with many more sure to come. The sample size may be small, but it is very clear that these new movies are going to do their best to stand on their own two feet, but they are also going to honor what came before. So far, this has been done through references, Star Wars cameos and a whole bunch of Easter eggs. Some of them are right on the surface and other ones only the most hardcore Star Wars fans will pick up on, but they are plentiful.

J.J. Abrams wasn't shy at all about paying homages to the other great Star Wars movies that came before when he directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Though there were a ton of hidden Easter eggs in the movie, it is pretty clear that the movie borrowed a lot from Star Wars: A New Hope in terms of character and plot structure. In a lot of ways, it could be argued that the movie was almost a remake that managed to remain part of the established continuity. Star Wars: Rogue One is very different in that it is very much its own, new story. But it is still heavily tied and rooted to the events of Star Wars: A New Hope.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, for those who may not know, is a prequel movie that takes place in the time between the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope and tells the story of how the Rebels got their hands on the plans for the Empire's planet-destroying weapon, the Death Star. This is something that was originally teased in the opening crawl of the original Star Wars back in 1977, so it is heavily tied to the events of that movie, but is a story not told previously in the Star Wars universe.

Given that the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story directly affect what we saw take place in Star Wars: A New Hope, there was a lot of opportunity for the creative team to make little connections that fans of the franchise will appreciate. There are a ton of Easter eggs and references in this first Star Wars standalone movie. Some you probably caught and some you might not have, but here are the most significant ones. Fair warning, this article will contain spoilers for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, you may want to wait on this.

48 The Rebel Scope Tower

Rogue One Rebel Scope Tower

When our heroes Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor leave Yavin IV for Jedha, we see a familiar site. The Scope tower, where one lone rebel soldier is stationed, always on the look out for any unmarked or unrecognizable ships. The white-helmeted security guard stands at attention at all times obviously, and he hasn't moved much since we last saw him in A New Hope, as Luke, Han, Leia and the rest of the Millennium Falcon crew first arrived on Massassi Base. The shot we see in Rogue One is almost identical to the shot in the 1977 original were the X-wings take off to fight against the Death Star.

47 Blue Bantha Milk in the Erso home

Rogue One Blue Bantha Milk

This little Easter egg shows up quite early in Star Wars: Rogue One and is one of those "blink and you'll miss it" kind of things. But those attune Star Wars fans who noticed the blue milk in the opening sequence of the movie likely got a kick out of it. Blue milk is another thing that has its origins in Star Wars: A New Hope. We see Luke Skywalker drinking some at the dinner table with his aunt and uncle on Tatooine. In Rogue One, we see some of it on the counter when the young version of Jyn Erso was gathering her things in order to make her way to safety when Orson Krennic was coming to recruit her father Galen Erso to help with the construction of the Death Star. As for what blue milk is exactly? Well, according to Wookiepedia, it actually comes from Banthas, but that hasn't been confirmed in the new Star Wars canon at any point.

46 The Journal of the Whills

Rogue One Journal of the Whills

This gets into some serious, deep-cut Star Wars nerd stuff right here, but there is an Easter egg in Star Wars: Rogue One that dates back to the earliest days of the Star Wars universe when the whole thing was still just a script by George Lucas. In an early draft of Star Wars: A New Hope, there was an idea for an ancient book called The Journal of the Whills, Part I. This was eventually scrapped, but it is something that has occasionally showed up in the Star Wars expanded universe and has now been officially made a part of the new canon.

In the movie, Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus are casually referred to as part of a Force-believing group called the "Guardian of the Whills." This marks the first time the Whills have ever been mentioned in a Star Wars movie. It was said in the novelization of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith that Qui-Gon Gin learned how to become a Force ghost from the "Shaman of the Whills," but we still don't really know who or what the Whills are. Perhaps now that it has been mentioned it will be explored further in a movie later on.

45 Saw Gerrera serves as an Apocalypse Now callback

Rogue One Apocalypse Now Callback

Forest Whittaker's Saw Gerrera is a direct callback to Marlon Brando's deadly Colonel Kurtz in Francis Ford Coppola's surreal 1979 Vietnam War classic, Apocalypse Now. Saw is presented as a mysterious figure with the same type of leadership qualities. Mysterious yet powerful. And he has his own little cult that bends to his will. Apocalypse Now and A New Hope are inexplicably tied together. George Lucas helped his pal Francise Ford Coppola make the movie. And it was actually supposed to be Lucas' next project after American Graffiti. George wanted to make the war epic a simple low-budget, black and white pseudo-documentary alongside Coppola. But the pair couldn't get funding. So Lucas decided instead to develop Star Wars while Coppola went out and made Apocalypse Now, which is considered one of the all-time great war movies. Rogue One director Gareth Edwards has said he pulled inspiration directly from the Coppola film in making Rogue One.

44 The requisite THX-1138 callback

Rogue One THX-1138

George Lucas' directorial debut was THX-1138, and it has been referenced in every Star Wars movie going all the way back to the 1977 original, with the detention block 1138 the destination for Chewbacca as Luke and Han cart the wookie away in disguise. The THX-1138 Easter egg might be a little harder to find in Rogue One. As Jyn and Cassian make it to the top secret data facility holding the Death Star plans, Cassian must manually extract the data tape housing the Death Star schematics. Doing this, he uses a pair of clamps that are almost identical to clamps used by the hero in George Lucas's debut feature film.

43 Stormtrooper Doll

Rogue One Easter Egg Stormtrooper Doll

During the early stages of the marketing for Star Wars: Rogue One there was a shot of one of the Death Troopers holding a Stormtrooper doll. This made it into the final cut of the movie, which we see in the beginning as Jyn Erso drops it when she is running to safety from Orson Krennic and his squad of Death Troopers, who have come to recruit Galen Erso against his will. This is most definitely an indication of just how big the Empire's stranglehold is on the galaxy, since a Stormtrooper toy would be something a kid would own.

42 HAVW A6 Juggernaut

Rogue One Easter Egg HAVW A6 Juggernaut

During one of the earlier sequences in the movie, Jyn Erso is being held captive by the Empire and at one point, she is being transported by a massive Imperial tank of some sort. The vehicle is known as an HAVW A6 Juggernaut and actually first showed up in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith as a form of Stormtrooper transport. In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we see that there is something of a "waste not, what not" attitude, as the Empire has repurposed these vehicles for prisoner transport, and it also serves as a little nod to the prequels and The Clone Wars.

41 Twi'lek Dancer & Dejarik

Rogue One Easter Egg Dejarik

At one point in Star Wars: Rogue One Saw Gerrera's band of extremists captures Jyn, Cassian, Chirrut and Baze, who are taken to his hideout. When they are being taken to their cells, we can see what Saw's gang in their free time, which includes watching holograms of Twi'lek dancers and playing Dejarik. The former is something fans will recognize from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, as it was something Jabba the Hutt was quite fond of doing as well. The latter comes from Star Wars: A New Hope and it was the same came that Chewbacca was playing with C-3PO on the Millennium Falcon.

40 Stormtroopers discuss the T-15

Rogue One T-15

Remember when Obi-Wan Kenobi is trying to shut down the tractor beam while Han, Luke and Chewbacca rescue the princess? We see two Stormtoopers discussing the BT-16, which has modified ion engines. That scene gets a direct callback in Rogue One, but this time the two troopers are taking about the T-15. This particular airspeed must get updates faster than the Apple phone, cause this scene takes place roughly a week, maybe a week and a half before the events seen on the Death Star in A New Hope. Though, some speculate that the Troopers are not talking about the discontinuation of the T-15 as an airspeeder. But instead, they are referencing the T-15 hyperdrive generator, a piece of equipment first mentioned in a video game tie-in to Episode I - The Phantom Menace.

39 The Death Star Plans

Rogue One Death Star Plans

Remember that funky 3D vector graphic of the Death Star that only exists in A New Hope because it was the best VFX money could buy at the time? Well, it makes a full comeback here, 70s vibe be damned. The recreation of this graphic is pretty flawless and spot on, comparable to when we first see it in the pre-strike briefing on the Death Star in a New Hope at Massassi. Director Gareth Edwards even keeps the infamous visual error with the circular depression that fires the laser placed on the structure's equator, instead of its northern hemisphere.

38 Moisture Evaporators

Rogue One Easter Egg Moisture Evaporators

This is something you probably would have been looking for in order to catch it on a first watch of Star Wars: Rogue One, but it is a nice little nod to the original Star Wars. During the opening scene, we can see some moisture evaporators behind Galen Erso on his farm, which implies he is probably a moisture farmer, or at least posing as one since he is actually a brilliant scientist. In Star Wars: A New Hope, Luke Skywalker was a helping hand for his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, who operated a moisture farm on Tatooine.

37 Alderaan

Rogue One Easter Egg Alderaan

One of the most critical scenes in all of Star Wars history is the first test of the Death Star's full destructive capabilities in Star Wars: A New Hope when Grand Moff Tarkin orders the destruction of Leia's home planet Alderaan. In Star Wars: Rogue One, there are several references to the legendary planet. At one point, Bail Organa mentions that he will be returning to Alderaan, which sadly means he was on the planet when it was destroyed by the Death Star. Also, during the first interaction between Grand Moff Tarkin and Director Krennic, Tarkin suggests that a test of the battle station is required, which is a direct reference to A New Hope when he decides to destroy Alderaan.

36 Darksaber

Rogue One Easter Egg Darksaber

During the third act of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jyn and Cassian are trying to find the Death Star plans in the Imperial archives. While listing off some of the file names, it is discovered that one of them is called "Black Saber." This could be a reference to the Darksaber, which first appeared on the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. The weapon is an ancient, black-bladed lightsaber that was used by Pre Vizsla and later by Darth Maul. Assuming this is actually referencing the powerful ancient weapon, that means it is officially part of the new Star Wars canon, which is significant.

35 Star Wars Rebels Crossover

Rogue One Star Wars Rebels Crossover

The Star Wars expanded universe has largely been its own thing and the Star Wars movies have mostly ignored what goes on in the comics, books and TV shows. That is no longer the case. Not only did Star Wars: Rogue One bring in a character like Saw Gerrera from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but there were a few references to Star Wars Rebels as well.

For one, during the final battle scene that takes place above Scariff with the Rebel fleet, the Ghost, the ship from the show, can be seen in a very quick shot that pretty much needs to be freeze-framed in order to catch it, but it is most definitely there. Also, during a scene in the Yavin 4 base, a page is made for a "General Syndulla." In Star Wars Rebels, Hera Syndulla is the Captain of the Ghost, so it seems very likely that this was a direct reference to her character. In another very brief moment, it appears that the Ghost crew's droid Chopper seems to makes a quick appearance when a Rebel communications officer runs to tell Mon Mothma about the battle taking place on Scariff. So fans of the Star Wars Rebels series can take some pride in knowing that the live-action side of things has acknowledged the characters from that series.

34 Hammerhead Cruisers

Rogue One Hammerhead Cruiser

Here's another cool Star Wars Rebels nod that has been discovered by fans. The Hammerhead Cruisers make a great appearance during the Battle of Scarif, as they smash into a Star Destroyer, managing to push it into another one of the massive vessels. These Hammerheads first showed up on an episode of Star Wars Rebels, with this being their first-ever live action appearance. It's not a big thing, but it's pretty cool. Now, lets move onto some of the harder to spot actor cameos.

33 Darth Vader's Castle on Mustafar

Rogue One Darth Vader's Castle on Mustafar

There is almost no question that the coolest thing about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was getting to see Darth Vader on screen again. The fact that James Earl Jones returned to voice him made it all that much better. When we first meet the famed Sith Lord in Rogue One, he is at his castle on the planet Mustafar, which is something that hardcore Star Wars fans definitely would have made note of.

When Director Krennic goes to visit Darth Vader, we finally see his secret castle, something that was originally conceived as a plot point in The Empire Strikes Back but was scrapped along the way. In the new canon, this castle of Darth Vader's exists on the planet where Obi-Wan left Anakin Skywalker for dead. So not only does it serve as something of a call back to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, but it also revives an idea that almost made it into what many consider to be the greatest Star Wars movie ever made.

32 Darth Vader's Bacta Tank Bath

Rogue One Darth Vader's Bacta Tank Bath

Inside Darth Vader's castle, we see that he has his own personal Bacta Tank for his rejuvenating baths. This is believed to be where Darth gets his energy from at the end of Rogue One when he takes out a squadron of Rebels single handedly with his lightsaber. This murder show is believed to have drained him, though. And that's why he's a little slower when we catch up with him in A New Hope. The big cylindrical structure was first seen in The Empire Strikes Back, after Luke had his run in with the Wampa. It produces a generative substance that helps grow tissue, but as we see, 19 years later, it hasn't really helped Darth grow his missing limbs back.

31 Lor San Tekka

Rogue One Easter Egg Lor San Tekka

In Star Wars: Rogue One the Whills, an ancient group of powerful beings with roots deeply connected to the origins of the Jedi, are mentioned by name. That makes them part of the canon now, but it also means that the movie has a connection with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In the beginning of Episode VII, we first meet Lor San Tekka (played by Max Von Sydow) who is a longtime ally of the Rebellion. It turns out he is actually a member of Church of the Force and has ties to the Journal of the Whills.

30 Captain Antilles

Rogue One Captain Antilles

Captain Antilles is an important dude. And in a different movie, he could have been the lead. He's held down a healthy life in the ancillary canon, appearing in a number of novels. Reymus Antilles is a big part of the Star Wars myth, though he only had a few precious moments of screen time in A New Hope. He is Darth Vader's first on-screen kill in the 1977 original, though we admit, he got off easy considering some of the cruel actions Vader takes at the end of Rogue One. Antilles is the captain of the Tantive IV, and gets strangled by Darth when he refuses to give up the plans to the Death Star, claiming his ship has intercepted no transmissions. He was previously seen at the end of Revenge of the Sith, where he takes temporary ownership of C-3PO and R2-D2. Though not a key player in Rogue One, he gets two crucial scenes. The first when Bail Organa leaves Yavin IV for Alderann. Bail commands the captain to 'get ready'. We see Reymus again at the end of the movie, when his crew of Rebels have escaped the wrath of Darth Vader, and he's able too give Vader's daughter, Princess Leia, the Death Star plans.

29 Wedge Antilles

Rogue One Wedge Antilles

The next big batch of cameos are all part of the Rebel raid on Scarif that happens during the third act of the movie. And perhaps the return of Wedge Antilles is most interesting. While this hasn't really been explored in the current Star Wars canon, it is believed that Antilles is a name that is as common as Smith or Jones, and that Wedge and Raymus Antilles are not related. We get no further evidence of them being family here. Where this cameo is a little different, the actor that actually appeared in the flesh as Wedge is not in the movie. Instead we hear David Ankrum, who voiced Wedge in A New Hope. Dennis Lawson played Wedge in the 1977 original. But his voice was dubbed over, because he couldn't perfect his American accent in time for the shoot. Ankrum was brought into the sound mix, because they didn't want Wedge sounding British. While Ankrum is not credited for his work here, there are reports that he returned to record voice overs as Rogue Two, aka Wedge. Though Dennis Lawson didn't return alongside the other classic actors in Star Wars: The Force Awakens to reprise his role as a much older Wedge, the character lives on in Rogue One. And it's possible that he'll pop up again at some point.