Summary
- Star Wars had its first post-credits tease 25 years ago, but it is still fairly new to incorporating post-credits scenes compared to franchises like Marvel.
- The post-credits scenes in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett are meant to set up future storylines and bring back familiar characters.
- The Phantom Menace used Darth Vader's breathing and the Imperial March to foreshadow Anakin's transformation and connect the prequel trilogy to the original trilogy.
AlthoughStar Warshas added post-credits scenes to a few more recent projects, the first post-credits tease inStar Warsactually happened 25 years ago. Compared to franchises like Marvel, which has been incorporating post-credits scenes to tease upcoming movies and TV shows for well over a decade,Star Warsis fairly new to the post-credits game. However, one post-credits tease intheStar Warstimeline is 25 years old.
The Mandalorian season 2's post-credits scene wasStar Wars' first, with Boba Fett and Fennec Shand killing Bib Fortuna and preparing audiences for the start ofThe Book of Boba Fett. Since then,The Book of Boba Fett incorporated a post-credits scene bringing back Cobb Vanth, andAndor'spost-credits scene set up season 2 of the show.The franchise's first post-credits moment came a long time ago, though, and didn't quite tease something brand new.
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The Phantom Menace's Final Black Screen Features Darth Vader's Breathing
As pointed out in Pablo Hidalgo'sStar Wars: Fascinating Facts, the end ofStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menacefeatures a black screen with the infamous heavy breathing of Darth Vader's mask. Although audiences would have known that the boy in the movie was going to become Darth Vader, it was surely jarring after seeing young Anakin, who was seemingly so innocent. This was no doubt in part the point; not only does it signal what is to come in the rest of the trilogy, butit also serves as a reminder that Anakin is destined to turn to the dark side of the Force.
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This became a bit of a pattern throughout the prequel era. InStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones,when Anakin slaughtersthe Tuskens, Vader's breathing is once again played alongside Qui-Gon Jinn saying,"Anakin! Anakin, no!"Unlike the post-credits breathing inThe Phantom Menace,this moment is less a teaser and more a form of ominous (and a bit heavy-handed) foreshadowing.
Vader's breathing was also incorporated intoThe Clone Warsshow duringthe Mortis gods arc when Anakin confronts and fights the Son. While it became something of a plot device, though, for the theatrical release ofThe Phantom Menace,it would have had much more impact. Audiences at the time had only the original trilogy to draw from, so this would have been a much more thrilling hint of things to come.
This Was One Of Many Darth Vader Teases In The Phantom Menace
Vader's breathing wasn't the only nod to what Anakin's future held inThe Phantom Menace, though. John Williams also had the "Imperial March" incorporated into "Anakin's Theme" in the movie. These choices were brilliant ways to not only connect the prequel trilogy movies to the original trilogy that audiences knew and loved, thereby keeping fans engaged, but to also create a narrative throughline for better storytelling.
Of course,The Phantom Menace had other moments of clear foreshadowing, too. Perhaps the most notable was the Jedi Council's hesitation to welcome Anakin into their ranks; this made the Jedi seem wiser and was in keeping with the audience's perceptions of the Force, but it was also yet another harbinger of things to come. Given the amount of retconning that had to be done inThe Phantom Menaceto pull off a connection to the original trilogy, these nods were a smart move byStar Warsfor the first installation of the prequel trilogy.
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- Created by
- George Lucas
- First Film
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Cast
- Mark Hamill,James Earl Jones,David Prowse,Carrie Fisher,Harrison Ford,Daisy Ridley,Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid,Ewan McGregor,Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz,Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
- The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Movie(s)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
- Character(s)
- Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
