WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for 3Below: Tales of Arcadia, streaming now on Netflix.
Netflix's 3Below: Tales of Arcadia is a space saga that draws its influences from other franchises, from Star Trek to Marvel Comics, But the property that creator Guillermo del Toro leans into most, especially in Season 2, is unsurprisingly Star Wars.
Let's look at the influences del Toro & Co. took from a galaxy far, far away.
MORANDO'S EMPIRE
Morando's Empire is similar to the one Emperor Palpatine founded in the wake of Revenge of the Sith. Sure, Palpatine rose to power through politics, converting the Republic to an Imperial Empire, but alto Morando in 3Below leads a coup on Akiridion-5, the new order and his disposition is akin to that of the Sith Lord. Morando, like Palpatine, even resorts to using mysticism when he tries to find Gaylen's core, a cosmic energy source.
Morando employs an army of droids called Omens to wreak havoc, not just at home but on Earth as well. He also has a space vessel with a blaster that's remarkably close to the Death Star. What's so ironic is Eli, one of Princess Aja and Prince Krel's friends on Earth, pilots a drone, and finds a design flaw to destroy the warship.
THE BOUNTY HUNTERS
In the first season, a plethora of bounty hunters Morando were deployed to hunt down the royals on Earth, much in the way Darth Vader utilized Boba Fett and others in The Empire Strikes Back. Season 2 finds Tronos, an electricity-generating reptilian, coming to Earth in pursuit of the royals.
KREL'S CAVE OF FEAR
In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker entered a cave on Dagobah after training with Yoda to face his fears and meet his destiny. There, he fought the likeness of Darth Vader, and saw his own face beneath the mask, foreshadowing the revelation that the Sith Lord was his father. Krel has a similar experience in 3Below.
In "Race to Trollmarket," Krel, Aja and the Trollhunters end up in the relic place where Gaylen's core has been hidden. To acquire it, Krel jumps into the Deep, a cavern in which he must face his greatest feer, which turns out to be losing his new home and family on Earth. After experiencing visions of Morando destroying those he loves, Krel slays a construct of the villain, which then permits him to then find the core.
THE CANTINA
The cantina on Tatooine is one of Star Wars' most iconic sequences. In the seedy bar, Obi-Wan, Luke and the droids met Han Solo and Chewbacca, and hired the services of the Millennium Falcon.
3Below has a replica of the Tatooine cantina on Earth's moon, in which bounty hunters spend time bragging, fighting and looking for jobs. The royals visit to find Varvatos Vex, and the patrons' drunken behavior leads to a fight over which bounty hunter shot another first. It's not even a subtle tribute, made all the more special by the Star Wars-esque jazz music playing in the background.
Season 2 of DreamWorks' 3Below: Tales of Arcadia is available now on Netflix.