The following contains spoilers from Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 1 "Smells Like Mean Spirit" now streaming on AppleTV+.

The hit series from AppleTV+ Ted Lasso is not a genre series by any metric, yet the show is brimming with references to Star Wars. Thanks to George Lucas's adherence to archetypal story structure, the show doesn't have to be a space opera to share many similarities. In fact, Rupert Mannion appears to be, very blatantly, Ted Lasso's Emperor Palpatine.

Star Wars is so ubiquitous in pop culture that it's almost difficult to not find references to it everywhere. Real-life figures to characters on TV are referred to as "going dark side" or using "a Jedi mind trick" even when not talking about shows like The Mandalorian. Ted Lasso features its fair share. From people calling Ted "Obi-Wan Kenobi" to real-life comparisons of Season 2 to The Empire Strikes Back. And if Ted is Obi-Wan, then it means that Nate the Great is Anakin Skywalker. Like the best star-pilot in the galaxy, Nate isn't actually that good of a friend. In the prequel trilogy, viewers saw some of Palpatine's seduction of Anakin to selfishness and evil. In the Ted Lasso Season 3 premiere, Rupert is doing his best impression of the Emperor, trying to turn Nate into the "killer" he wants him to be.

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Rupert Mannion Is Emperor Palpatine, and the 'Wonder Kid' is Darth Vader

Rupert Mannion and Nate the Great in Ted Lasso's "Smells Like Mean Spirit"

In case the idea of Rupert Mannion being Emperor Palpatine was too subtle, Ted Lasso Season 3 included a window in his office at London Stadium that looks suspiciously like the round window on the second Death Star. Rupert uses cruelty at the expense of Nate's former club and gifts in the form of a car further to cement Nate's entrenchment in his vile world. Nate, angry like Anakin, does the all-too-human thing of trying to deflect his pain by belittling others, especially his players. On the pitch, Nate is like a Jedi in battle, but elsewhere he's just a kid looking for someone to love him.

Despite Nate's signed contracts with Rupert, he continues seduction like the Emperor. He pretends that he and Nate are not equals but, at least, friends. He tells him to call him "Rupert" and encourages his worst impulses. If the parallel to the Palpatine and Vader dynamic continues, eventually, Rupert will hurt Nate, too. Remember, on the dark side, hate makes you more powerful. It also means that things are going to get a lot worse before (if?) Nate realizes his mistake. In Rupert, Nate sees a world where all dinners at eaten at the table in the window, but as the trailer shows, the danger is one ends up eating there alone.

The reason Nate was even vulnerable to Rupert's dark side seduction is similar to Anakin's story. Obi-Wan, his mentor and closest friend, missed clear signs Nate was in trouble while overseeing the "war." The players aren't clone troopers, but like the Jedi, Ted and AFC Richmond know they are unique "in the Force." Yet, like the Emperor sees his Stormtroopers, Rupert and, to a degree, Nate see them as equipment or assets to be used or discarded.

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Ted Lasso's 'Emperor' Rupert Isn't the Show's Only Star Wars Parallel

As mentioned, series co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis has deliberately evoked Star Wars comparisons to how the storytellers envision the series. Even if they hadn't, the archetypal nature of storytelling makes comparison easy. Hannah Waddingham's lovable Rebecca is a lower-stakes Mon Mothma, a person of privilege still trapped by a bigger, worse system. Coach Beard has some Yoda-like qualities, both for his technical knowledge and pearls of philosophical wisdom. Roy and Keeley can be mirrored to Han and Leia, trying to balance their feelings for each other amid changing roles. Higgins has all the best C3PO qualities, and the players oscillate from Clone Troopers to Padawan learners.

But, since Obi-Wan Kenobi was all about him reckoning with his greatest failure, perhaps Ted can't 'save' Nate. That's up to the series' version of Luke Skywalker. In the pilot episode, Ted's son Henry notices Nate's LEGO minifig is not with the rest of the team because he's now at West Ham. "But," Henry says, "you can still be friends, right?" A shot from the trailer shows Henry and Ted in the stands at a West Ham game. Season 2 proved Ted knew he failed Nate far more quickly than Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his. "What do I have to learn here?" Ted asked Nate right before he quit. Even though he's committed to his light side mission of kindness, it may be up to Henry to help heal the wounds between the master and his apprentice.

Instead of the Force, Ted Lasso's magic is more ephemeral. It's about choosing compassion and believing that a person's innate value doesn't stop if or when they fail. The dueling press conferences are a perfect example of how these Jedi and Sith do combat. Nate leans into cruelty to please his new 'Emperor,' while Ted, as always, makes the selfless choice and finds the high ground.

Ted Lasso debuts new Season 3 episodes Wednesdays on AppleTV+.