Is E.T. A Jedi Knight? A Star Wars Theory Explained
A fan theory suggested by Film School Rejects may have uncovered the mysterious origins of the lovable titular alien from 1982's "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" that connects him to the long line of Jedi Knights. It may be hard to believe that such a harmless-looking creature could be a full-blown Jedi, but in this case, size matters not.
One of the most memorable scenes in "E.T." is when the alien comes across a kid dressed as Yoda while out trick-or-treating. However, as most fans know, members of E.T.'s species make an appearance in a Galactic Senate meeting in "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace," indicating that E.T. himself comes from the galaxy far, far away. Even if E.T. was born long after Yoda's death, he's likely at least aware of the legendary Jedi Knight and his species considering that E.T.'s kind was on the Senate. So when the alien believes to sees Yoda and starts saying "Home," it's him hoping that the familiar face will help him in his plight.
But E.T. more than appears to have a handle on the Force for himself. His many skills such as glowing fingers that heal wounds and the ability to make bikes fly across the sky fall in line with the powers we've seen Jedi possess throughout the "Star Wars" saga. But fans weren't the only ones creating links between "E.T." and "Star Wars."
Further Star Wars media explains what E.T. actually is
Both Yoda's cameo in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and E.T.'s species showing up in "The Phantom Menace" birthed some vivid fan theories. In reality, both moments represent George Lucas and Steven Spielberg paying homage to one another's work, as both filmmakers are famously close friends and colleagues. But while their movies have little to do with one another, expanded media has since created some further connections.
"Cloak of Deception," the 2001 prequel novel to "The Phantom Menace," gave an official name to E.T.'s species, dubbing them Asogians. The name originated from the 1985 "E.T." sequel novel "E.T., the Book of the Green Planet" where it is explained that the alien came from the planet Brodo Asogi, a name that sounds right at home in the realm of "Star Wars." On top of this, "Deception" also reveals that the Asogians' lead senator present in "The Phantom Menace" scene is named Greblieps, which is the name "Spielberg" spelled in reverse. The in-universe news agency HoloNet News elaborated on Greblieps' exploits, explaining that he sent out E.T. on an extra-galactic voyage. He was also arrested by Imperial Intelligence for trying to aid the Jedi at one point.
Since "Star Wars" was acquired by Disney in 2012, this lore has not been considered canon, joining other expanded media material as part of the "Star Wars Legends" brand. Despite this, Greblieps was name-dropped in a 2019 episode of the behind-the-scenes YouTube series "The Star Wars Show."