The Lucas Family Reunion No One Noticed In Revenge Of The Sith
In May of 1977, the world got a glimpse at Star Wars for the very first time. It was a tale like no other, taking the best the science fiction, adventure, and fantasy genres had to offer and melding it all together into one, big, incredible cinematic experience. Names like Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) became the stuff of legend, and phrases like "May the Force be with you" and "But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!" cemented their place in pop culture. And to think, none of this would've happened without the creative mind of George Lucas.
Though he sold the IP along with the entirety of Lucasfilm to Disney in 2014, George Lucas' name remains synonymous with the Star Wars brand. After all, not only did he bring the first three films in the series — A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi — to the big screen, but he also put out three more additions decades later for a new generation. Though they were the target of serious backlash for some time, the prequel trilogy is indicative of what Lucas always wanted Star Wars to be. 1999's The Phantom Menace and 2002's Attack of the Clones performed well and have their fair share of fans, but now-cult classic Revenge of the Sith is in a league of its own.
Clunky dialogue and dated VFX aside, there's a lot to love about Revenge of the Sith, from the epic Mustafar duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christiansen) to the way the movie perfectly bookends A New Hope. One neat detail worth adding to that list that you probably never noticed is the Lucas family reunion that occurs throughout the film.
The Lucas family is all over Revenge of the Sith
The first set of Lucas family cameos in Revenge of the Sith come just before Anakin's infamous meeting with Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) at the Galaxies Opera House. Dressed as the blue-skinned Chairman Notluwiski and Chi Eekway Papanoida, respectively, both George Lucas and his daughter Katie are shown standing near the entrance to the auditorium speaking to one another.
The Papanoidas appear in animation too via the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Sphere of Influence" from season 3. They're defined as key figures in the Galactic Senate as well as the government of their home moon, Pantora, who can more than hold their own in the face of Separatist pressure. Additionally, Katie Lucas portrays two other characters in a galaxy far, far away — Amee in The Phantom Menace and Lunae Minx in Attack of the Clones.
The guest appearances don't stop there, as George Lucas' son Jett pops up later on in Revenge of the Sith as Jedi Padawan Zett Jukassa (who made his uncredited debut in Attack of the Clones). With Order 66 in full effect and the Jedi Temple under siege, Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) arrives on the scene looking for answers. He's confronted and told to leave by a handful of 501st Legion clone troopers, who are then attacked by the young Force user. Sadly, his efforts to save the Jedi Order are quickly thwarted when he's gunned down.
The Star Wars saga is full of clever Easter eggs and celebrity cameos, but considering all the Lucas family has done for the property, these definitely stand among the best of them all.