With games like Jedi: Fallen Order, gamers continue to be able to pick up a lightsaber for some single-player Star Wars action. But it wasn't all that long ago that The Force Unleashed games gave us the same experience. Telling an original story set between Episode 3 and 4, players took control of Darth Vader's secret apprentice and explored a galaxy in the grip of the Empire.
Like any good Star Wars game, The Force Unleashed threw in plenty of easter eggs and secrets for fans to find, and not just from Star Wars either. These are 11 hidden details you missed in The Force Unleashed.
Updated June 13th, 2022 by Peter Voight: When you think of Star Wars, what comes to mind first? For some, it’s the rich and vibrant storytelling. For others, the universe’s eclectic characters shine through. While these qualities haven’t always stood out in Star Wars’ video game output, The Force Unleashed blazed a trail for future in-universe games to match the sprawling narratives we’ve come to expect from the films and TV shows.
There is no better example of this than 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Taking place just five years after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, we assume the role of Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan being hunted by the Empire. Much like the recent Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Cal’s journey is perilous and filled with exciting action. With the sequel, Jedi: Survivor, being recently announced, there’s no better time to look back at The Force Unleashed and check out a few easter eggs you may have missed at first glance.
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Sam Witwer was in high demand after breaking into the world of Star Wars with his portrayal of Starkiller. Originating a character in such a vast universe can be daunting, but Sam Witwer gave us a performance we’ll remember for years to come.
What you may not know is that this was hardly Witwer's last foray into a galaxy far, far away. Luckily for fans, he has no problem playing the most insidious figures in the universe. He’s been credited for voicing Darth Maul, Emperor Palpatine, and even an abstract personification of the dark side as the Son in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. So although The Force Unleashed has been relegated to non-canon status, fans of Witwer can rest easy knowing his mark has been made on multiple properties in the Star Wars universe.
10 Jar Jar In Carbonite
In the years after The Phantom Menace, Jar Jar became one of the most hated Star Wars characters of all time. Fans despised the Gungan, even concocting elaborate theories about him being a Sith Lord.
Well, LucasArts decided to throw those haters a bone in The Force Unleashed. If you look around the Kashyyyk hunting lodge, you can find everyone's favorite Gungan frozen in carbonite. We know he's annoying, but did Jar Jar really deserve that?
9 Bad Management
Darth Vader's not the best boss, and gamers learn that first hand in the game's opening level. While playing as Vader, if they slay 12 stormtroopers, they earn the achievement "Worst Day-Shift Manager Ever."
This is actually a joke about Vader's voice actor Matt Sloan. Sloan earned LucasArts' attention because of a web series he starred in called Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager, where he played Darth Vader's brother Chad, the manager of a normal suburban grocery store. They hired him on the strength of his impression.
8 The Wilhelm Scream
In case you didn't know, the Wilhelm Scream is an infamous stock sound effect. Audio designers on the original Star Wars dug it out of a library and put it in the movie. It's become a running gag in the franchise ever since.
So, of course, The Force Unleashed included the Wilhelm Scream. After Starkiller steals the dropship on Raxus Prime, the pilot gives the scream as he's tossed out. You'll know it when you hear it.
7 Encroaching Darkness
One of the toughest non-boss enemies in The Force Unleashed is the Imperial Purge Trooper. Designed to battle Force-users, Purge Troopers are actually battle droids in modified stormtrooper armor and were armed with anti-lightsaber weapons.
Their appearance is something of a call-forward, too. It's explained in-universe that Purge Troopers are prototypes for Dark Troopers, memorable enemies from the old Star Wars: Dark Forces PC games. Fans will even note the similarity in the designs.
6 Experiment 1138
Lucasfilm has a number of references they use throughout a lot of their projects. One is the number 1138. That's a reference to George Lucas' first movie, the dystopian thriller THX 1138. Yes, that's also where the company THX got its name.
As such, the number 1138 shows up a lot in Star Wars. It's Chewie's fake prisoner number in Episode 4, for example. So when Starkiller is wounded and taken to the Empirical laboratory to heal, what is he labeled as? Subject 1138. What else?
5 The Fastest Hunk Of Junk In The Galaxy
No spaceship is more associated with Star Wars than the Millennium Falcon. It's darn iconic. The developers probably couldn't help putting it into The Force Unleashed.
As players make their way through the junk planet Maxus Prime, amid the refuse can be seen the front end of Han Solo's famous ship embedded in the wall. Though given the time period of the game, this probably isn't the Millennium Falcon. It's probably just another Correllian YT-1300 freighter.
4 Republic Commando
Before The Force Unleashed, Republic Commando was one of LucasArts' more famous Star Wars games. Even today, 14 years later, people remember the tactical shooter fondly. The team at LucasArts must have, too, because they snuck a little tribute to the game into Force Unleashed.
While in the Tie Fighter factory, if players use the Force to move some crates up to an overhang, they'll find a Republic Commando helmet hiding behind them. A random place for it, but appreciated all the same.
3 Beware the Gorax
Ozzik's Hunting Lodge on Kashyyyk is actually filled with all kinds of Star Wars easter eggs. The Imperial hunter has many trophies on the walls, stuffed heads of famous creatures. Jabba's pet Salacious Crumb is there, along with a Rancor and others.
But the most intriguing is the one that might be hardest to see. If players look up, they'll spot the mounted head of a Gorax. The Gorax is a giant monster that menaced the Ewoks. It's only appeared in one Ewok TV movie.
2 Name Histories
One of the most hidden details lies in plain sight. Both of The Force Unleashed's protagonists' names, Starkiller and Juno Eclipse, have deep roots in Star Wars history. Starkiller has been around since George Lucas' first drafts of Star Wars, it being one of the original names for Luke Skywalker.
Nowadays, it's best known as the First Order's super weapon. Juno Eclipse also comes from a first draft. That was one of the potential names for Asajj Ventress, Dooku's Sith apprentice.
1 Monkey Island
LucasArts didn't always focus on Star Wars games. Back in the day, they were known for PC adventure games. One of their most famous was the comedy pirate tale Curse of Monkey Island. Even as the company moved away from its past, the classic adventure hasn't been forgotten.
One of the DLC costumes for Starkiller in Force Unleashed 2 turns him into Monkey Island lead Guybrush Threepwood. Funny enough, the reskin began as a joke according to the developers, but they loved it too much to disinclude it.