The speeder chase sequence inThe Book of Boba Fett Chapter 3 has gotten mixed reactions from Star Wars fans thus far, some calling it too slow, others appreciating subtle callbacks to the prequel films (think the Coruscant chase in Attack of the Clones). But some fans also pointed out a quick but meaningful reference in that scene that ties back to Star Wars: Rebels.
Toward the end of the scene, the retreating speeder crashes, spilling fruit everywhere. But it wasn’t just your average fruit. These were meiloorun fruits, which you may recognize if you’ve seen even just a few early episodes of Star Wars: Rebels.
Throughout the hit animated series’ four seasons, meiloorun fruits showed up several times and were established as General Hera Syndulla’s favorite snack. Zeb also used the alias “Meiloorun” several times when commanding operations against the Galactic Empire.
In an early episode of Rebels, Hera sends Zeb and Ezra on a “special” mission to locate meilooruns on Lothal. The fruit notoriously doesn’t grow there, and the outing was meant to force the two quarreling roommates to bond. Not only did the two manage to set aside their differences, but they also acquired the fruit from Imperial forces.
The appearance of meilooruns in The Book of Boba Fett may not have deep ties to any Rebels characters related to the new live-action show (that we know of). But it’s fun to see creators putting subtle references to Star Wars projects in their own Star Wars work, especially when nods to animation are translated into live-action — even just to put a smile on these fans’ faces for a moment.
Be on the lookout for more connections between Star Wars shows as The Book of Boba Fett continues on. If you blink, you just might miss them.
The Book of Boba Fett is streaming now exclusively on Disney+.