Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Skeleton CrewStar Wars:Skeleton Crewfeatures an impressive number of Easter eggs and references to the greater galaxy far, far away. However, there’s also a fun collection of meta references to classic pop culture pirates that help makeSkeleton Crewshow very unique. Whether it’s connections toThe Goonies,Pirates of the Caribbean,or legendary pirates from real-life history, there are some great nods all over the newStar Warsseries.
As seen inSkeleton Crew, a group of young kids named Wim, Fern, Neel, and KB find themselves inadvertently lost in theStar Warsgalaxy with no easy way to make it back to At Attin, their mysterious homeworld with connections to a lost and mystical treasure. This prompts the attention of several pirates, one of whom isJude Law’s Jod Na Nawoodwho partners with the kids to help them get home.With that in mind,Skeleton Crew’smultiple pirate Easter eggs are quite fitting, so here are all the references we’ve found (so far).
This post will be updated as new episodes ofStar Wars: Skeleton Creware released.
12The Onyx Cinder
A Nod To The Black Pearl
Having found an old ship buried in the woods of their homeworld,the kids ofSkeleton Crewbecome the brand-new crew forThe Onyx Cinder.Seeing as how onyx is shiny and black, it’s more than likely that the ship’s name was derived fromThe Black Pearl,Jack Sparrow’s legendary black-sailed ship seen in Disney’sPirates of the Caribbeanfranchise.
11Captain Silvo
Treasure Island’s Long John Silver (Treasure Planet Works Too!)
One of Jod Na Nawood’s first known aliases is Captain Silvo. Shown wearing a helmet resembling a classic pirate’s tricorn hat,the name Silvo mirrorsTreasure Island’sLong John Silver, which makes sense with Jod presenting himself as trustworthy while hiding his true intentions, just like the Silver of the original book by Robert Louis Stevenson and subsequent media adaptations. WhileMuppet Treasure Islandwith Tim Curry’s Silver is a personal favorite,Disney’sTreasure Planetis obviously a more apt comparison given the similar settings in space.
10Wim is Jim Hawkins
The Main Protagonist of Treasure Island/Planet
Additionally,it follows that young Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) is meant to be a parallel toTreasure Planet’sJim Hawkins. This certainly fits given Wim’s similar dreams of adventure and greater willingness to trust Jod/Silvo compared to his fellow kids from At Attin.
9KB’s Name Is Likely A Goonies Nod
A Kilobyte Is A Unit Of “Data”
Just like Wim is likely an intentional parallel to Jim Hawkins, KB (Kyriana Kratter) and her cybernetic implants is likely meant to serve as an homage toKe Huy Quan’s Data fromThe Goonies, an Amblin Entertainment film about a group of young kids who find a lost pirate treasure, which has been cited as a key source of inspiration for this newStar Warsshow.After all, KB stands for “kilobyte”, a unit of “data” in real-life.
8SM-33
Smee, First Mate To Captain Hook
Shortly afterThe Onyx Cinderinadvertently takes off and leaves At Attin behind, the ship’s droid first mate named SM-33 (Nick Frost) is reactivated and is convinced to serve the kids, specifically Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) whom he sees as his new captain. Naturally,SM-33 is a nod to Smee, the first mate of Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie’sPeter Pan.Interestingly enough, Jude Law recently played Captain Hook in 2023’sPeter Pan and Wendy.
7Brutus And His Blasters
A Parallel For Blackbeard
The first mate who mutinies against Jod’s Captain Silvo inSkeleton Crewepisode 1, Brutus is a wolf-like Shistavanen who’s shown carrying multiple blaster pistols across bandoliers on his chest.This is likely a nod to Edward Teach’s Blackbeard, one of the most notorious pirates in real-life history. According to historical accounts,Blackbeard was said to have carried up to six flintlock pistols at once.
6Port Borgo
Mirroring Tortuga
As seen inSkeleton Crewepisodes 2 & 3, the kids are taken tothe pirate shadow port known as Port Borgo, a safe haven for rogues and scoundrels across the galaxy. As such,Port Borgo looks and sounds a lot like the pirate port of Tortugaas seen in Disney’sPirates of the Caribbeanmovies.
5Port Borgo’s Fuel Lines
Resembling Ship’s Rigging
While Port Borgo is located on a giant asteroid, all the pirate ships are docked outside in space with smaller pods ferrying them back and forth. As such, this certainly helps provide more of a pirate port aesthetic despite the setting in space.Likewise, the cherry on top is all the fuel lines running back and forth between ships, mirroring an actual pirate port on the ocean with ropes and rigging.
4Whistling For Keys in the Brig
Referencing The Pirates of the Caribbean Ride
When Brutus has all the kids thrown in the brig after learning about At Attin at the end ofSkeleton Crewepisode 2, a familiar whistle is heard.Not only is it the same whistling from thePirates of the Caribbeanride at Disneyland, but the scene continues with the kids trying to coax an alien mouse to retrieve the nearby keys, just like the trio of pirates who attempt to coax the dog holding keys to come closer, as seen on the original ride and in the firstPirates of the Caribbeanmovie.
3The Onyx Cinder’s Skeleton With Blade In Their Chest
Also, The Pirates of the Caribbean Ride
The Onyx Cinderalso has an alien skeleton hanging on one of its walls with a sword in its chest. This is also very similar to thePirates of the Caribbeanride, which notably features the remains of a long-dead pirate who met a similar fate.
