The latest episode of The Mandalorian had a neat callback to Anakin Skywalker’s flying tricks from the Prequel Trilogy, and it seems that they still work.
After assailing the Imperial base on Nevarro in “Chapter 12: The Siege,” Mando left Cara Dune, Greef Karga and Mythrol to secure Baby Yoda and get him back on the Razor Crest. The trio then had to navigate the base alone and find a way out. They eventually managed that with a weaponized tank, but the Stormtroopers gave chase. When that didn’t work, a squad of TIE fighters took flight and pursued the transport in the narrow canyon. Luckily for the gang, though, Din Djarin arrived just in time to engage the ships, which led to an epic standoff in the atmosphere.
Interestingly, Mando used a technique that Star Wars fans usually attribute to Anakin Skywalker. As you may remember, before the Chosen One was initiated into the Jedi Order, he got the chance to fly with Naboo’s Royal Space Fighter Corps against the Confederacy of Independent Systems as an adolescent boy. Hence, “try spinning, that’s a good trick” was born, a sentence that has since turned into a meme of sorts amongst the fandom.
Indeed, Anakin managed to dodge many a missile and cannon fire by spinning in his time as a star pilot, a technique he also used during The Clone Wars and the opening sequence of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Now, Jon Favreau’s show has paid homage to that by having Mando do the exact same thing when taking care of the last TIE fighter.
When The Last Jedi came out, it appeared as though Ben Solo had inherited his grandfather’s aptitude for flying since he also used the same technique when attacking the Raddus, but spinning has apparently proven to be an effective maneuver all over the galaxy, as demonstrated by the protagonist during last week’s episode of The Mandalorian.
