Star Wars References in Pixar Productions

Star Wars is a movie franchise created by George Lucas.

References in Pixar

 * In Pixar's first movie Toy Story, Buzz tells Woody that Zurg is planning to build a weapon that can destroy entire planets, similar to the Death Star in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Also, when Sid asks Woody where his rebel friends are now, he parodies the scene in A New Hope when Governor Tarkin demands that Princess Leia reveal the whereabouts of the rebels.
 * In Toy Story ' s first sequel Toy Story 2, (in which Zurg makes his debut) Zurg is based off Darth Vader, one of the main villains of the original Star Wars trilogy. Video-Game Buzz is using Darth Vader's breathing. Zurg (being Darth Vader of the Toy Story universe) greets both Video-Game and Utility Belt Buzz with the same greeting that Darth Vader used on Obi-Wan in A New Hope, only with Obi-Wan's name replaced with Buzz's. In their climactic battle, Utility Belt Buzz accuses the robot-like Zurg to have killed his father, to which Zurg responds that he is his father, causing a horrified Utility Belt Buzz to yell, "NOOOO!!!" This is a parody of the famous scene in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, where Luke Skywalker learns that Darth Vader is his father. Also, the robot that pops out of a wall-like a camera resembles the Perimeter Droid who pops out of the door to a palace of Jabba the Hutt in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Coincidentally, Toy Story 2 was released in theatres the same year as Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
 * In an episode of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Buzz and Zurg parodied the infamous: "I am your father!" scene again. They also parodied a Lightsaber battle.
 * In the charades TV spot for Pixar's 2001 movie Monsters, Inc., Mike and Sulley are playing charades, and Sulley guesses that Mike is parodying Star Wars, much to Mike's disbelief. Coincidentally, the video and original 2-Disc DVD of Monsters Inc. were released the same year Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones  was released in theatres.
 * In Pixar's 2003 movie Finding Nemo, while Marlin and Dory are escaping the Anglerfish, which swallows Marlin whole at one point while he is grabbing onto its dorsal light organ, the Lightsaber sound effect can be heard when the Anglerfish spits Marlin out, still grabbing onto its light.
 * In Pixar's 2007 movie Ratatouille, the way Auguste Gusteau's ghost was Remy's guide might be a nod to how Obi-Wan's ghost guided Luke in the original trilogy.
 * During the credits in Pixar's 2009 movie Up, there is a picture of Carl Fredricksen and Russell going to see a Star Wars movie.
 * In Toy Story ' s second sequel Toy Story 3, the way that Big Baby turns on Lotso is similar to how Darth Vader turns on the Emperor in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Plus the way Lotso brainwashed Buzz into joining his team might be a nod to how the Emperor turned Anakin to the dark side and transformed him into Darth Vader at the end of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Coincidentally, Revenge of the Sith was released the same year the first Toy Story movie celebrated it's 10 anniversary.
 * The way Monsters Inc. ' s 2013 prequel Monsters University shows how Randall Boggs became one of the two main villains of the original film (the other being Henry J. Waternoose III) is a nod to the prequel trilogy that showed how Darth Vader and the Emperor became the two main villains of the original trilogy.
 * One of the scores of the 2013 Toy Story TV special Toy Story of Terror! is: "I've got a bag feeling about this." This references the Star Wars phrase: "I've got a bad feeling about this," a phrase heard in every movie. Combat Carl's lost hand may also be a nod to how some characters in the Star Wars franchise have their hands cut off.
 * In the 2014 Toy Story TV special Toy Story That Time Forgot, when Reptillus Maximus insists that Rex and Trixie should stay, The Cleric reluctantly agrees to let them and says, "I find their lack of armor disturbing." This is a reference to Darth Vader's line, "I find your lack of faith disturbing," in A New Hope. The Cleric's voice also sounds similar to the Emperor's.
 * The characters of Pixar's 2015 movie Inside Out watched the trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, the first chapter of the sequel trilogy, since both movies were released that year.

Trivia

 * John Ratzenberger who plays a character in every Pixar film also played a character in The Empire Strikes Back.