The clip above, captured by GamesRadar+, is something all Battlefront players will see during the course of the game’s campaign. The sequence hides an understated film reference in the background, however, and many players may miss the tribute if they aren’t paying close attention.
A pair of Imperial stormtroopers are visible in the background of the clip in question. As the scene progresses, one of them collides with a low-hanging stairway. The stormtrooper briefly pauses, then resumes walking as if nothing had happened.
This minor and easily missable sequence references a memorable blooper from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which a stormtrooper hits his head on a low-hanging door frame. Undaunted, the actor then continues the scene as originally scripted.
The mistake was subtle enough that it was never caught during production, and was featured in the film’s original theatrical release. The gaffe has become so iconic among eagle-eyed fans that it was included in all subsequent re-releases of A New Hope. Later reissues even added a comedic sound effect, drawing attention to the clumsiest member of Darth Vader’s army.
The “unidentified head-bumping stormtrooper,” as named by fans, has spawned a number of pop culture references in the years after A New Hope‘s release. Director George Lucas later paid tribute to the blooper in 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, filming a scene in which Jango Fett makes a similar tactical error.
Star Wars Battlefront is out now for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PCs.
