It’s hard to think of more popular sci-fi films in the landscape of 1980s pop culture than Star Wars or E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

In true George Lucas and Steven Spielberg fashion, both movies offered a fresh return to the childhood fantasies of our collective youths, feeding our imagination for what might lurk behind the stars. Could it be Jedi, the Sith, and a war being waged for control of the galaxy? Or might it be a species of peaceful, inquisitive aliens visiting Earth to broaden their knowledge of the universe?

Far from being simple contemporaries alone, Lucas and Spielberg have also nurtured a close friendship with one another over their mutual aesthetic and similar creative visions. Ultimately, their artistic sensibilities allowed them to work closely on Raiders of the Lost Ark and its later sequels in the Indiana Jones series. But following this initial collaboration, Spielberg still took the time to add small easter eggs paying homage to his friend’s hit sci-fi series in later movies like his 1982 classic, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

From small visual references to humorous lines of dialogue, here is every reference Spielberg makes to Star Wars in E.T.

A Handful of Vintage Action Figures

Among the more obvious references Spielberg makes to Star Wars is the appearance of several action figures based on beloved Star Wars characters. The scene in question finds the 10-year-old Elliott (Henry Thomas) showing his newfound friend, E.T., around his room for the first time. After E.T. expresses an interest in Elliott’s toy collection, Elliott promptly introduces him to some of his figures. As Elliott describes them, “These are toys. Little men. This is Greedo. And then this is Hammerhead. You see, this is Walrus Man. And then this is Snaggletooth. And this is Lando Calrissian. See? And this is Boba Fett. Look. They can even have wars.”

While this scene is dimly lit, it’s easy to make out the distinct figure of Greedo, Lando, and Boba Fett as Elliott toys around with them. (Interestingly, since Boba Fett was only ever referred to as “bounty hunter” in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi wouldn’t be released for another year, this is the first time larger audiences heard the name Boba Fett on screen.)

The “Hammerhead” figure Elliott refers to is Momaw Nadon, an Ithorian exile; “Snaggletooth” is Zutton, a Snivvian artist; and “Walrus Man” is Ponda Baba, the Aqualish thug who menaces Luke and gets his arm lopped off by Obi-Wan. All three of these characters are seen in the cantina scene in Mos Eisley.

Michael’s Reference to Yoda

It takes some time before Elliott dares to introduce E.T. to his siblings. After his teenage brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) returns from football practice, Elliott senses an opportunity to bring E.T. and Michael together for the first time. Forcing him to turn around and keep his eyes closed, Elliott asks Michael to swear that he has “absolute power,” to which Michael sarcastically replies (in a mock Yoda voice), “Absolute power, yes,” before letting out a throaty laugh.

The voice and laugh Michael uses here is an obvious impression of Grand Master Yoda, a figure who seems to have some close ties to E.T. himself (as we’ll see later on with this list).

Mary’s Allusion to the Death Star

Wandering into Elliott’s room as he’s “reorganizing” it, Elliott’s mother, Mary (Dee Wallace), looks over the utter mess Elliott’s made, commenting in disbelief, “This is no room. This is an accident.” This small throwaway line serves as a direct reference to the original Star Wars, which sees Obi-Wan comment incredulously, “That’s no moon. That’s a space station,” as the Millennium Falcon falls victim to the Death Star’s tractor beam shortly after the destruction of Alderaan.

The Yoda Costume

Roughly halfway through the film, Elliott and his siblings use Halloween as the perfect cover to sneak E.T. out of the house, dressing him in a classic ghost costume to blend in with the other trick-or-treaters in their neighborhood. Guiding him through the streets of the suburbs, the disguised E.T. wondrously witnesses the fantastic sights of Halloween in the area, marveling at the many costumed individuals he passes – taking special notice of one trick-or-treater in particular. As they pass by a young child dressed as Yoda, E.T. raises his arms and begins wandering towards the diminutive trick-or-treater, happily calling out, “Home, home,” before Elliott and Michael stop him.

This joke may have two punchlines to it. Initially, it can be construed as E.T. mistaking the costumed Yoda as a fellow alien traveler, someone who ventured to Earth and who he can now reconnect with. More likely, it hints at a deeper connection between E.T. and Yoda, with E.T. seeming to recognize the Jedi Grand Master as though he were a figure from his past (more on this later).

The John Williams Homage

As E.T., Michael, and Elliott pass Yoda, the music in the background slowly changes, with musical notes from The Empire Strikes Back playing in the background as the masked Yoda walks away. This change in the soundtrack is a telling reference to Star Wars from the man who composed the music himself, John Williams. A frequent collaborator to both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Williams knowingly added a small musical homage to his previous work on The Empire Strikes Back during E.T.’s scene with Yoda. The official piece is titled “Yoda’s Theme.”

Masked Invaders and Heavy Breathing

Shortly after the Halloween sequence, E.T. and Elliott simultaneously fall ill, their mutual connection seemingly influencing one another’s health adversely. Discovering her ailing son and his extraterrestrial friend, a horrified Mary prepares to leave the house with her children, only for government agents dressed in biohazards to invade their home.

Finding a mortally ill E.T. on the ground of the Taylors’ bathroom, an agent wearing a domed mask approaches the alien. Between his cumbersome uniform, large helmet, and distinct heavy breathing, it’s hard not to ignore the similarities between this menacing government agent and Darth Vader, the principal villain of the Star Wars movies. (The breathing, in particular, seems eerily reminiscent of Vader’s own labored breaths in Lucas’s films.)

E.T’s Cameo in Star Wars

With all the references Spielberg makes to Star Wars in E.T., Lucas returned the favor when it came to his own prequel film, 1999’s The Phantom Menace. The number of references Lucas pays to E.T. is minimal compared to Spielberg’s film, but one scene, in particular, continues to stand out among fans of Lucas and Spielberg’s work. During the Senate meeting on Coruscant halfway through the film, Lucas pans over to several alien species attending the meeting, all watching Queen Amidala deliver an impassioned speech to her peers before the Senate. One of these species is nothing other than the alien race E.T. himself belongs to, with these small green aliens clamoring in support of Naboo’s monarch as she voices concern for her planet.

This may seem like a simple cameo paying respect to his friend Steven Spielberg’s film, but coincidentally, this scene also neatly ties into the greater shared universe of the Star Wars/E.T. films. For example, it helps provide a more nuanced reason for why E.T. seemed to recognize the costumed Yoda on Halloween in E.T., excitedly calling out “home, home.” It also explains why E.T. so quickly gravitated toward the Star Wars action figures in Elliott’s room – he could recognize them from his adventures abroad through space. It could even partially explain E.T.’s uncanny psychic abilities – perhaps he has the Force!