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At first glance, the “Star Wars” franchise and “Monkey Island” video game property seem very different. The former is a space-themed adventure set in a galaxy far, far away. The other is about puzzle-solving, seafaring voyages through the Caribbean. That said, both sagas feature pirates and they’re associated with Lucasfilm, so they aren’t completely alien to each other. Furthermore, their connection has only grown stronger thanks to the tremendous Amblin-inspired “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” series on Disney+.
“Skeleton Crew” tells the story of a group of kids who encounter space pirates while embarking on a spirited adventure across the galaxy. The series draws upon a variety of influences, including the aforementioned point-and-click adventure games. While speaking to SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar), co-showrunner Jon Watts explained what the “Monkey Island” games mean to him, and how they informed the creation of “Skeleton Crew”:
“It was great to go back and watch old pirate serials as an influence, swashbuckling epics like ‘The Sea Hawk’ (1940) and ‘Captain Blood’ (1935). Also, my other huge Lucasfilm fandom is the ‘Monkey Island’ games. I loved all of the pirate things in those, and felt like we could bring a little hint of that to ‘Skeleton Crew.'”
Of course, “Skeleton Crew” isn’t the first time that “Star Wars” has acknowledged “Monkey Island,” and the point-and-click adventure games have also paid homage to the sci-fi franchise in the past. With that in mind, let’s examine the subtle connections between them.
Star Wars and Monkey Island have referenced each other in the past
Ron Gilbert’s “Monkey Island” video game series was originally developed by LucasArts, a subsidiary of Lucasfilm that specialized in adventure games and numerous “Star Wars” console and PC titles during its golden age. That isn’t the only similarity between both franchises either, as they’ve referenced each other on more than one occasion.
The “Monkey Island” games are fond of borrowing quotes from the Oscar-sweeping “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope,” so at least they have great taste in dialogue. In “Curse of Monkey Island” and Return to Monkey Island,” respectively, protagonist Guybrush Threepwood says “You don’t need to see my identification” and “If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine,” allowing him to channel his inner Ben/Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), albeit without the Jedi’s warrior prowess.
The appreciation is mutual, however, as “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II” features a character called Guybrush Threepkiller, who’s modeled after the hero of the “Monkey Island” games. Elsewhere, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes” boasts a clone trooper called Threepwood, another obvious homage to the seafaring hero of “Monkey Island.”
Unfortunately, Disney shuttered the LucasArts game studio following its acquisition of Lucasfilm, and the House of Mouse doesn’t appear to have any immediate plans to resurrect the “Monkey Island” games in the wake of 2022’s “Return to Monkey Island.” However, “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” keeps its spirit alive, and reaffirms the longstanding tradition of both franchises sneakily acknowledging each other.
New episodes of “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” premiere Tuesdays at 6 pm PST on Disney+.
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