Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 has been full of action and danger as the kids and adults in Hawkins face Vecna and the Upside Down in the final stretch of the series. The Duffer Brothers have been fans of science fiction and pop culture from the beginning of the series, and that love has been shown through their homage to the Star Wars series. In Volume 2, it seems that some scenes were influenced by Star Wars movies.As many fans know, Star Wars is one of the greatest movie franchises of all time. In Season 5 of Stranger Things, you will notice that there are many similarities between the content that was produced for both franchises. For example, Dustin referenced some moments from Return Of The Jedi, and The Rise Of Skywalker while using a different tone, message and context. This shows that the creators of Stranger Things created a world that contained multiple areas of popular culture as part of their story.How Return of the Jedi Shows Up in Stranger Things Season 5?Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi is perhaps one of the most recognizable connections between Star Wars and Stranger Things Season 5 Vol 2. This film is among the greatest and most well-loved films from the original trilogy. Many aspects of this film were referenced in Stranger Things.In Chapter 5: Shock Jock, Dustin and his friends travel to the Hawkins Department of Energy in the Upside Down to try to prevent Vecna from using dark magic powers. While describing his plan, Dustin uses an analogy to the plans of the Rebel Alliance to destroy the Death Star in Return of the Jedi. In this analogy, the strange goo along the walls acts as a shield for the Death Star in the Star Wars Universe, and thus, the group must identify and destroy the source of their issue in the same manner that the Rebels did. This specific connection is made very apparent through Dustin's comparison and demonstrates how Star Wars impacted Dustin's character.Later in Chapter 7: The Bridge, another part of the Return of the Jedi connection becomes noticeable. After being trapped by Vecna, Max is awakened from a deep sleep and returns to her senses to find her eyes swollen shut, and she is unable to move.Some fans compare this experience for Max to that of Han Solo waking up from his carbonite freezing. In both cases, we have someone waking up from a long period of being unable to move at all and readjusting to reality; therefore, this may not be an actual direct equivalent, but fans see a correlation and consider it a nod or homage to a popular scene from Star Wars. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe allusions to Star Wars in Stranger Things do not dictate the storyline but rather act as easter eggs for the audience that has experienced both franchises and will recognize and appreciate the similarities.A Nod to The Rise of Skywalker, even if it is not as lovedAlthough Return of the Jedi has been praised by fans and supporters as one of their most popular movies within the Star Wars series, The Rise of Skywalker has not had the same reputation. Fans of the movie, as well as critics, have generally regarded this as one of their least favourite of the Star Wars franchise, with many fans placing it at or near the bottom of the list when reviews have been made. Despite that, Stranger Things season 5 finds ways of incorporating themes from this movie, but presents those themes in a humorous and somewhat cheeky manner.In The Rise of Skywalker, we see Rey holding a Sith dagger and using its etchings to locate where she can find a hidden place on a planet. Stranger Things seems aware of how odd this idea felt to some viewers. In Chapter 6: Escape from Camazotz, Max and Holly walk through a desert and notice markings on a looking-glass device they carry.Holly suggests that if those shapes match shapes near a cave that Max has been hiding in, it might lead them to a hidden mine shaft below. When they test that idea, and it works, the way the plot moves mirrors the idea from The Rise of Skywalker, though the scene in Stranger Things is simpler and feels less forced.This may be the Duffer Brothers having a bit of fun with a silly part of another franchise they clearly love. The small plot device does not take over the story of Stranger Things, but it does show that the creators are willing to borrow and twist ideas from other films, even ones that are not perfect. Instead of just copying a scene, they adapted the idea to fit their own world, which lets fans see both homage and a sense of humour.Together, these moments show that Stranger Things Season 5 Vol 2 does more than just include references from the past. It places them into a new context, using familiar moments from Star Wars to support the emotional and dramatic beats of its own story. Whether it is a serious comparison in a battle or a playful twist on an odd scene, the influence of Star Wars in Stranger Things Vol 2 adds another layer for fans to explore, and perhaps to smile about.