Was A Major Star Wars Sequel Character Hiding In Anakin's Room On Tatooine?

The "Star Wars" franchise is one of the most intensely studied pieces of pop culture in history. Even throwaway lines seem to have massive implications years later, most notably concerning a "Clone Wars" in the original 1977 "Star Wars." There are plenty of other references that have paid off years later, and some fans on Reddit believe they have just found another one. 

Redditor u/EvilCyborg10 recently uploaded a photo to social media of a quick, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment from "Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace." R2-D2 is the focus of the scene in Anakin's (Jake Lloyd) home on Tatooine, but if you look at the pile of junk in the background, you may notice a molding that seems awfully familiar provided you've seen the sequel trilogy. The figure in question looks a lot like Maz Kanata, who was introduced in "Star Wars: Episode 7 — The Force Awakens."

She's the one who provides Rey (Daisy Ridley) with Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) lightsaber, and she appears periodically throughout the following two installments to lend a helping hand when needed. Is it possible she also had some kind of role in Anakin's past? As expected, "Star Wars" fans have been quick to let their opinions known.

The resemblance is undoubtedly uncanny, and it definitely appears as though Anakin carved out a figure of someone he perhaps only remembers faintly when he was a young boy. u/EvilCyborg10 seems to confirm that the figure is, in fact, Maz Kanata, writing, "It's even suggested she's the one who told Anakin about the angels and that he carved the model from memory." It wouldn't be out of the question for Maz Kanata to have some kind of relationship with the Skywalkers before her appearance in "The Force Awakens." After all, she somehow ended up with Luke's lightsaber, but what if she initially aided Luke's father many years ago?

Redditor u/ReignInSpuds suggests as much: "I mean, she's really old, she's probably traveled a lot, and somehow, she ends up with his lightsaber." Granted, "The Phantom Menace" came out when "Star Wars" was distributed by 20th Century Studios. Maz Kanata is a Disney invention, but that doesn't mean the sequel trilogy creators didn't look toward the past for inspiration. It's entirely possible someone saw that figure in Anakin's home and decided to create an entire character based around it. 

Still, there are those who believe any kind of connection is purely coincidental. Redditor u/lizzmell sums up many people's thoughts: "Those shapes definitely look similar, not sure we can make that conclusion though." With the litany of "Star Wars" series coming to Disney+, perhaps one of them will shed light on this intriguing fan theory.