(Enable Telnet Client first — it's a system-wide setting.)
Running telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl on Windows 10 is a fun, nostalgic journey into the early days of the internet. By enabling the built-in Telnet client – either through the Control Panel, Command Prompt, or PowerShell – you can unlock a hidden Easter egg and enjoy a complete ASCII version of Star Wars Episode IV right inside your command-line window.
After watching the movie, you can turn Telnet off by going back to Windows Features and unchecking “Telnet Client.” There is no need to leave it enabled permanently.
For those who are unfamiliar, Telnet Towel is a classic ASCII art animation that can be accessed via Telnet. It's a simple yet entertaining program that displays a towel dancing on the screen, accompanied by a catchy tune. The animation is a nostalgic reminder of the early days of the internet and has become a cult classic among tech enthusiasts. how to run telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl on windows 10
While the Star Wars animation is the most famous use of this command, the creator of towel.blinkenlights.nl included a few hidden easter eggs for those connecting via SSH (Secure Shell).
However, modern versions of Windows—including Windows 10 and 11—do not have the Telnet client enabled by default, as it is considered an insecure, legacy protocol.
How to Run Telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl on Windows 10 Watching Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in ASCII art via Telnet is one of the oldest and most famous internet easter eggs. The project, created by Simon Jansen, animate the entire movie using text characters. (Enable Telnet Client first — it's a system-wide setting
The towel.blinkenlights.nl server, maintained by a Dutch programmer, streams an animated ASCII version of Star Wars Episode IV in real time. The entire movie is rendered using characters and symbols, creating a delightful display of text-based animation. It has been online for over a decade and continues to be a beloved internet Easter egg.
Upon successful connection:
The movie will begin streaming in your Command Prompt window as a continuous sequence of animated ASCII characters. For the best experience, maximize the Command Prompt window and consider changing the background and text colors for better visibility. For those who are unfamiliar, Telnet Towel is
This is the easiest and most recommended method for most users:
The server is a , a service running on a remote machine that you can connect to using a Telnet client. Once connected, the server streams the movie data to your computer, which your Telnet client interprets and displays as moving characters in your terminal.