For decades, stories of the Star Wars Rebellion have largely focused on iconic figures: Princess Leia, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Han Solo. Even within the more recent Andor series, Luthen Rael has been presented as the shadowy and untrustworthy mastermind, pulling strings from his Coruscant antique shop. Luthen is the one making the impossible choices, orchestrating the dangerous missions, and delivering powerful monologues about the costs of freedom. Yet, with the conclusion of Andor, a new, vital truth has emerged, subtly woven into the very fabric of the story: the true architect, the foundational force behind Luthen’s entire operation and, by extension, a significant portion of the early Rebellion, is none other than Kleya Marki.

Far from being merely an assistant, Kleya is the unyielding, strategic core that kept Luthen’s desperate gamble alive, a revelation confirmed by Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy himself. This recontextualizes much of what we thought we knew about the Rebellion’s origins, showcasing the quiet, unseen labor that truly built the galaxy’s hope.

Kleya’s Calculated Resolve and Strategic Prowess Made the Rebellion a Success

Andor masterfully peeled back the layers of Kleya’s character, culminating in a striking realization: she was not Luthen’s apprentice, but rather his guiding star from their very first encounter. Tony Gilroy, in recent interviews, has been remarkably clear about this dynamic. Speaking with Nerdist, Gilroy stated, “Kleya, not Luthen, was in charge the whole time… She’s actually been in charge of the thing from day one, from the moment they met. Kleya’s been in charge of everything. She really has been the boss. He’s afraid of her all the way through.” This isn’t merely a character beat; it’s a fundamental reorientation of the series’ central partnership.

RELATED: 5 Great Concepts for More Star Wars TV Shows on Andor’s Level

From their initial, horrific meeting where a young, traumatized Kleya is discovered by a guilt-ridden Luthen during an Imperial massacre, it becomes evident that her unwavering conviction and thirst for retribution are her driving forces. Luthen’s early actions, while seemingly of his own volition, are framed by Gilroy as a response to Kleya’s innate defiance. As he further elaborated to Collider regarding the flashback episode, “The girl who plays her young […] just transfused that steel all the way through, and you realize Kleya is the organizing principle in that shop, Kleya is the muscle there, Kleya is the stalwart. [Luthen’s] only there because he’s so guilty and he’s conforming to her reality all the way through.”

Kleya’s contributions weren’t limited to mere emotional motivation. She consistently demonstrated a strategic mind, often serving as Luthen’s tether to reality and the pragmatism required for their clandestine operations. While Luthen engaged in the public-facing, high-stakes negotiations and acquisitions, it was Kleya who managed the intricate network of communications, vetted intelligence, and maintained the operational security of their antiquities business – a front that was itself her domain. Her meticulous nature and stern demeanor, often misinterpreted as mere coldness, were in fact reflections of the immense pressure she carried, knowing that every detail, every misstep, could lead to catastrophe. She was the one who ensured the Tinian Codex was cleaned of listening devices, the one who deciphered critical messages, and ultimately, the one who made the gut-wrenching decision to end Luthen’s life to protect their network and the vital Death Star intelligence. This grim act, born of pure, unadulterated dedication to the cause, underscores her paramount importance.

Kleya’s Unsung Sacrifice for the Greater Good Illustrates the True Cost of Commitment

The very nature of Kleya’s role demanded a level of self-effacement that kept her largely in the shadows. Unlike Luthen, who occasionally indulged in theatricality or faced direct threats in the field, Kleya remained largely unseen, her sacrifices often unacknowledged. Her existence was the rebellion, her justification the downfall of the Empire. Actress Elizabeth Dulau, who portrays Kleya, echoed this sentiment in an interview with Vogue Singapore, noting that Gilroy had told her, “the rebellion is her entire life. It is her raison d’etre. She wakes up in the morning, and she’s thinking about that. She goes to work and she waits her entire day. Everything she does goes into trying to achieve that end goal of building this rebellion with Luthen.”

This deep-seated commitment manifested in the quiet endurance of immense personal cost. Kleya lived a life of constant vigilance, stripped of personal attachments or comforts. Her journey is a stark reminder that the Rebellion was built not just on grand gestures, but on the relentless, thankless toil of individuals like her. The final scene, with Kleya taking in Yavin in all its glory, offers a rare moment of introspection. Gilroy described this moment to Star Wars News Net, highlighting how Elizabeth Dulau conveyed “just the little slightest Mona Lisa, kind of bit of pleasure that she realizes what her contribution has been. She sees what they’ve built.” He emphasized that “none of this stuff exists if she hadn’t been the person and lived the life that she had, and made the sacrifices that she had, and no one will ever know that.”

This speaks volumes to the core theme of Andor: the quiet, often unacknowledged labor that fuels major movements. Kleya’s story is a powerful testament to the idea that true leadership isn’t always about being the public face, but about possessing the foresight, the resolve, and the unwavering dedication to build the foundation, piece by painstaking piece. The Rebellion may have found its voice in Mon Mothma and its hero in Cassian Andor, but it found its foundational backbone in Kleya Marki, the unsung architect who was truly in charge all along. Her sacrifice, often in the shadows, ensured that the sunrise of freedom would eventually break.

Andor and other Star Wars content is streaming on Disney+.

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Star Wars: Andor has concluded, leaving fans eager for what’s to come in a galaxy far, far away. Andor’s two seasons chronicled the events leading up to 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, fixating on Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) rise to a revolutionary leader. Although failing to achieve a cultural impact comparable to Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Andor‘s resounding critical success places it among the best-received Star Wars projects of all time. In the wake of Andor‘s riveting and complex story, one has to wonder what Star Wars’ upcoming slate has in store for the future. Some projects have been confirmed while others remain up in the air, and there is a lot to anticipate when it comes to forthcoming tales in the Star Wars universe.

Since Dave Filoni was named Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer in 2023, Star Wars has put out a variety of live-action TV series on Disney+, such as Star Wars: Ahsoka and Star Wars: The Acolyte, in addition to Andor Season 2. Meanwhile, the franchise has been noticeably absent in theaters, as Star Wars appears to be taking its time before returning to the big screen. Even so, fans of the franchise shouldn’t be too concerned, as Lucasfilm has concrete plans in both the TV and movie sectors of Star Wars. The following contains everything Star Wars lovers need to know about what’s next after Andor.

[RELATED: Andor’s Twist Ending Shakes Up the Future of Star Wars]

Everything We Know About Upcoming Star Wars TV Shows

With Andor‘s second and final season having aired, the next live-action Star Wars property to premiere on Disney+ will be Ahsoka Season 2. The next chapter of Ahsoka Tano’s (Rosario Dawson) story is currently filming. No release date has been made public, though Disney+ subscribers shouldn’t expect Ahsoka Season 2 to premiere any earlier than 2026.

Surprisingly, nothing else in the world of live-action Star Wars TV has been confirmed. It still isn’t certain whether The Mandalorian Season 4 is happening, as it’s likely the show’s future will depend on how Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu performs in theaters. Recently, it was reported that an upcoming Star Wars series helmed by Lost co-showrunner Carlton Cuse and his son Nick Cuse is in development. Plot details and release date information have been kept under wraps thus far.

Relating to animated projects, Star Wars: Visions Season 3 is set to premiere on Disney+ on October 29th. Further down the road, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, focusing on the famous Sith Lord Darth Maul, was announced in April and is expected to debut on Disney+ in 2026. Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord takes place between the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels.

Right now, it’s clear that Ahsoka Season 2 remains Lucasfilm’s primary focus in its TV endeavors. Fans might be pleased to learn that the franchise is slowing down its TV slate, given that many of its Disney+ releases, like 2022’s Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, 2024’s Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte, didn’t even remotely compare to the triumphs of The Mandalorian and Andor. As a result of moving away from a packed TV schedule, it looks like Star Wars will ramp up its movie production again.

Everything We Know About Upcoming Star Wars Movies

Six years have passed since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opened in theaters, marking the last time the franchise graced the silver screen. Fortunately, the drought comes to an end in the next year with the release of The Mandalorian spinoff film, The Mandalorian and Grogu — which hits theaters on May 22, 2026. The story returns Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his baby apprentice Grogu to the forefront of Star Wars, chronicling their next big adventure together following The Mandalorian Season 3.

The following year, director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Gosling will team up in Star Wars: Starfighter, scheduled to release on May 28, 2027. Set roughly five years after The Rise of Skywalker, the movie exists as a standalone tale in the Star Wars universe with a unique set of characters. Production on Star Wars: Starfighter is slated to begin this fall.

Elsewhere, numerous Star Wars movies are in the works. Earlier this year, Simon Kinberg was confirmed to be developing a new Star Wars trilogy, while James Mangold’s film about the origin of the Jedi Order 25,000 years before Phantom Menace is also in development. Furthermore, the next installment centering on Rey (Daisy Ridley) and the New Jedi Order post-The Rise of Skywalker will be helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy after years of waiting to get off the ground with writers. Taika Waititi’s untitled Star Wars movie has been known publicly for years now, but it will eventually come to fruition. As of February 2025, Mangold and Waititi have not finished their scripts, per Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Production timelines and release dates for all of the aforementioned projects have not been revealed.

Evidently, Star Wars has put together a substantial lineup of upcoming movies, yet some other titles have seemingly fallen into limbo. Filoni’s New Republic-era Star Wars film is still in early stages of development, thus there’s no telling when or if it will be released. In 2023, a sequel to Solo: A Star Wars Story revolving around Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) was reportedly switched from a TV series to a movie; however, updates on the project have been scarce. Finally, Patty Jenkins’ movie Star Wars: Rogue Squadron has faced extensive delays since its initial announcement in late 2020. Many fans believe Lucasfilm and Disney have shelved the film, but neither a cancellation nor a production update has been made public.

Despite a multitude of setbacks and unknowns regarding upcoming projects, Star Wars fans have reason to look forward to the franchise’s future. The Mandalorian and Grogu mark Star Wars’ long-awaited theatrical comeback, and the fan-favorite pair of characters have the chance to inject new life into Lucasfilm’s realm of movies following the poorly-received Rise of Skywalker. A hopeful return to form on the big screen and a steadier flow of high-quality shows on Disney+ could spell a bright new era for Star Wars. Although fans still await more concrete updates on most of the upcoming Star Wars films, the filmmakers’ attached and known story details indicate an encouraging sense of ambition on the part of Lucasfilm.

Current List of Confirmed Star Wars Projects

• TV – Star Wars Visions 3 (Oct. 2025)
• TV – Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord (2026)
• TV – Ahsoka Season 2 (TBA)
• TV – Untitled Star Wars Series from Carlton & Nick Cuse (In Development)
• Movies – The Mandalorian & Grogu (May 2026)
• Movies – Star Wars: Starfighter (May 2027)
• Movies – New Star Wars Trilogy from Simon Kinberg (In Development)
• Movies – Taika Waititi’s Star Wars Film (In Development)
• Movies – James Mangold’s Jedi Order Origin Film (In Development)
• Movies – Rey’s New Jedi Order Film (In Development)

All episodes of Star Wars: Andor are available to stream on Disney+.

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Star Wars: Andor‘s mission is to build toward the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: A New Hope. The Empire’s power is at an all-time high, and the people of the galaxy are really only starting to believe that a rebellion is a cause worth pursuing. With that being the case, there’s little time for the show to tease stories that don’t directly tie into its own. Even Star Wars Rebels, which features an episode that picks up right after the events of Andor Season 2, Episode 9, “Welcome to the Rebellion,” barely gets any love.

Looking closely at the events of Andor will reveal a few breadcrumbs that set the stage for the Star Wars sequel trilogy, however. In fact, in a couple of instances, the Disney+ show reveals something that makes the controversial set of films much more tolerable.

1) Force Healing Is Pretty Common

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker‘s plot is messy, to say the least. It brings Emperor Palpatine back into the mix, sends Rey on a journey to discover her strange heritage, and shoehorns in a relationship for Poe Dameron. The wildest part of The Rise of Skywalker‘s story, though, is the addition of Force healing, which allows Ben Solo to save Rey after she dies fighting Palpatine.

Andor goes out of its way to show that Force healers are a pretty common thing in a galaxy far, far away. The titular rebel doesn’t believe in the practice, but it’s hard to believe the woman on Yavin IV isn’t in tune with the Force when she calls Cassian a “messenger,” teasing his mission to get the Death Star plans into the right hands.

2) The Resistance Base Already Helped the Rebellion

Like the original trilogy, the sequels don’t spend much time diving into the history of their freedom-fighting force. The Resistance’s leaders are familiar faces, such as Admiral Ackbar and Leia Organa, so there’s really no need to explore anything but the fact that they’re fighting back against the First Order.

With Andor showing all the different sides of the Rebellion across the galaxy, it has the unique opportunity to reveal aspects of the Resistance in their earlier years. The most prominent example is the base on D’Qar, which Saw Gerrera uses in Andor while trying to teach his men how to extract rhydonium.

3) General Hux’s Betrayal of the First Order Makes More Sense

In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, General Hux is every bit as evil as Grand Moff Tarkin and the other Imperials in the original trilogy. That’s why it’s hard to understand when he turns out to be the Resistance spy in The Rise of Skywalker, feeding information to Poe and Co. to help them defeat the First Order.

Andor helps Hux’s character by showing how some Imperials, like Deedra Meero, don’t necessarily believe in every part of the cause but follow orders because they think it will get them a better job. However, they’re ready to give it all up and throw others under the bus when things don’t go their way.

[RELATED – 6 Star Wars Heroes Who Have Only Gotten Better With Time]

4) The New Republic’s Shortcomings Start to Form During the Rebellion

Despite helping rebuild the Republic after the original trilogy, Leia isn’t in good standing with the government when the sequels kick off. Their inability to act when the First Order starts to gain power leads Leia to build the Resistance, which is the only thing standing in the way of Kylo Ren and Co. gaining total control of the galaxy after they destroy the New Republic systems.

Throughout its two seasons, Andor proves how hard it is to get anything done when politics are part of the game. Even major Rebellion figures like Mon Mothma and Bail Organa struggle to seize opportunities, making it easy to see how another version of the Empire is able to grow right under their noses.

5) It Takes More Than Jedi to Win a War

Finn has as much potential as anyone in The Force Awakens. He shows initiative by defecting from the First Order and holds his own with a lightsaber. However, the next two movies fail to make Finn much more than an agent for the Resistance, touching on Force sensitivity but never exploring it fully.

Andor retools the classic Star Wars stories by making them less about the Force and more about the everyday people who make sacrifices to benefit the cause. Characters like Luthen Rael and Cassian never wield a lightsaber or move things with their mind, but their contributions are every bit as important as Luke Skywalker’s.

Star Wars: Andor and the Star Wars sequel trilogy are streaming on Disney+.

Do you think Star Wars: Andor helped make the sequels better? What other moments do you think belong on this list? Let us know in the comments below!

The post 5 Ways Andor Makes the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Better appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The quiet brilliance of Andor has always been its commitment to the grim realities of Imperial occupation, illustrating the terrible and heartless nature of fascism through the eyes of both the oppressed and the oppressors. For two seasons, viewers witnessed Cassian Andor’s gradual radicalization against a backdrop of increasing Imperial tyranny, but perhaps no character’s journey has been as chillingly complete, or as ironically tragic, as that of Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) Supervisor Dedra Meero. Her relentless ambition, her unwavering belief in the Empire’s order, and her almost clinical dedication to hunting down perceived threats made her a nigh unbeatable antagonist.

Yet, in a final, stunning twist of fate in the series finale, the very system Dedra upheld with such steadfast devotion delivered a punishment more fittingly cruel than any Rebel could have devised, cementing her as one of Star Wars‘ most profoundly tragic and complex villains.

The Empire’s Cannibalistic Nature Makes Dedra Meero the Architect of Her Own Demise

Dedra Meero’s trajectory throughout Andor Season 2 was a slow, agonizing descent into the very chaos she sought to control. Her obsession with dismantling Luthen Rael’s network and her singular focus on “Axis” led her down increasingly perilous paths, blurring the lines of procedure and pushing the boundaries of what was permissible, even for the ISB. The Ghorman Massacre, a horrific act of Imperial brutality that she not only suggested but helped facilitate, left Dedra visibly shaken but ultimately undeterred. If anything, it seemed to steel her resolve, perhaps out of a twisted sense of responsibility or a desperate need to justify the atrocities committed in the name of order. Her final, ill-fated confrontation with Luthen, an unsanctioned attempt to capture him fueled by personal vendetta and a hunger for glory, proved to be her ultimate undoing.

Dedra Meero was, in every sense, a product of the Empire she so fiercely served. Raised in an Imperial “Kinder-block,” her life was meticulously shaped by its doctrines of order, control, and absolute obedience. Her exceptional intelligence and unwavering dedication saw her rise through the ranks of the Imperial Security Bureau, becoming a shining example of the system’s ability to forge utterly loyal, utterly ruthless instruments of its will. She believed in the Empire with a fervent, almost religious zeal, seeing it as the ultimate defense against galactic anarchy. Yet, the series finale brutally demonstrated that the Empire, in its insatiable hunger for control and its paranoid fear of any perceived weakness, is inherently cannibalistic.

RELATED: 5 Great Concepts for More Star Wars TV Shows on Andor’s Level

During her time on Ghorman, Dedra was inadvertently forwarded highly classified information about “Project Stardust,” the very existence of the Death Star. In her arrogance and conviction, she believed she could manage this sensitive intelligence, using it to her advantage in her personal crusade. However, the Empire cares nothing for individual ambition or loyalty once a liability arises. Her unauthorized access, coupled with the revelation that her peer, Lonni Jung (a double agent for the Rebellion), had exploited her clearance codes for months, painted her as a catastrophic security risk. Director Orson Krennic, a man whose own ambition mirrors Dedra’s, but whose position grants him untouchable authority, delivered the crushing verdict. The scene where he forces her to utter the words “Death Star” is chilling, not just for the ominous power of the name, but for the utter humiliation and existential dread in Dedra’s eyes. She had dedicated her life to building this Empire, to perfecting its systems of control, only to have those very systems turn on her without a shred of hesitation or remorse. It was a stark reminder that in the Empire, there are no allies, only tools, and once a tool is perceived as broken or compromised, it is discarded.

Her meticulously constructed world of order crumbled, replaced by the arbitrary, self-serving brutality that she had championed. Her intelligence and drive, once her greatest assets, became the very instruments of her downfall, proving the twisted reality that in the Empire, even the most loyal can be devoured.

Dedra Faces a Poetic, Industrial Irony as She is Forced to Feed the Beast That Will Consume Them All

The ultimate, deeply twisted irony of Dedra Meero’s fate is revealed in the series’ closing montage. Stripped of her rank, her authority, and her meticulously crafted identity, she is seen in an Imperial labor prison, visually and functionally similar to Narkina 5, where Cassian Andor himself suffered in Season 1. The visual parallel is intentional and devastating. Where Cassian found camaraderie and a spark of rebellion in the dehumanizing conditions of the prison, Dedra is utterly isolated, a solitary figure weeping in the dimly lit confines of her cell. The final gut punch, however, comes with the revelation that she is now contributing to the very project that sealed her doom: she is making parts for the Death Star.

This is a fate far more insidious than mere execution. To be imprisoned by the system she championed and adored, to be forced to labor on the very weapon that symbolizes its ultimate, ruthless power and her downfall, and to do so in a facility reminiscent of the one that held the very Rebel she once obsessively hunted, is the epitome of poetic justice. Dedra, who reveled in control and hierarchy, is reduced to a number, her intellect and drive channeled into the most mundane and dehumanizing of tasks. She is literally building the physical representation of the Empire’s terror, the very expression of the power she coveted, now as a cog in its machinery rather than a guiding hand. The fact that she accidentally stumbled upon the Death Star’s existence, a discovery that directly contributed to her imprisonment, only amplifies the bitter taste of this irony. She was intelligent enough to deduce the truth behind Project Stardust, ambitious enough to try and leverage that knowledge, and ultimately, a victim of the very paranoia inherent in the Empire’s secrets.

Her fate also serves as a chilling foreshadowing for the audience. We know the Death Star’s ultimate intended purpose – its destruction by the very Rebellion Dedra fought so hard to suppress. The image of Dedra, broken and alone, building components for a weapon destined to fail at the hands of the forces she despised, underscores the futility of her entire life’s work. She is trapped in a loop of self-defeat, unknowingly contributing to the eventual victory of her enemies. It’s a tragic, yet deeply satisfying, ending for an antagonist whose greatest strength was her unwavering belief in a system that ultimately consumed her. Dedra Meero’s final moments in Andor are not of heroic defiance or dramatic death, but of quiet, soul-crushing despair, forever making parts for a weapon whose terrible purpose and ultimate demise she will likely never witness; a prisoner of the very order she so desperately craved. It is a finale that twists the knife, leaving a lasting impression of the dark, self-destructive heart of the Empire.

Star Wars: Andor is streaming on Disney+.

The post Andor’s Surprise Ending for Its Big Villain Was Even More Twisted Than You Realized appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In the geek culture world, it may seem like Andor is the biggest hit of the year so far, but in the overall streaming ecosystem, it’s actually pretty far behind the number one show right now: You. Andor Season 2 premiered on April 22nd on Disney+, while You Season 5 — the show’s final season — dropped on April 24th on Netflix. Nielsen just released its ratings and viewership metrics for that week, revealing that You was the most-watched series by far, while Andor just barely made the chart at number 10. Andor still had a lot going for it, and was the number five most-watched original series on the streaming chart that week. Still, it couldn’t come close to the grand finale of Netflix’s psychological thriller-drama.

In the week of April 21st to April 27th, fans collectively watched Andor for 721 million minutes, according to Nielsen. That’s nothing to scoff at, but in the same time frame, You was watched for a total of 1.67 billion minutes — nearly two and a half times the total viewership. This in spite of the fact that Andor Season 2 was out for two days longer than You Season 5. However, there are a lot of factors that make it hard to draw conclusions from this comparison.

For one thing, You dropped its season all at once in the typical Netflix binge-watch model, meaning fans could chew through all 10 new episodes all at once. Andor, on the other hand, dropped three episodes per week, meaning there was over three times as much new content to watch for You fans. You also has the advantage of being an older show which has had more time to gather a loyal audience, though perhaps we can call that even since Andor has the full momentum of the Star Wars franchise behind it.

[RELATED: 6 Star Wars Heroes Who Have Only Gotten Better With Time]

As for similarities, both shows were dropping their final seasons here, and both were saw a boost in the viewership of older episodes as well as new ones. In fact, they were relatively even in that regard — according to Nielsen, Andor Season 2 accounted for 65% of Andor views that week, while the rest came from Season 1. You Season 5 accounted for 67% of views that week, while Season 1 was the second-most-viewed season. That’s because the finale of You drew heavily from the storyline of its first season, tying up loose ends and bringing the original story full circle.

Many of the other shows in Nielsen’s top 10 list are older shows that consistently pull in high streaming numbers as people binge-watch or re-watch them. These range from children’s shows like Bluey to procedurals like NCIS and dramas like Grey’s Anatomy. The other originals on the chart are The Last of Us, Black Mirror, and the Netflix original film Havoc.

These kinds of metrics offer us some interesting perspective on what we’re all watching, what we may be missing out on, and the relative popularity of our personal favorites. Still, they don’t convey the real cultural impact of each show on the list, or the legacy they will leave behind. For Star Wars fans, Andor is undoubtedly going to stand out as one of the most exciting streaming series of 2025.

The post Andor’s Series High Streaming Ratings Don’t Come Close to This Returning Netflix Favorite appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Star Wars universe is filled with beloved characters, many of whom captured our imaginations from their very first appearance. Yet, some heroes resonate even deeper as their journeys unfold, their complexities deepen, and their impact on the saga becomes more profound with each passing story. These are the characters who aren’t static figures of heroism, but dynamic individuals who learn, grow, and evolve. Because of this, their initial portrayals often feel like just the tip of the iceberg. Their subsequent appearances in films, television series, comics, and novels enrich their stories in ways that are unexpected in the best way, adding layers of nuance, resilience, and wisdom that make them even more compelling and cherished by fans.

With each new chapter of their stories, these heroes become richer, more multifaceted figures whose contributions to the fight against the Empire are even greater than previously known, and whose legacies continue to inspire generations of fans.

1) Obi-Wan Kenobi

Initially introduced as the wise and mysterious Jedi Master in Episode IV: A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi was the archetypal mentor figure, guiding Luke Skywalker on his first steps into a larger world. While Alec Guinness’ portrayal was undoubtedly iconic and solidified Obi-Wan as an iconic staple of Star Wars, Ewan McGregor’s version, as seen in later stories, have peeled back the layers of this legendary Jedi. The prequel trilogy and the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (where he’s voiced by James Arnold Taylor) showcased his younger, more impetuous days as a Padawan and later General, as well as his heartbreaking relationship with Anakin Skywalker, adding tragic depth to his later solitude on Tatooine.

REALTED: We Finally Know Why Obi-Wan Didn’t Raise Luke Skywalker on His Own

However, it’s arguably the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+ that has truly enriched his character. In this series, audiences witness his internal struggles with the trauma of Order 66 and his guilt over Anakin’s fall, showcasing a vulnerability and emotional complexity that goes beyond the serene exterior seen in the original trilogy. His fierce protectiveness of Leia and his eventual acceptance of his role in the fight against the Empire solidify his status not just as a mentor, but as a deeply compassionate and resilient hero whose sacrifices and unwavering commitment to the light shine even brighter with time.

2) Ahsoka Tano

Ahsoka Tano’s journey is a testament to the power of character development outside the main film saga. Introduced as Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan in The Clone Wars in 2008, the character initially was met with skepticism from some fans. However, Ahsoka’s spirited personality, deep connection to the Force, and evolving relationship with Anakin quickly won audiences over. The series chronicled her growth from a headstrong youngling to a skilled and independent Jedi, grappling with the moral implications of war and the flaws within the Jedi Order itself.

Her departure from the Jedi Order after being wrongly accused of treason marked a pivotal moment, setting her on a unique path that had not been seen in Star War before. Later appearances in Star Wars Rebels and her own self-titled live-action series, Ahsoka, have showcased her continued growth as a powerful Force user and a compassionate leader. She navigates the galaxy with a wisdom born from experience, no longer bound by the rigid code of the Jedi, and her interactions with both old and new characters reveal the enduring impact of her journey and her unwavering commitment to justice.

3) Captain Rex

Initially presented as a competent but somewhat generic clone trooper in The Clone Wars, Captain Rex evolved into one of the most beloved and deeply human characters in the entire Star Wars canon. His unwavering loyalty to his Jedi Generals, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, and his fellow clones was evident from the start, but the series delved deeper into his individuality, his camaraderie with his brothers, and his growing awareness of the Republic’s flaws.

His defiance of Order 66, thanks to his removed inhibitor chip, and his appearances in Star Wars Rebels alongside Ahsoka Tano, cemented Rex as a hero who transcended his programming to fight for the greater good. He fought for what was right, not just what he was ordered to do, demonstrating remarkable courage that others did not. Rex’s continued fight against the Empire and his eventual peaceful retirement with his fellow clones highlight the enduring spirit of resistance and the humanity that can flourish even within the most artificial of origins.

4) Hera Syndulla

Introduced as the skilled Twi-lek pilot and beating heart of the Ghost crew in Star Wars Rebels (voiced by Vanessa Marshall), Hera Syndulla immediately established herself as a capable leader and a fiercely dedicated rebel. Her piloting skills were unmatched, rivaling even Anakin Skywalker, and her commitment to her crew and the early rebellion became greater in every episode. However, as the series progressed, her character deepened significantly, revealing the weight of her responsibilities and the sacrifices she made for the greater good.

Star Wars Rebels tells her family history, and The Bad Batch shows her youth and early involvement in the fight against the Empire, adding layers to her motivations. Even as a child, Hera’s thirst for freedom, both for her beloved homework of Ryloth and the galaxy as a whole, gave her strength that not many others possessed. Her staunch optimism in the face of overwhelming odds and her ability to inspire those around her made her a crucial figure in the rebellion’s success. Her appearances in Ahsoka (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) further solidify her role as a seasoned leader and a mentor figure who managed to continue on and rise to the rank of General after the devastating loss of the love of her life (Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus), fighting in the Rebellion, and raising her Force-sensitive son in the galaxy she fought so hard to defend, demonstrating the lasting impact of her courage and her unwavering belief in the fight for freedom.

5) Cassian Andor

In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Cassian Andor (played by Deigo Luna) was introduced as a hardened Rebel Alliance intelligence officer and a pragmatic, often ruthless operative willing to do whatever it took for the cause. While his dedication to the rebellion was clear, his backstory and the events that shaped him into this cynical, yet ultimately heroic, figure remained largely unexplored. His final act of self-sacrifice alongside Jyn Erso, ensuring the Rebel Alliance received the schematics for the Death Star, was impactful, but it left room for a deeper understanding of his journey.

REALTED: Andor Provides a Heartbreaking Answer to One of the Biggest Debates About Rogue One

The Andor series on Disney+ has masterfully filled in those gaps, digging deep into Cassian’s origins and the events that radicalized him into the selfless rebel hero in Rogue One. Cassian’s early life on Kenari, the traumatic loss of his sister, and his gradual descent into a life of survival and petty crime marked the beginning of his origin story, but so much more followed. The series meticulously depicts his initially reluctant, but inevitable, involvement with the rebel cell led by Luthen Rael, following him through the loss, sacrifice, and suffering that crafted one of the bravest heroes in Star Wars. Andor transforms Cassian from a somewhat enigmatic rebel agent into a fully realized and deeply human character, whose sacrifices in Rogue One carry even greater weight knowing the path he traveled to get there.

6) Mon Mothma

First appearing in Return of the Jedi as a composed and quiet leader of the Rebel Alliance, Mon Mothma initially served as a symbol of the organized resistance against the Empire. While her brief appearances conveyed her dedication and conviction, they offered limited insight into the personal sacrifices and political maneuvering required to build and sustain such a movement. She represented the calm and collected face of a rebellion forged in secrecy and fueled by desperation.

However, the Andor series has dramatically expanded Mon Mothma’s character, revealing the immense personal and political risks she undertook to undermine the Empire from within the Imperial Senate. She navigates the treacherous landscape of Coruscant politics, maintaining a facade of loyalty while secretly funding and orchestrating rebel cells. The series delves into the moral compromises she is forced to make, the constant threat of exposure, and the isolation from her daughter and husband she experiences as she balances her public persona with her covert activities. Andor elevates Mon Mothma from a figurehead to a deeply compelling and courageous hero who left behind everything and risked her life to speak up against the evils of the oppressive Empire; whose quiet determination and unwavering commitment to freedom, even in the face of immense danger, make her an even more significant and admirable figure in the Star Wars saga.

The post 6 Star Wars Heroes Who Have Only Gotten Better With Time appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In the wake of Star Wars: Andor‘s conclusion, it’s a great time to reflect on what the Disney+ series teaches about cameos. Created by Tony Gilroy, Andor prefaces the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, chronicling Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) journey to becoming a revolutionary leader. Differing from other Disney+ series such as Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett, and Star Wars: Ahsoka, Andor doesn’t feature major character cameos or supporting appearances at any point during its two seasons. Instead, Andor opts to focus on telling Cassian’s story, while developing the arcs of Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), and more.

By keeping prominent Star Wars figures out of its story, Andor successfully delivers a contained narrative with all of the spectacular action and compelling characterization fans of the franchise love. The likes of Darth Vader, Princess Leia, or Jyn Erso could have appeared in Andor in some form, however, the series never exhibited a need for this type of presence. Looking ahead, Star Wars must learn that the key to its long-term triumph as an IP revolves around in-depth stories with relevant themes and interesting characters rather than repeated cameos of the same legendary personas.

[RELATED: Andor Proves That Star Wars Can Leave the Jedi Behind Entirely]

Andor Never Needed Cameos to Take Over Its Spotlight

Even while functioning as a prequel, Andor prevails as an excellent story in the Star Wars Universe. Over 24 episodes, the show dives deep into the beginnings of rebellion against the Empire, fixating on the perspectives of resistance operatives, ordinary citizens, and Imperial authority figures. Andor‘s broad scope enables it to engage with its subject material with a remarkable level of complexity. Audiences learn and see the Empire’s atrocities and behind-the-scenes meetings in a way Star Wars has never brought to the screen, and it’s incredibly eye-opening to draw comparisons between the series and real-world events. Andor‘s own score of compelling characters leaves no room for the larger-than-life presence of icons like Darth Vader or Princess Leia, while the involvement of Jyn Erso likely wouldn’t have fit during the series’ place in the timeline.

Gilroy explained his reasoning for excluding Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso from Andor, telling EW that there just wasn’t space for her involvement.

“In the end, I realized if people didn’t absolutely have to be there, they shouldn’t,” he said. “And it would’ve been lame to bring Jyn back as a cameo. That would’ve been really disrespectful in a way. I’d rather honor Rogue and keep it straight.”

Furthermore, Gilroy revealed that a Princess Leia cameo was also on the table before Andor‘s writing team decided it was unnecessary.

“There was some basic cool things for a scene, but it never got past that, and it never went to the casting stage, or it never got more real than that,” he told Screen Rant. “I remember talking to [Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy about it and talking to [Star Wars lore advisor Pablo Hidalgo] about it, but it never got traction, and then it became a distraction.“

All in all, big character cameos would have taken away from Andor‘s fascinating exploration of what it means to build resistance under a fascist government, as the concept of well-known faces popping in and out is entirely antithetical to Gilroy’s approach. Darth Vader’s menacing Rogue One appearance was a sight to behold, but something akin to that scene never would have worked in a smaller-scale, more fleshed-out story like Andor. Andor’s success proves that it’s better to focus on a show’s main characters and let them shine in big moments rather than forcing beloved franchise icons into an unnecessary spotlight. Thankfully, Andor doesn’t make the mistake of ruining its finale with a big cameo like The Mandalorian Season 2 finale did with a random Luke Skywalker reveal.

Star Wars Needs to Learn Andor‘s Lesson About Major Character Cameos

The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett nearly ruined their contained narratives by needlessly bringing in a CGI-rendered version of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker. Ahsoka‘s inclusion of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) makes more sense, yet the character’s return always felt more like nostalgia bait than a necessary element. Forcing characters where they don’t belong isn’t good storytelling, and Andor hints that Star Wars could be heading in the right direction when it comes to cameos. Future Star Wars showrunners and writers need to consider whether a cameo is truly necessary for the story they’re telling before moving forward with one. By following Andor‘s model of an outstanding character-driven narrative with deep political themes and not a legendary character in sight, Star Wars seamlessly moves toward a new era of top-notch movies and TV shows.

All episodes of Star Wars: Andor are available to stream on Disney+.

The post Andor Was Right to Leave Out Big Character Cameos (And Star Wars Needs to Learn From It) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars: Andor never tries to hide the fact that it takes place not long after the prequel trilogy. It’s all about the Empire’s efforts to try to hold its power in the galaxy, which includes building the Death Star, a superweapon that appears briefly at the end of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. But Andor likes to make its Easter eggs as subtle as possible to avoid distracting from the story it’s telling. That’s why it’s easy to miss the Loth cat in the final arc and all of the goodies in Luthen Rael’s shop. However, one callback that’s nearly impossible to miss comes in Season 2, Episode 10, “Make It Stop.”

The first episode of the final arc of Andor focuses on Kleya’s mission to kill her boss, Luthen, so the Empire can’t torture him for information. While killing stormtroopers and infiltrating restricted areas, she remembers her childhood when she and Luthen traveled around the world gathering information and causing problems for the Empire. They even traveled to a location important to Emperor Palpatine at one point to raise hell.

Luthen Rael Takes the Fight to Palpatine in Andor Season 2

Luthen struggles with his role as an Imperial following the fall of the Republic. The cause he’s dedicating his life to is going down a path he can’t follow, so he has a crisis of faith. During a particularly nasty battle, he sits on a ship and wishes for it all to end. Luthen only doesn’t go off the deep end completely because he finds a stowaway in need of help. He abandons his post and gives the young girl the name “Kleya.” The two of them spend the next couple of years amassing resources by selling antiquities, waiting for the right moment to strike against the Empire.

They find an opportunity while visiting Naboo, the homeworld of both Padmé Amidala and, more importantly, Sheev Palpatine. Kleya and Luthen have lunch in a cafe while a group of Imperials work on a bridge in the distance. Kleya thinks she’s ready to blow the structure to smithereens, but Luthen tells his young friend to exercise patience because firing the first shot isn’t something to take lightly. Luthen pulls the trigger himself and gives Kleya another lesson about blending in before they depart. The attack on Naboo marks Luthen’s initial strike in a long war that sees him give everything to defeat the Empire.

[RELATED – Andor’s Most Intense Scene Happened Outside the Battlefield]

Luthen Rael’s Hatred of the Empire Never Wavers

Years after attacking the Imperials on Naboo, Luthen still fights against the Empire; the only difference in his tactics is that other people do the dirty work for him. He lives a relatively quiet life on Coruscant, posing as an antique shop owner who supplies high rollers with nice-looking relics. However, he continues to hold back despite interacting with some of the most important Imperials. He even comes face-to-face with Director Orson Krennic, who’s always up to no good, and shows restraint. Sadly, Luthen doesn’t get to live out his days in peace because the Empire comes calling after a while.

Following the Ghorman Massacre, ISB agent Deedra Meero turns her attention to the Axis rebel network, which Luthen leads. It takes her a few years, but she’s able to track down the mastermind and confronts him at his store. Before attempting to take his own life, Luthen lets Deedra know just how much he hates the Empire and that everything she stands for will come crashing down soon enough. And what he warns her about comes to pass because her failure to capture Luthen and keep the details of the Death Star under wraps lands her in jail, unable to witness the “chaos” that the Rebel Alliance spreads across the galaxy.

Luthen knows he’ll never get the credit that Mon Mothma and Bail Organa do, but he makes peace with that early on. He chooses to operate in the shadows until the sun shines a light on his actions, and with that being the case, he never misses an opportunity to go big, such as hitting Palpatine right where it hurts.

Andor Season 2 is streaming on Disney+.

Did you notice Naboo in Andor Season 2? Are you happy with the conclusion of Luthen Rael’s story in the Disney+ series? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Andor Visits an Iconic Prequel Location to Stick It to Emperor Palpatine appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s whole purpose is to provide additional context to the events of Star Wars: A New Hope. In the franchise’s first movie, the Rebellion faces the threat of the Death Star, a superweapon that Emperor Palpatine is looking to turn on planets that aren’t getting in line. Rogue One shows how Leia gets her hands on the plans for the Empire’s big secret, focusing on the group that infiltrates the Imperial stronghold on Scarif and loses their lives in the process. However, the movie’s story is so strong that several other Star Wars projects, including Star Wars: Andor, flesh it out.

Watching Rogue One now provides a very different experience than when the movie first hit theaters. Characters are stronger, motivations are clearer, and every piece of the Rebellion feels much more significant.

1) Beezer Fortuna Is Everything His Cousin Is Not

One aspect of Rogue One that gets a boost after watching Star Wars: The Mandalorian is Saw Gerrera’s crew. The madman employs all kinds of beings, including Beezer Fortuna, who is related to the Twi’lek that takes over Jabba the Hutt’s empire in the Disney+ series, Bib Fortuna. However, unlike his cousin, Beezer fights for others instead of himself and dies a noble death.

2) Mon Mothma’s Place in the Rebellion Feels More Important

Mon Mothma appears in various Star Wars projects as one of the faces of the Rebellion. She plays that role in Rogue One, but Andor gives her hesitation to attack the Empire a whole new meaning. Mothma has to live a lie for years until the Ghorman Massacre forces her to cut her ties to the Empire, meaning she understands when the right time to strike is.

3) Cassian Andor’s Sacrifice Is Much More Tragic

Andor focuses on the early days of the Rebellion as much as its titular character, but he still gets plenty to do. He goes from a criminal who doesn’t believe he has a higher calling to a rebel ready to give it all for the cause. With all that extra emotion in the mix, Cassian’s death in Rogue One hits ten times harder.

4) Director Krennic’s Aspirations Are More Clear

Orson Krennic can feel like any other Imperial during his appearance in Rogue One. After all, Darth Vader puts him in his place like he would any other lackey. However, Andor shows Krennic at the top of the food chain as he begins to put the pieces in place to get the Death Star operational.

[RELATED – 7 Spy and Revolution Shows to Watch After Star Wars: Andor]

5) Bail Organa Knows the Best Course of Action

With the threat of the Death Star looming over them, the Rebellion’s council tries to formulate a plan to bring it down. Bail Organa helps get things moving, and he believes Cassian is the best choice to lead the mission. Andor shows how Bail comes to trust Cassian and how far the former Republic senator is willing to go to defeat the Empire.

6) There’s No Wiggle Room in Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor’s Relationship

The ending of Rogue One is tragic because the members of the titular team lose their lives. However, some always believed there was an extra knife twist due to Jyn Erso and Cassian embracing on the beach on Scarif. Andor puts any love theories to bed, though, by showing that Cassian always holds a special place in his heart for Bix Caleen, whom he falls in love with while living on Ferrix.

7) Melshi Always Has Cassian Andor’s Back

Another character who loses their life on Scarif is Melshi, a rebel soldier who comes to Cassian during his hour of need. Andor reveals how the two characters meet each other during their time in the Narkina 5 prison and the missions they go on that allow them to grow close before the events of Rogue One kick off.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is streaming on Disney+.

Are you planning to rewatch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story after finishing all of the Disney+ Star Wars series? What other aspects of the movie do you think will feel different? Let us know in the comments below!

The post 7 Things About Rogue One That Are Way Cooler After Star Wars Disney+ Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars Battlefront 3 is getting a big co-sign from one of the cast members of Andor. Star Wars is one of the most sprawling fictional universes out there. There’s books, TV shows, movies, and of course, video games. The Star Wars games are absolutely fantastic as they help cover so many different genres. Although they are sci-fi games, there have been first-person shooters, action/adventure games, flight sims, and much more all set in the Star Wars universe. When something that rich and expansive is created, it allows other creators to come in and play in that sandbox in a very unique way.

Of course, that’s also part of the reason Andor was such a huge success. We rarely actually get to see the “war” part of in mainstream Star Wars productions, it’s covered in passing or we see the really grand pieces of it. But the grunts doing all of the dirty work and sacrificing their lives are rarely seen, however, Rogue One and Andor shine a big spotlight on that. It allowed us to see the political side of Star Wars in a really interesting way while also highlighting what goes on in the trenches. Although they’re extremely different, Star Wars Battlefront is also one of the other projects that highlights the ongoing galactic struggle.

Andor Actor Wants to See Star Wars Battlefront 3 Get Made

In recent days, Star Wars Battlefront 2 has seen a massive resurgence in players. Of course, there’s a lot of different reasons for this such as the finale of Andor and May the 4th having just been a couple of weeks ago. However, one of the biggest points is that fans are trying to gather together to show demand for Star Wars Battlefront 3. The last game came out all the way back in 2017 and since then, DICE has been busy making new Battlefield games. There’s a lot of demand for a new Star Wars Battlefront game and it would be a great shame if a decade went by without a new one entering development.

Those trying to campaign for Star Wars Battlefront 3 to finally get made have gotten some support from Andor actor Muhannad Ben Amor who plays Wilmon in the Disney+ series. The actor took to his Instagram story and said “Star Wars gotta give us Battlefront 3 ASAP,” before following it up with another post that revealed he has 469 hours in Star Wars Battlefront 2 on his PS5.

“Grew up with Battlefront 2 – been a veteran since day one. Let’s HOPE Battlefront 3 happens,” he said.

Of course, there’s a lot that goes into making a game like this. Not only does EA and DICE have to get onboard, but Disney has to sign off on it. It’s possible Disney has been reluctant to do another Battlefront game after Star Wars Battlefront 2 launched with so much controversy, even getting the attention of various governments. The game launched with loot boxes that hindered how people could play the game and made it so that it took way too long to unlock certain things without paying for them. While Battlefront 2 ultimately recovered in the eyes of fans, the negative PR was quite damaging for Star Wars, particularly around the time of the release of the very divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Do you want to see Star Wars Battlefront 3? Let me know in the comments.

The post Star Wars Battlefront 3 Campaign Gets Support from Andor Actor appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Andor has changed the nature of the Star Wars franchise in a big way. While George Lucas introduced viewers to a galaxy (far, far, away) that is full of wondrous alien creatures, worlds, and mysticism (the Force), Tony Gilroy instead chose to focus on how Star Wars reflects the sociopolitical concerns of our times, and how complicated characters earn their “heroic” titles through often-tragic circumstances of duty and thankless sacrifice. It’s a powerful rumination on all the people and situations that had to come together to set up Luke Skywalker for his pivotal destiny as the hero who destroys the Death Star.

Now that Andor has shown us the thought-provoking maturity that Star Wars is capable of, there is another series idea that would serve as a perfect spiritual sequel to Gilroy’s masterful show. That series doesn’t have an exact title, but the subject matter would be clear: an examination of the team building the second Death Star.

Battle of Endor: The Return of the Death Star

“The Battle of Endor” was fought in the climactic act of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. The Rebel Alliance learned of the Death Star II being constructed over the moon of Endor and launched an ambitious strike against the space station. However, the “ambush” turned out to be a trap set by Emperor Palpatine, as the Death Star II was protected from attack by a shield generator hidden on the planet below. That trap split the Rebel forces, with Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia, and Lando all having to fight on different fronts of the battle to secure the Rebellion’s victory, smash the Empire’s rule, and end the Sith rule of the galaxy.

The Death Star II has never quite held the same kind of prominence as the original battle station. That’s no doubt because its existence was one of the first instances of Star Wars recycling its story tropes – a process that would continue when The Force Awakens introduced “Starkiller Base,” another twist on the Death Star concept. It is a MacGuffin with a capital “M,” as its mere presence in the film instantly created a familiar set of high stakes for the heroes that viewers could easily resonate with, thanks to nostalgia for the original film. The Death Star II’s destruction is similarly less impactful and far less iconic than the destruction of the first Death Star, but that lack of depth may be a great new opportunity for Star Wars.

[RELATED: 5 Ideas for More Star Wars TV Shows Like Andor]

Who Would Build A Second Death Star?

That’s the question that would be the thematic heart of a series focusing on the building of the Death Star II. Andor revealed in painstaking detail just how long it took the Empire to build the first Death Star, and the insane level of secrecy that was maintained around it. But what about the Death Star II?

In Star Wars canon, the second Death Star was ordered into production immediately following the destruction of the first station. The requirements for the station saw Palpatine and the Empire loot materials from scrap (Karthon Chop Fields), and was met with several key setbacks compared to the first station, including the feat of keeping it in orbit, the automated methods to build it (self-replicating droids), and the piecemeal stages of construction. All of this construction was done under the authority of a single key figure: Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod.

The real intrigue about a show focused on the Death Star II’s construction would be all the factors surrounding the station. In the canon lore, Palpatine purposefully sabotaged Moff Jerjerrod’s efforts, staging pirate and Rebel raids on the supply shipments, while also allowing spies to reach the Rebellion with word of the Death Star II’s construction. That’s a great way for a show to keep to Andor’s ground-level focus, while still integrating fantastical characters like the Emperor. The expanded lore of Star Wars has introduced characters like Bevelyn and Jon Melton, two workers on the Death Star II who were secretly spies for Lady Qi’ra and her Crimson Dawn syndicate, and eventually escaped to deliver the Death Star plans. Their story was told in comics, but there’s room for their live-action appearance, as well.

Taken altogether, a show about the Death Star II would be another sort of sociopolitical espionage drama that Andor was. However, this time around, the focus would be on those characters (new and established) who find themselves in the shadow of one of the galaxy’s darkest and most deadly evil legacies. Watching everyday members of the Empire engaged in something they know, beyond all doubts and lies, is a tool of genocide and terror, is the human drama connection that fans want more of, conveyed by complex morally-compromised characters who are squeezed between the rock of fascist agenda and a hard place of personal morals and a sense of duty… whatever form that takes.

Andor is streaming on Disney+.

The post Andor Convinced Me That Star Wars Needs A Death Star 2 TV Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The brilliance of Star Wars: Andor has recalibrated all expectations for Star Wars television. Its grounded realism, intricate character development, and nuanced exploration of rebellion beyond laser blasts have left many yearning for more storytelling of similar depth and maturity. The success of Andor proves that Star Wars can thrive in the shadows, focusing on the ordinary individuals caught in the machinations of galactic powers and the slow burn of resistance against oppression. It has demonstrated that compelling story arcs don’t always require Jedi, Sith, or galaxy-ending stakes. Instead, a focus on political intrigue, espionage, and the human cost of conflict can be just as, if not more, captivating. Building upon this foundation, there’s a fertile ground of unexplored concepts ripe for development into television series that could capture the same level of critical acclaim and audience engagement as Andor. 

Let’s delve into five concepts that could further enrich the Star Wars universe with compelling and sophisticated storytelling on the same level as Andor.

1) The Bureaucracy of the Empire

Imagine a series that delves deep into the inner workings of the Galactic Empire, not from the perspective of its military might, but through the lens of its vast and complex bureaucracy. This show could follow a diverse cast of characters within various Imperial departments – perhaps a dedicated but disillusioned records-keeper uncovering dangerous secrets, a sharp-witted political strategist navigating the treacherous hierarchies of Coruscant, or an ethical architect struggling with the moral implications of designing Imperial infrastructure on subjugated worlds. While Andor explored the consequences of blindly swearing allegiance to the Empire, particularly with Dedra Meero and Syril Karn, the Empire stood for over 20 years, with Dedra and Syril’s part only exploring the tail end of it.  

RELATED: Andor Proves That Star Wars Can Leave the Jedi Behind Entirely

The story arc could explore the everyday banality of evil, showcasing how seemingly innocuous administrative tasks contribute to the Empire’s oppressive regime. We could witness the internal power struggles, the corruption that festers within the system, and the quiet acts of defiance undertaken by those who still hold onto their conscience. Season 2, Episode 8 of Andor –  “Welcome to the Rebellion” – gave tiny glimpses into these sorts of people who exist within the Imperial framework, such as the two workers who helped stall security from reaching Mon Mothma during her pivotal speech denouncing the Empire. This series could offer a fascinating and unsettling look at how totalitarianism functions on a systemic level, drawing parallels to real-world historical examples and providing a fresh perspective on the familiar Star Wars setting.

2) Tales From the Outer Rim Underworld

While we’ve glimpsed the criminal underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy and quite a few planets in the Outer Rim (including Tatooine), a series focused entirely on the Outer Rim could offer a gritty and morally ambiguous exploration of survival in a lawless frontier. This show could weave together the stories of smugglers, bounty hunters, crime lords, and the marginalized communities struggling to exist on the fringes of galactic society, far from the concerns of the Republic or the Empire. Potential planets explored could include the familiar, yet still rich with untold stories, such as Lothal in its post-liberation era, grappling with rebuilding and the lingering presence of criminal elements taking advantage of the power vacuum.

Each season or arc could focus on a different sector or planet, introducing a new cast of characters and their unique struggles for power, resources, and freedom. We could see the brutal realities of life outside the core worlds, the complex alliances and betrayals that define the underworld, and the constant threat of both Imperial encroachment and internal conflict. This concept allows for a diverse range of storytelling possibilities, from heist story arcs to tales of survival and the formation of unexpected bonds in a harsh environment.

3) Clone Wars: The Untold Stories of Anakin and Ahsoka

Drawing inspiration from the potent dynamic hinted at in Star Wars: Ahsoka, a series could delve into the more complex and morally gray missions undertaken by Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano during the Clone Wars; stories that fall outside the scope of the animated series. This show could explore the ethical dilemmas they faced, the clandestine operations they were involved in, and the growing disillusionment with the Republic and the Jedi Order that began to take root.

RELATED: George Lucas’ Original Plan for Anakin Skywalker’s Descent to the Dark Side Is Way More Evil Than You Could Imagine

The story arc could focus on missions with significant political implications, undercover assignments requiring morally ambiguous choices, or the personal toll the constant warfare took on their relationship and their individual psyches. We could see Anakin grappling with the Jedi Code and his attachments, while Ahsoka navigates the stark reality of being a child soldier in the war. This approach would offer a more mature perspective on the Clone Wars, bridging the gap between the animated series and the darker undertones of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

4) The Jedi of the High Republic Era

Set centuries before the Skywalker saga, a series exploring the Jedi Order during the High Republic era could offer a fresh and optimistic perspective on the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. With the High Republic novels and comics, the source material for a show set in this time period is sprawling. A show could delve into the intricacies of the Jedi at their zenith, showcasing their diverse roles as explorers, diplomats, and protectors of a thriving Republic. Audiences could witness the challenges they faced in charting new frontiers, mediating disputes between worlds, and confronting emerging threats to galactic stability, particularly the Nihil.

The story arc could focus on a specific Jedi Order outpost or a team of Jedi Knights and Masters undertaking complex missions across the Outer Rim. One such character from the novels who fits the bill and has untapped potential in live action is Jedi Knight Avar Kriss, who first debuted in Charles Soule’s novel Light of the Jedi. A series could explore Jedi relationships with the Republic Senate, the unique challenges of maintaining peace in a less-charted galaxy, and the philosophical debates within the Order itself as they grapple with new discoveries and evolving threats. This era offers a rich tapestry of unexplored lore that was only briefly touched upon in Star Wars: The Acolyte, allowing for compelling character development and intricate political intrigue against a backdrop of a more hopeful, yet still complex, galactic landscape.

5) Ezra Bridger’s Exile on Peridea

Following his heroic sacrifice in order to trap Grand Admiral Thrawn and liberate his beloved home planet of Lothal, as seen in Star Wars Rebels, a television series could explore Ezra Bridger’s solitary existence on the distant world of Peridea, offering a character-driven exploration of isolation, adaptation, and the lingering effects of trauma. This show could delve into the unique environment of Peridea, its native inhabitants, and the challenges Ezra faced in surviving and potentially finding a new purpose in a galaxy far removed from the rebellion he helped to ignite. 

RELATED: Star Wars: Ahsoka Star Just Gave Us a Big Hint About Season 2

The story arc could focus on Ezra’s internal struggles as he grapples with the weight of his past, the loss of his found family and Master, and the uncertainty of his future. We could see his initial interactions with the indigenous life forms of Peridea – a relationship that was highly developed by the time he appeared in Ahsoka, the development of new skills and perspectives, and perhaps even the discovery of ancient secrets or forgotten Force traditions on this mysterious world. This concept provides an opportunity for deep character study within an alien landscape, exploring themes of resilience, self-discovery, and what it means to find peace in exile.

The post 5 Great Concepts for More Star Wars TV Shows on Andor’s Level appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When Star Wars: Andor was announced, the fates of so many of its characters were already known. After all, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is about Cassian Andor’s mission to get the Death Star plans in the hands of the Rebellion, which ends with him dying on Scarif. To avoid complete doom and gloom, Andor introduces new players who have a lot of involvement in the early days of the Rebellion. Not all of them make it out of the show’s second season, as their actions lead the Empire to their doorsteps, but one important character does see the sunrise.

Luthen Rael’s assistant, Kleya Marki, stands by her father figure’s side throughout Andor, communicating with rebel cells across the galaxy. However, unlike Luthen, who dies to avoid being tortured by the Empire, Kleya makes it off of Coruscant, leaving her status during Rogue One and the original trilogy up in the air. Well, Star Wars fans can’t be kept in the dark forever, so they took it upon themselves to find out where Kleya is hiding during the Galactic Civil War.

Kleya Marki Is the Best Radio Jockey in the Galaxy in Andor

Kleya poses as a worker in Luthen’s store, which sells rare artifacts from all over the galaxy. She watches the showroom floor as customers come in and out, but she’s always waiting for an opportunity to use her communications device in the back of the store. It’s essentially an old-school radio that allows Luthen to stay in contact with his agents out in the field. Kleya uses the device frequently throughout Andor‘s two-season run, including when she talks to Cassian about the events going on at Mina-Rau. However, the last time she uses it turns out to be the most important because she receives a message from Lonni Jung, an ISB double agent who has information about the Empire’s superweapon.

Luthen and Kleya go out in the field to find Lonni, as they can’t risk meeting at the store. After Luthen learns all he can from his agent, he returns to Kleya and gives her the information to pass along. Luthen attempts to take his own life shortly after, when Dedra Meero tries to arrest him as he’s destroying the communications device at the store, leaving Kleya with few options. She heads to the hospital where Luthen is being held, removes his breathing device, and waits for someone to arrive to take the knowledge she has. Cassian shows up on Coruscant and refuses to leave Kleya alone, fighting off Imperials and taking her to Yavin 4, where she can rest after living a lie for so long. However, if an eagle-eyed fan on TikTok is right, she doesn’t stay out of the fight forever.

[RELATED – Andor’s Latest Major Death Led to the Most Devastating Star Wars Line of All Time]

Kleya Marki May Offer Her Skills to the Rebellion in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

After the Battle of Yavin, the Rebel Alliance moves its base to the ice planet Hoth. The higher-ups believe the frigid temperatures will keep the Empire from snooping around, but a probe droid arrives not long after the base’s competition. With the full force of the Empire about to come down on them, the rebels prepare for a massive battle. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for the scales to tip in the Empire’s favor, so Princess Leia Organa calls for an evacuation of Echo Base. Ships start to leave, but Leia refuses to go until all but one transport gets off the planet. Other dedicated rebels stay with her, including a woman working hard at her station.

When Han arrives to plead with Leia to leave, she’s standing next to the woman’s workspace, looking at the progress of the evacuation. Now, the rebels aren’t working with the same device Kleya uses in Andor, but she’s good with technology in general, and the woman in Echo Base looks enough like her to make the idea somewhat believable. It’s also very much like her character to stay behind and ensure everyone else is safe before looking out for herself. So, until Star Wars reveals where Kleya is during the original trilogy, she’ll take the place of a rebel on Hoth trying to do the right thing.

Star Wars: Andor is streaming now on Disney+.

Do you believe that Kleya is the female rebel Leia interacts with in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back? Where else could she be during the original trilogy? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Star Wars Fans Believe They’ve Spotted an Andor Favorite’s Cameo in the Original Trilogy appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Spoilers for Andor follow. Though Cassian’s story ended with this week’s series finale of Andor on Disney+, the final scene opened up the door for his legacy to live on long past his death in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In the closing moments of Episode 12 — “Jedha, Kyber, Erso” — it is revealed that Bix was pregnant after she left Yavin for the sake of the Rebellion, as she is seen holding her and Cassian’s infant child in the fields of Mina-Rau. The revelation ends the series with a glimmer of hope in the middle of war, suffering, and the ultimate sacrifice Cassian unknowingly departs Yavin to face on Scarif. After all, rebellions are built on hope.

The introduction of Cassian’s child in the closing moments of the finale of Andor has major implications for the future of the Star Wars galaxy as a whole, offering a fresh perspective on the legacy of the Rebellion and the personal costs of freedom.

The Existence of Cassian’s Child Opens New Avenues for Star Wars

One of the most immediate implications of the surprising reveal that Bix had given birth to Cassian’s child is the potential for exploration of their upbringing in a galaxy still gripped by the iron fist of the Empire. Growing up in the shadow of a revolutionary father, and likely raised within the Rebel Alliance, or at least among Rebel sympathizers, this child’s life would be inherently intertwined with the fight for liberation. Would they (and Bix, for that matter) be aware of Cassian’s sacrifice? Would they inherit his rebellious spirit, or would the trauma of war shape them in a different way? 

In an interview with EW, showrunner Tony Gilroy addressed the surprise ending, stating, “We wanted to have a final punctuation mark on the whole thing, and we wanted to give you a little bit of hope.” This hope, embodied in the child, directly contrasts with the grim realities of the ongoing conflict and underscores the personal stakes involved.

RELATED: After Andor and Rogue One, This 42-Year-Old Star Wars Question Is Even More Baffling

Furthermore, the child’s existence adds a layer of emotional depth to Cassian’s ultimate sacrifice in Rogue One. Knowing that he left behind a child, a tangible piece of himself and his love for Bix, amplifies the tragedy of his death. It transforms his final act from a purely selfless contribution to the Rebellion into a sacrifice that also deprived a child of their parent. This newfound context enriches the emotional resonance of Rogue One and provides a poignant lens through which to re-examine the film. The focus on this intimate detail highlights Andor’s commitment to grounding the grand narrative in personal stories.  

This New Character Brings a Unique Perspective on the Legacy of the Rebellion

The timeline of the Star Wars saga also presents intriguing possibilities. Given that baby Andor would be quite young during the events of the original trilogy, their direct involvement in those conflicts would no doubt be limited. However, the New Republic era and sequel trilogy, set decades later, offers a significant window for this character to appear. Could they be a figure within the Resistance, carrying on their father’s fight against the First Order? Or might their path lead them down a different, perhaps unexpected, route within the galaxy? Gilroy hinted at the broader implications adding, “It also opens up the idea that the sacrifices that people make have echoes.” This “echo” could very well be the life and choices of Cassian and Bix’s child.

The introduction of the child also opens up avenues for exploring the personal lives and legacies of other Rebel heroes. The focus often remains on the grand scale of the galactic conflict, but the human cost and the personal stories of those involved are equally important. This child represents a tangible link to the sacrifices made by countless individuals during the Rebellion, reminding audiences that heroes are also fathers, mothers, lovers, and friends. Their story could serve as a microcosm of the broader impact of the war on families and future generations.

RELATED: Andor Reveals the Secret Origin of Rogue One’s Most Memorable Line

Moreover, the child’s parentage – the offspring of Cassian Andor, a man from the Outer Rim who rose to become a pivotal figure in the Rebellion, and Bix Caleen, a resourceful and resilient information broker – suggests a unique blend of skills and perspectives. They might inherit Cassian’s strategic mind and unwavering commitment, combined with Bix’s street smarts and ability to navigate the underworld. This combination could make them a formidable individual in their own right, potentially playing a significant role in future galactic events. 

The potential, story-wise, extends beyond simply introducing a new character. The existence of Cassian’s child could also influence the way existing characters view his legacy. Key figures in the early Rebellion knew Cassian and understood the weight of his contributions. Mon Mothma and Kleya, in particular, were intimately aware of Cassian’s bravery and devotion to the Rebellion, as he was the one responsible for extracting both of them from live-or-death scenarios on Coruscant. The knowledge that he left behind a child could further solidify their commitment to the cause he died for, adding another layer of personal motivation to their fight against tyranny.

The child’s discovery of their parentage could be a significant plot point in future stories. Imagine a scenario where they stumble upon old recordings, journals, or even meet individuals who knew their father. This journey of discovery could lead them to embrace their father’s legacy, perhaps even taking up his mantle in some form. It could also lead to internal conflict as they grapple with the weight of his sacrifice and the expectations that come with being the child of a hero; a thread the sequel trilogy never fully explored with Ben Solo/Kylo Ren.

The circumstances surrounding the birth of Cassian and Bix’s child bear a striking resemblance to the revelation of Hera Syndulla and Kanan Jarrus’ son, Jacen Syndulla, in the epilogue of Star Wars Rebels. Both children were conceived amidst the early rebellion and born after the fathers had made the ultimate sacrifice, unaware of the life they had left behind. This parallel in their origins – born into a galaxy at war, carrying the legacy of heroic parents who fought for freedom – suggests a compelling possibility. Should these two children ever cross paths in the vastness of the Star Wars galaxy, their shared history and potential understanding of loss and resilience could forge a powerful connection, perhaps even shaping the future of whatever conflicts may arise.

The Star Wars galaxy is vast and filled with untold stories. The introduction of Cassian’s child provides a new thread to explore, one that is deeply rooted in the events of Andor and Rogue One. It offers a chance to move beyond familiar Skywalker storylines and delve into the lasting impact of the Rebellion on ordinary individuals and their families. This child represents not just a continuation of Cassian’s bloodline, but also a symbol of the enduring hope that fueled the fight against the Empire. Their story has the potential to enrich the Star Wars saga in profound and meaningful ways, reminding us that even in the darkest of times, life finds a way, and legacies are carried forward. The future of the galaxy may very well be shaped, in part, by the child of the rebel who dared to believe in a better tomorrow.

The post Andor’s Twist Ending Shakes Up the Future of Star Wars appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Benjamin Bratt, who portrayed Bail Organa in Andor Season 2, says he would be game to reprise the character in another Star Wars project. Following the Andor series finale, the actor sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss his role on the acclaimed drama, his thoughts about replacing Jimmy Smits as the Senator, and his possible future in the galaxy far, far away. Bratt had nothing but high praise for Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy, cracking that he’d work in “craft services” if it meant they could collaborate again.

“Wide open. Listen, as long as there’s interest, I’d show up for Tony to do craft services on his next job,” Bratt said. “I just have such tremendous respect for him. And the shame of it was I didn’t really ever see him on set. He was stateside and then was locked down because of the writer’s strike. He put together a remarkable team of writers and directors and actors, and the whole thing works from top to bottom. This is television as good as it gets, as far as I’m concerned. And I’m just so grateful and immensely proud of the fact that I am in some small part of it.”

When Bratt’s casting in Andor was first announced, his character was kept under wraps. It wasn’t until the actor’s first episode, “What a Festive Evening” that his role was revealed. Smits, who portrayed Bail in three films and the TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi, was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts. Bratt told Entertainment Weekly that he rewatched Smits’ scenes to ensure he honored what Smits did while putting his own stamp on the role.

[RELATED – 7 Spy and Revolution Shows to Watch After Star Wars: Andor]

Andor recently wrapped up its run with a final batch of episodes that lead directly into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Bratt appeared on three episodes in Season 2; Bail has a key supporting role as one of Mon Mothma’s closest allies in the early days of the Rebellion.

Seeing Bratt as Senator Organa was likely initially jarring to long-time Star Wars fans, but he comfortably slid into the role and delivered a strong performance. His take on the character captured the same spirit viewers are familiar with without coming across as an imitation of Smits. Seeing how well he turned out in Andor, fans wouldn’t mind seeing Bratt reprise the role if the opportunity presented itself. Smits would probably get first call given his history with the character; however, if he were unavailable again, Bratt’s proven himself as a compelling Bail.

The bigger question, of course, is if this will ever happen. As Star Wars fans know, Bail dies when the Death Star destroys Alderaan, so there aren’t any obvious spots where the character could pop up again. There are plenty of Star Wars projects in development, but none of them are set within an era of the timeline where Bail would be alive. There’s no guarantee one will get off the ground, either. The prequel era and the time period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope have already been extensively covered, and it’s hard to see what else is left to explore. Still, a prequel series to Rogue One may not have seemed like an obvious idea, and it became a massive success. Perhaps Lucasfilm will find a way to tell more stories involving Bail.

The post Andor’s Recast Star Reveals He’s “Wide Open” for Star Wars Return appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars: Andor has reached its end, and fans are undoubtedly looking for other TV shows with similar themes of revolution. Over its two seasons, Andor highlights the Galactic Empire’s tyranny in the most detailed manner the Star Wars franchise has ever scene, laying the groundwork for the events of the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Moving on from such as spectacular work of television isn’t easy, but fortunately, there exist a great selection of series depicting rebellion against authoritarian regimes. Whether in a futuristic or modern-day setting, stories of resistance all emit the same captivating essence and deliver exhilarating action and drama.

The following seven TV series center on different forms of resistance, from spying to all-out uprisings. Viewers who enjoyed Andor need to add these titles to their watchlist immediately.

1) The Man in the High Castle

Based on the 1972 Philip K. Dick novel, Prime Video’s The Man in the High Castle paints an intricate portrait of resistance similar to that of Andor. The story depicts an alternate history in which the Axis Powers of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan won World War II and each govern seperate halves of the United States. The Man in the High Castle centers on a variety of perspectives in its authoritarian setting, such as several underground resistance members, a high-ranking SS member, and the relentless head of the Japanese secret police. Covert operations and explosive acts of rebellion occur throughout The Man in the High Castle‘s endlessly intriguing narrative. The series’ four seasons deliver gripping drama and character dynamics, and audiences will find themselves immersed into The Man in the High Castle‘s detailed alternate world. A chilling representation of America under fascist rule, The Man in the High Castle provides all of the suspense and rebellious thrills Andor fans crave.

2) The Handmaid’s Tale

Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale adapts Margaret Atwood’s 1962 novel of the same title while expanding on its source material. Set in the dystopian patriarchal society of Gilead, The Handmaid’s Tale chronicles the strife and eventual revolt of a group child-bearing slaves. The show’s depiction of the violent oppression of women is hard to stomach, but its focus on resistance offers a spark of light amid the dark themes. Throughout its six seasons, The Handmaid’s Tale never fails to surprise audiences, and its balance of action and drama makes for exhilarating television. Elizabeth Moss forcefully portrays the series’ main character, June/Offred, while The Handmaid’s Tale also features an impressive supporting cast. Revolt against tyranny is The Handmaid’s Tale‘s bread and butter, and Andor fans need to check out this Hulu masterpiece.

3) Mr. Robot

Mr. Robot takes a unique approach to the theme of resistance, as most of its narrative revolves around covert actions rather than an action-packed uprising. In the series, Rami Malek stars as Elliott Alderson, a mentally unstable cybersecurity employee and skilled computer hacker who joins a hacktivist organization called fsociety. From there, Elliott initiates the erasure of all consumer debt, triggering a series of world-changing events. A mind-bending and riveting character study, Mr. Robot deftly addresses the topic of class disparities under capitalism. Although aesthetically different from Andor, Mr. Robot mirrors the Star Wars show though its unlikely hero of a protagonist who faces one difficult choice after another in pursuit of a necessary revolution. Mr. Robot is thrilling, shocking, and tension-filled from start to finish, and Malek’s lead performance lives among the most memorable character portrayals in TV history.

[RELATED: How Star Wars: Andor Connects to Rogue One in Unexpected Series Finale]

4) Firefly

Andor fans in search of another amazing sci-fi series with a rebellious sentiment need to check out Firefly. Set in a distant solar system 500 years in the future, the show centers on a misfit band of space travelers who smuggle and scavenge as they strive to find their way in the world aboard their ship, the Serenity. At odds with their authoritarian rulers and other factions following a deadly civil war, these outcasts encounter plenty of adventure and danger during their interplanetary travels. Defined by its deep political themes and excellent world-building, Firefly also boasts a fascinating set of characters and fun notes of humor to offset the drama. Although a character-driven story first, the show also explores themes related to imperialism and government control. Firefly aired just 14 episodes before its cancellation, however, anyone who enjoys an exciting space drama with a Western flair will find the series well worthwhile.

5) Humans

An artificial intelligent revolution on Earth takes center stage in Humans. Hyper-intelligent robots known as synths contend with their place in a human-led society that oppresses them. Humans begins as a fascinating examination of society’s adoption of AI into normal life and the implications of blurring the line between humans and their human-like android counterparts, subsequently portraying a synth uprising when hostility between the camps boils over. Gemma Chan headlines Humans‘ superb cast, which also features standouts like Carrie-Anne Moss, Sope Dirisu, and William Hurt. Despite being cancelled after three seasons, Humans offers a layered take on the emergence of AI, approaching each human and synth character with incredible care and nuance. Fans of Andor will find that Humans aligns well with the Star Wars property’s message about resistance in the face of injustice.

6) Snowpiercer

A thrilling post-apocalyptic story, Snowpiercer takes inspiration from the 1982 French graphic novel and 2013 film of the same name. The plot revolves around a dystopian society established on a constantly moving train containing humanity’s lone survivors after the Earth freezes over. Snowpiercer‘s four seasons focus on class inequality aboard the train, as tensions between the passengers and their tyrannical rulers rise to the point of revolt. Led by many complex characters, Snowpiercer powerfully depicts the perpetual struggle to survive and resist when injustice runs rampant — a concept at the heart of Andor‘s story. Solid acting performances and interesting deviations from the source material make Snowpiercer a worthwhile watch for TV lovers.

7) Silo

Apple TV+’s Silo easily ranks among the best sci-fi shows currently airing, and its revolution-centric narrative is a perfect fit for Andor fans. Based on the book trilogy by Hugh Howey, Silo takes place in a future world where nuclear war has rendered the Earth’s air toxic, forcing humans to dwell in underground silos. Totalitarian regimes reign, dividing each of the silo’s levels according to class and enacting injustice at every turn. In Silo, a remarkable series of events involving an ordinary engineer, a mysterious murder, and physical remnants of the past known as relics, trigger a massive rebellion that promises to change everything. There exist so many layers in Silo‘s dystopian story, and the show never reveals too much at once. Rife with mystery, complex characters, and spectacular payoffs, Silo is a riveting piece of storytelling with detailed politics. Those who love Andor will enjoy the shared qualities between Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor and Rebecca Ferguson’s Juliette Nichols, as both protagonists rise from normal citizens to the beating heart of a revolution. Two of Silo‘s four planned seasons of aired, and viewers should take the opportunity to catch up before Season 3 premiers.

All of these titles are available to stream across various platforms.

The post 7 Spy and Revolution Shows to Watch After Star Wars: Andor appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Andor is officially over, and while it used many of its connections to Rogue One and other Star Wars stories effectively, it didn’t include a cameo that fans were “begging” for — an appearance by Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso. Showrunner Tony Gilroy talked about this omission in a new interview with Backstory Magazine this weekend, explaining that he couldn’t see a way to include Jyn without upsetting the carefully balanced plot as we know it. While some fans are disappointed, others applaud Gilroy for avoiding contradictions, especially as these stories are set during such an important part of the overall plot.

“When I was building Season 2 after Season 1, I was looking at everything. Felicity is just a fantastic actor and a really great person, and I know how much love there is for her online and how many people were begging for that to happen,” Gilroy said. “If I could have thought of a way that didn’t tip everything upside down, I don’t think Lucasfilm would have had a problem.”

The issue started and ending in the writing phase, Gilroy said. “I could never… Once you start it, what do you do with it? You got to go all the way. Is she some connection to Saw, and then you get into that, but then you go back, and what does he say in Rogue One? It just never pulled together.”

[RELATED: Every Star Wars Disney+ Series Ranked]

Some fans online have said they would have been happy with a cameo from Jyn that did not connect her to any of the storylines in Andor — just a glimpse of her as a reminder of where this story is headed. Others argued that this would have needlessly eaten into the budget and the screentime, both of which were used to great effect in Andor Season 2.

Andor is a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which stars Jyn Erso as a new, reluctant recruit to the Rebel Alliance. Introducing her early in Andor would upset the whole timeline, and disrupt the consistency of the movie. As Gilroy pointed out, even Jyn’s closest contact in the Rebellion, Saw Gerrera, had not seen her for years before the start of the movie, so it would be hard to explain her presence on the prequel series.

Rogue One is a prequel to the very first movie in the franchise, A New Hope, where the Rebels destroy the Death Star in the Battle of Yavin. This event is so central to Star Wars that it’s even the reference point for the entire timeline — years are numbered as having occurred “before the Battle of Yavin — BBY,” or “after the Battle of Yavin — ABY.” That makes this a heavily scrutinized part of the narrative, and one that fans have a lot of emotional investment in. Any inconsistencies would have cast a Andor and Rogue One in a negative light.

Fortunately, Gilroy and his collaborators threaded the needle expertly, and Andor is already one of the most acclaimed titles in the Star Wars library. The completed series is streaming now on Disney+, along with Rogue One and the rest of the Star Wars franchise.

The post Andor Creator Explains Why This Popular Rogue One Character Didn’t Appear appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Speculation and Star Wars go hand in hand. While the Original Trilogy and prequels have their fair share of major reveals, the Disney era is where theories about the people and places in a galaxy far, far away really start to take off. Star Wars: The Force Awakens still sends fans into a frenzy because of the mystery surrounding Rey’s identity, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The sequels have plenty of other pot-stirring moments, including Snoke’s reveal, while the Disney+ shows can’t help themselves when it comes to pulling off jaw-dropping moments that shake Star Wars canon to its core.

The one project that feels like a breath of fresh air after years of uncertainty is Star Wars: Andor, which follows the rebel spy in the years leading up to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. However, whether it means to or not, the show’s final moments reveal a character who’s already the subject of countless theories.

Andor Reveals the Future of the Star Wars Galaxy

Prior to the final batch of Andor episodes, Cassian Andor’s longtime love interest, Bix Caleen, leaves Yavin 4 behind because she believes the Rebellion’s mission is too important. She knows Cassian will focus on her safety more than the galaxy’s, so she leaves him a goodbye message saying they can reunite once the conflict concludes. Of course, that never comes to pass because Cassian dies on Scarif after getting the Death Star plans to the Rebellion, forcing Bix to live without her found family on Minu-Rau. Well, she’s not totally without family because Andor reveals in its final scene that Bix has a baby.

Andor clearly means to show that, despite Cassian’s death, his legacy lives on in Bix and his child, and that they’ll get to enjoy the fruits of his labor by living in a liberated galaxy. However, that message is going over a lot of people’s heads, with plenty of conspiracy theorists flocking to social media to explain how Andor is clearly revealing that Cassian and Bix’s kid will grow up to be Poe Dameron from the sequel trilogy. The only issue with that line of thinking is that Poe has a pretty famous Star Wars family already.

[RELATED – Star Wars Fans Stunned by Andor Character’s Death (But We All Should Have Seen It Coming)]

Poe Dameron Isn’t Just Any Rebel in Star Wars

The driving force behind the Andor theory is that Poe is the right age in The Force Awakens to have been born during the events of the Disney+ show, and that’s not totally off-base. Poe is born in 2 ABY in canon, and since Star Wars doesn’t have a problem changing birthdays now and again, there’s a chance the pilot is a little older than his records state. But even if he is, there’s another important part of Poe’s past that canon is very clear about: he has awesome parents.

Like so many others, Poe’s parents, Kes Dameron and Shara Bey, grew tired of the Empire’s antics. They joined the Rebellion, with Kes being a member of the Pathfinders and Shara one of the alliance’s best pilots. While living on Yavin 4, the two had a child in 2 ABY and continued to help the Rebellion fight back. They were both present during the Battle of Endor, and after watching the Empire fall, they tried to live a normal life and returned to Yavin 4. Sadly, Shara died a few years after the Battle of Endor, leaving Kes to raise their son alone.

A wedge grew between Poe and his father, which is why he ran off to be a spice runner. But Poe couldn’t ignore the First Order’s growing influence, so he joined the Resistance, following in his mother’s footsteps by becoming a top-tier pilot. The rest is history, with Poe helping destroy the First Order and bringing peace to the galaxy once again. While it would’ve been great for Poe to have a connection to Cassian, both heroes’ achievements can stand on their own, and Star Wars still has room to give the newest Andor an amazing story of their own.

Andor Season 2 is streaming on Disney+.

Are you disappointed that Cassian Andor’s son can’t be Poe Dameron? Do you hope the newest Star Wars character returns in another project? Let us know in the comments below!

The post No, Cassian Andor’s Son Isn’t Poe Dameron Like Some Fans Think appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Star Wars galaxy on Disney+ has something for everyone, offering a rich variety of stories across live-action and animation. From gritty tales of rebellion to epic sagas of Jedi and Sith, and the return of familiar beloved faces (such as Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan and Hayden Christensen as Anakin), these series have become essential additions to the Star Wars canon, catering to fans of all ages. Each show brings its unique artistic vision and focus, enriching the understanding of the franchise as a whole. In this ever-expanding streaming landscape, these Disney+ Star Wars series continue to captivate and entertain fans of all ages.

15) Young Jedi Adventures

Young Jedi Adventures is an animated series specifically designed for a younger audience, focusing on a group of Jedi younglings as they learn the ways of the Force and embark on various adventures. Set during the High Republic era, the series introduces young viewers to the core values of the Jedi Order and the excitement of the Star Wars galaxy in an accessible and engaging way.

While not intended for the same audience as the other Disney+ Star Wars series, Young Jedi Adventures serves an important role in introducing a new generation to the franchise. Its emphasis on themes of friendship, teamwork, and compassion aligns with the fundamental principles of the Jedi and provides a positive and engaging entry point into the Star Wars universe for young viewers.

14)Star Wars: Visions

Star Wars: Visions is a unique and artistically adventurous animated anthology series featuring nine distinct short films created by various Japanese animation studios. Each short presents a unique Star Wars story with its own visual style and cultural influences, offering fresh and imaginative perspectives on the galaxy far, far away.

The series represents a bold and experimental departure from traditional Star Wars storytelling, showcasing the franchise’s potential for diverse interpretations. The overall project is a testament to the enduring appeal and adaptability of the Star Wars universe, paying homage to the culture that initially inspired George Lucas. Star Wars: Visions’ different animation styles make it a fascinating and visually stunning entry in the Star Wars canon.

13) The Acolyte

The Acolyte is the first on-screen adaption of Star Wars media set during the High Republic era, long before the events of the Skywalker saga. The series follows Osha – a failed Jedi Padawan who was rescued by Jedi Knights when her community was seemingly killed in an accidental first, including her twin sister Mae. It is a mystery thriller that explores the emergence of dark side powers in the form of “The Stranger” –  a mysterious Sith who disguises himself as a commoner named Qimir (played by Manny Jacinto) – in a time of Jedi prosperity. 

RELATED: Data Reveals Disney Shouldn’t Have Cancelled The Acolyte Season 2 (Could It Return?)

With a focus on Osho reuniting with her former Jedi Master, Sol, to investigate a series of crimes relating to her past, the show offers a unique perspective on a relatively unexplored period in Star Wars history. Lee Jung-jae’s portrayal of Master Sol and Dafne Keen’s Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon are highlights of The Acolyte, leaving fans wanting more of their stories. However, The Acolyte was not renewed for a second season, despite a devoted fan base clamoring for more.

12) Tales of the Underworld

Tales of the Underworld is the third installment in the “Tales of” series, this time focusing on Asajj Ventress for three episodes and Cad Bane for the final three. Significantly, the Ventress portion of Tales of the Underworld proved to be one of the most captivating stories, throwing viewers in the middle of an unseen storyline where Ventress and Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos fell in love. The Ventress portion feels like a backdoor pilot to her own series; one which would be extremely entertaining. 

Stripped of the clear-cut distinctions between the light and dark sides that often define the main saga, Tales of the Underworld forces viewers to question the very definition of good and bad. Cad Bane’s origin story, for instance, illustrates the idea that morality is not always absolute and that even those deemed villains may possess relatable motivations or operate within systems that necessitate questionable actions. This exploration of moral gray areas adds a layer of sophisticated depth to the Star Wars.

11) The Book of Boba Fett

The Book of Boba Fett aimed to explore the story of the legendary bounty hunter following his dramatic return in The Mandalorian. The series follows Boba Fett and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) as they attempt to establish themselves as the new crime lords of Tatooine. While the premise held significant potential, particularly with a story revolving around a beloved character like Boba Fett, the series’ execution earned mixed reviews from fans and critics.

The show’s structure, which frequently shifted focus to the story of Din Djarin, detracted from Boba Fett’s own arc. While Temuera Morrison’s portrayal of Boba Fett leaves nothing wanting, the series struggles to consistently deliver a focused and engaging storyline for his character. Despite its shortcomings, it further develops Boba Fett and Fennec Shand as characters and expands the criminal underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy.

10) Skeleton Crew

Skeleton Crew offers a unique perspective on the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on a group of children who find themselves lost in space after a mysterious event. The series follows their journey as they navigate the dangers of the galaxy and try to find their way home. With a tone reminiscent of the cult classic film, The Goonies, Skeleton Crew explores themes of friendship, resilience, and the challenges of growing up in a vast and often perilous universe.

REALTED: Star Wars: 5 Major Questions That Need Explaining After Skeleton Crew

While a newer addition to the Star Wars Disney+ lineup, Skeleton Crew has garnered attention for its focus on younger protagonists and its exploration of a less-seen side of the galaxy. Jude Law’s involvement adds a notable gravitas to the cast. The series’ ability to blend adventure with coming-of-age themes offers a fresh and engaging dynamic within the Star Wars universe, hinting at a unique and potentially impactful contribution to the overall lore.

9) Tales of the Empire

Tales of the Empire is another animated anthology series that complements Tales of the Jedi, offering perspectives on characters associated with the Galactic Empire. The series delves into the backstories and key moments in the lives of Barriss Offee and Morgan Elsbeth, providing insights into their motivations and their experiences within the Imperial regime.

Similar to Tales of the Jedi, the series excels in its concise storytelling and its ability to shed light on characters who have played significant roles in the Star Wars saga. Its animation style is consistent with Tales of the Jedi, and it offers a valuable counterpoint by exploring the perspectives of those on the other side of the galactic conflict.

8) Ahsoka

Ahsoka brought the beloved animated character Ahsoka Tano into live-action in her own starring series. Continuing storylines from The Clone Wars and Rebels, the show follows Ahsoka’s investigation into the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn and a new and ominous threat to the galaxy – former Jedi Baylon Skull, all while she grapples with her complex past as a former Jedi. Rosario Dawson’s portrayal of Ahsoka has been widely praised for capturing the character’s strength, wisdom, and inner turmoil.

The series successfully translated the visual style and storytelling sensibilities of the animated shows into live-action, featuring thrilling lightsaber duels and delving into deeper aspects of the Force and the mysteries of the Star Wars galaxy. Significantly, Ahsoka marked Hayden Christensen’s first live-action portrayal of Anakin Skywalker as a General during the Clone Wars, the introduction of Rebels characters – Hera, Jacen Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, and Thrawn – into live-action, and the first major live-action exploration two critical pieces of Star Wars mythology introduced in The Clone Wars and Rebels: the World Between Worlds and the Mortis Gods. 

7) The Bad Batch

The Bad Batch is an animated series that serves as a direct sequel to The Clone Wars, following the elite clone force known as Clone Force 99 as they navigate the tumultuous transition from the Republic to the Empire and protect the only known female clone – a child named Omega. The series explores their struggles to find their place in a changing galaxy and the definition of family. The characters are well-developed, and the series delves into the early days of the Empire’s rise and the beginnings of resistance.

REALTED: The Bad Batch Ending & Star Wars Saga Connections Explained

The animation style is a continuation of The Clone Wars, and the series manages to balance action-packed sequences with character-driven narratives, as well as cameos by beloved characters (such as a young Hera Syndulla and the return of Asajj Ventress) that are more than just superficial fan service, as each play a significant role in the story of Clone Force 99 and Omega. The Bad Batch’s journey and their interactions with familiar faces make it a significant animated pillar in Star Wars.

6) The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian marked a triumphant return to live-action Star Wars television, captivating audiences with its Western-inspired tone centered on the enigmatic bounty hunter Din Djarin and the endearingly mysterious Grogu (Baby Yoda). The show’s episodic structure allows for exciting adventures across the Outer Rim and the introduction of an expansive cast of supporting characters, including the nefarious Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) and the first live-action adaptation of Bo-Katan Krzye (played by Katee Sackhoff, who voiced Bo-Katan in The Clone Wars). The finale of the first season even brought Luke Skywalker in all his post-Return of the Jedi glory back to the Star Wars universe.

The poignant relationship between the titular Mandalorian and Grogu provided a strong emotional core that makes their journey all the more touching. While later seasons have faced some criticism for shifting focus and incorporating more established characters, the series’ initial impact on revitalizing Star Wars for a new streaming era is undeniable. Its high production values, thrilling action sequences, and the undeniable charm of its central duo have cemented its place as a significant and beloved entry in the Star Wars saga.

5) Tales of the Jedi

Tales of the Jedi is an animated anthology series that gives concise and impactful glimpses into the lives of various Jedi during the prequel era. Each episode presents a self-contained story, focusing on Ahsoka Tano, Count Dooku, and Qui-Gon Jinn. This detailed “behind-the-scenes” look at integral characters in Star Wars canon provides a deeper understanding of their backgrounds, motivations, and pivotal moments in their journeys. We see how Ahsoka was recruited to the Jedi Order as a child by Jedi Master Plo Koon and how Count Dooku became disillusioned by the strict and oftentimes contradictory Jedi Council, leading to his defection to the dark side.

The series excels in its succinct storytelling and its ability to explore significant moments in the lives of these beloved characters. Its animation style is visually captivating and stays true to the tone and atmosphere of the prequel trilogy. While not a traditional ongoing series, Tales of the Jedi offers valuable background and enriches the Star Wars lore in meaningful ways.

4) Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi provides fans with the highly anticipated return of Ewan McGregor as the legendary Jedi Master for the first time since Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Set only a few years after Revenge of the Sith, the series explores Obi-Wan’s secluded life on Tatooine and his unexpected mission to rescue a young Leia Organa –  daughter of his fallen apprentice, Anakin Skywalker and the late Padme Amidala. The series offered valuable insights into Obi-Wan’s emotional state following the devastating fall of the Jedi Order and his enduring sense of responsibility.

RELATED: We Finally Know Why Obi-Wan Didn’t Raise Luke Skywalker on His Own

The reunion between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader, once again powerfully portrayed by Hayden Christensen, was a significant highlight, delivering emotionally charged and impactful confrontations. While the series experienced some uneven pacing and certain narrative choices were debated by fans, McGregor expertly portrayed a hardened and lonely Obi-Wan, resigned to the barren desert of Tatooine in his lone mission to protect the galaxy’s greatest hope – Luke Skywalker. The in-depth exploration of Obi-Wan’s character during these early years of his isolation made it a meaningful addition to his story.

3) Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Star Wars: The Clone Wars stands as a cornerstone of Star Wars animation, significantly expanding lore and character development of the prequel era. Spanning seven seasons, the series provides crucial context for the Clone Wars, delving into the complexities of the conflict and the precarious position in which it put the Jedi – peacekeepers turned military leaders . It offers an in-depth exploration of iconic characters like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and introduces the unforgettable Ahsoka Tano, whose journey became a central and deeply compelling arc.

The series is lauded for its evolving animation style, intense fight scenes (particularly Ahsoka vs. Maul in The Siege of Mandalore arc), its mature storytelling that often tackled complex themes, and its profound enrichment and addition to the Star Wars lore. It provided crucial backstory for characters and events seen in the films and introduced new and memorable figures –  Saw Gerrera, Bo-Katan and Satine Kryze, and Savage Opress to name a few–  who have become integral to the Star Wars universe. The final season, in particular, was celebrated for its emotional depth and its powerful connection to the events of Revenge of the Sith.

2) Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars Rebels is an animated series that takes place in the four years leading up to A New Hope, focusing on the formative years of the Rebel Alliance through the perspective of a small rebel cell in the Outer Rim. The series follows the crew of the Ghost – Kanan Jarrus, Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios, and Chopper – as they stand against the growing tyranny of the Galactic Empire. Rebels is highly regarded for its strong character development, its nuanced exploration of the Force, and its seamless integration of elements from The Clone Wars.

The series skillfully carved out its own identity while also enriching the wider Star Wars universe, featuring meaningful appearances from iconic characters like Ahsoka Tano, Darth Vader, and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Its themes of hope, family, and resistance make Rebels a quintessential addition to Star Wars, leading to the characters adaptation into live-action in Ahsoka.

1) Andor

Andor has firmly established itself as a pinnacle of Star Wars television, and quite frankly, television as a whole. Its grounded and mature storytelling meticulously explores the early stages of the Rebel Alliance, delving into political intrigue and the complex and gray areas in the world of espionage. Though Diego Luna’s complex portrayal of Cassian Andor anchors the series and showcasing his transformation from a cynical survivor to a dedicated revolutionary, the series excels in crafting believable and intricate storylines for every character, each of which are of equal importance in the grand scheme of things and not just for the titular Andor.

The focus on the ordinary individuals who fight and sacrifice to resist oppression is perhaps best seen in Episodes 8 and 9 of Season 2 – “Who Are You” and “Nobody’s Listening!” – showcasing the tragic results of the Empire’s year long campaign leading up to the Ghorman Massacre, as well as Mon Mothma’s pivotal speech denouncing Palpatine that led to her officially absconding to Yavin to become the leader of the Rebel Alliance. 

RELATED: Andor’s Most Intense Scene Happened Outside the Battlefield

The show’s strength lies in its sophisticated plotlines, richly developed characters, and its willingness to explore the darker realities of the galaxy without relying heavily on familiar Star Wars tropes. Season 2 bridged the years leading up to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, giving fans a powerful, heartbreaking, and poignant conclusion to Cassian’s journey. The widespread critical acclaim and enthusiastic audience reception of Andor‘s first season, combined with its stellar final chapter, definitively place it at the top of this ranking.

The post Every Star Wars Disney+ Series Ranked appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars has spent its best years covering the Galactic Civil War. After the original trilogy focused on nothing but the conflict and the prequels spent another three movies setting it up, Lucasfilm dropped more projects set in the same era. Star Wars Rebels featured a small group of rebels fighting back against the Empire, while Rogue One: A Star Wars Story told the story of the group of heroes who stole the original Death Star plans. The latter was so successful that it spawned a spinoff on the Disney+ streaming service, Star Wars: Andor, which ran for two seasons.

Despite its titular character’s fate being sealed, Andor introduced some great Star Wars characters with their own stories worth exploring in a galaxy far, far away. Add them to the list of figures from Rogue One who still need spinoff shows, and there’s plenty for Lucasfilm to sink its teeth into.

1) Luthen Rael

There are few Star Wars characters as interesting as Luthen Rael. A former Imperial soldier who starts an artifact business as a front, he builds a network of spies across the galaxy. While Andor focuses on his actions leading up to the events of Rogue One, there are two decades worth of stories about how he builds his organization and avoids detection by the Imperials down the street from his home in Coruscant.

2) Kleya Marki

Luthen’s operation doesn’t work without Kleya Marki, a girl he adopts after defecting from the Empire. She becomes his most important confidant, constantly working the radio that lets Luthen stay in contact with his agents in the field. Her place in the galaxy at the end of Andor is pretty surprising given what happens to her boss, so there’s plenty of potential for a story about her during the events of the original trilogy or even beyond.

3) Mon Mothma

Senator Mon Mothma is one of Andor‘s biggest players, and she also appears in some crucial scenes in Rogue One. While that may make it seem like she’s had enough time in the spotlight, there’s room for a show about her time with the New Republic. Star Wars: Ahsoka shows how high up she is in the new government and that she has her fair share of detractors. A solo series can expand on that and dive into Mon’s feelings about the New Republic as the First Order gains influence.

4) Guardians of the Whills

When Cassian and Jyn Erso arrive on Jedha to meet with Saw Gerrera in Rogue One, they come across two fascinating characters, Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe. Both of them have a connection to the Guardians of the Whills, a religious order that’s as obsessed with the Force as the Jedi. While the Guardians have had plenty of adventures in the books and comics, they haven’t gotten enough love in live-action, making them prime candidates for a spinoff show.

[RELATED: After Andor and Rogue One, This 42-Year-Old Star Wars Question Is Even More Baffling]

5) Darth Vader

Darth Vader might only appear in a couple of scenes in Rogue One, but it’s hard to argue with the idea of the Sith Lord getting a solo series. He’s incredibly active during the period between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope, hunting down Jedi and leading Empire operations. A show just about Vader can explore the character’s psyche as he commits horrible acts in Emperor Palpatine’s name.

6) Dedra Meero

Andor‘s ending is pretty hopeful, with plenty of characters finally finding their footing in the Rebellion. However, Dedra Meero gets the short end of the stick. After dedicating herself to the Empire, she ends up in prison for botching Luthen’s arrest. But she’s not just in any cell; she’s in one on Narkina 5, where they build parts for the Death Star. Dedra will likely spend several years working on a superweapon she’ll never get to see, but once the Empire falls, she could end up anywhere.

7) Cassian Andor & Bix Caleen’s Child

The final few episodes of Andor don’t spend much time explaining where Bix is because Cassian is busy rescuing Kleya from Coruscant. However, just when it looks like things are wrapping up as the start of Rogue One closes in, Andor travels to Mina-Rau, where Bix is hiding out with her baby. Having another Andor in the mix opens up a world of possibilities, and while it would be nice for them to live a peaceful life, the rise of the First Order may force them to follow in their father’s footsteps.

Star Wars: Andor Season 2 is streaming now on Disney+.

Would you like these Star Wars characters to get their own spinoffs? Which other characters do you think belong on this list? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Star Wars Needs to Give These Andor & Rogue One Characters Their Own Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars loves a good parallel. Some are obvious, such as Rey starting her journey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens on a desert planet, just like Luke Skywalker, while others take effort to see, like Leia Organa wearing the same colors her father dons during the Clone Wars. However, the Lucasfilm project that brings things full circle the most is Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Being the movie that sets the stage for the original trilogy, it’s no surprise that Revenge of the Sith spends so much time putting the pieces in place and teasing events that are yet to come.

All of Revenge of the Sith‘s hard work means there’s not a lot of room for other Star Wars projects to touch it. But Star Wars: Andor Season 2 chooses to honor the movie’s tragic ending by putting one of its characters in the same bind as Anakin Skywalker and having them make a different choice.

Bix Knows What’s at Stake in Andor Season 2

The walls are closing in during Andor Season 2. After the events on Ferrix, Cassian Andor’s allies, including his girlfriend, Bix Caleen, resettle on the planet Mina-Rau. They’re all waiting for Cassian to return, but he’s unable to make it back until the Empire is doing visa checks, cracking down on undocumented individuals. Bix has to fight to survive when an Imperial attempts to assault her, leaving her shaken up. The next couple of years aren’t all that kind to Bix, and even when she’s on Yavin 4 with Cassian, things don’t feel right.

What’s really eating at Bix is that Cassian refuses to dedicate himself to the Rebellion cause. She knows they’re fighting for more than themselves, but he’s unable to see the bigger picture. After a brief interaction with a Force healer, who tells Bix just how important Cassian is, Bix leaves Yavin 4, leaving Cassian a message about reuniting once the mission is complete. While Cassian is hurt, he takes her words to heart and becomes instrumental in the Death Star’s destruction.

Bix and Cassian’s love story ends up being a tragic tale after the destruction of Scarif, and the knife gets twisted even further when Andor‘s final shot reveals that Bix has a baby. However, the Disney+ series’ final moments are actually remarkably hopeful, with Bix and her child looking to the horizon as the galaxy begins to take back its freedom. It makes one wish that Anakin had taken a page out of Bix’s book in Revenge of the Sith.

[RELATED – Star Wars Fans Stunned by Andor Character’s Death (But We All Should Have Seen It Coming)]

Anakin Skywalker Is Nothing but Selfish in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Like Bix, Anakin loses plenty of important people. Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi who promises to guide him, dies at the hands of the Sith, and Shmi Skywalker loses her life before Anakin can reunite with her. By the time Revenge of the Sith rolls around, Anakin is desperate to keep his wife, Padmé Amidala, alive. Things become complicated when Padmé reveals she’s pregnant, but Anakin still feels like he can find a way to keep everyone safe. Unfortunately, the Jedi don’t trust him, so he turns to the one other person in his corner, Chancellor Palpatine. The rest is history, with Anakin turning to the Dark Side and losing his family in the process.

Padmé really tries to give her husband an out, though, offering to leave the conflict behind and start anew someplace safe. And had Anakin taken her up on her offer, things would have played out very differently. After all, without Anakin, there’s no guarantee that Palpatine wipes the Jedi off the map so quickly, and even if he does, two powerful Force users, Luke and Leia, are coming down the pipeline and have their father training them. After all the work he put in, Anakin wanted to see the job done, but Bix had just as much skin in the game and knew the right thing to do was to walk away. The tough choices are never the easy ones, and Andor proves that the people willing to give up everything usually end up on the right side of history.

Star Wars: Andor Season 2 is streaming on Disney+.

Do you think Bix made the right choice in leaving Cassian behind in Andor? Do you think Anakin’s situation in Revenge of the Sith is similar? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Andor’s Finale Flips Revenge of the Sith’s Ending on Its Head appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Syril Karn’s journey into the heart of Imperial darkness wasn’t forged in the aftermath of Ferrix or by his own treatment as a devoted Imperial officer. The seeds of his disillusionment, the potential for a different path, were sown much later — years later — during his time on Ghorman. It was there, amidst the simmering resentment and the Empire’s suffocating control, that Syril first encountered the brutal realities he would later try to rationalize. His experiences on the oppressed world, culminating with the revelation that his trusted partner, Dedra Meero, had been lying to him for a year, and the horrifying Ghorman Massacre, could have shattered his faith entirely. 

Instead, at the last moment, where he could have chosen rebellion, Syril’s obsession with Cassian Andor overpowered any logic, ultimately leading to his tragic fate.

Syril Failed to See the Real Evil Until it Was Too Late

Stationed on Ghorman, Syril witnessed firsthand the Empire’s casual disregard for the local populace, even spending a full year among the rebels and learning about their plight. The subtle oppressions, the stifled freedoms, the ever-present fear – these were the backdrop of his daily routine. This proximity to injustice, even as an agent of it, could have begun to chip away at his unyielding loyalty to the Empire. Yet, he remained loyal to the mission he believed in: betraying the rebels and passing their intelligence to the Imperial Security Bureau. The eventual crushing revelation that he had been lied to for an entire year was a devastating blow. Not only was his trust betrayed, but the very foundation of his understanding of his work crumbled. The justice he thought he was serving was built on a foundation of deceit. 

The Ghorman Massacre itself was a pivotal, transformative event, and a chilling display of Imperial brutality. As seen in Season 2, Episode 8 of Andor, it wasn’t just a suppression of dissent; it was a carefully orchestrated genocide. For a man like Syril, who craved order and believed in its inherent goodness in upholding Imperial rule, such blatant brutality could have and should have been a profound shock, forcing him to confront the moral bankruptcy at the core of the system he served. This horrific event could have been the catalyst for a quiet rebellion within Syril. Standing in disbelief in the middle of the massacre, he could have chosen to seek answers to burning questions. Why would the Empire murder innocent people? What was the truth behind the rumors surrounding Imperial drilling equipment being transported to Ghorman? Why did Dedra purposely keep him in the dark?

RELATED: Andor’s Latest Major Death Led to the Most Devastating Star Wars Line of All Time

After the back-to-back blows to his worldview, the path towards defection was only one decision away. These events could have fueled a desire for genuine justice, a yearning to align himself with the oppressed rather than the oppressors. Yet, any path forward or step towards redemption and rebellion takes a tragic detour the moment Syril spots Cassian Andor in the midst of the Ghorman Massacre. The humiliation of his failures on Ferrix, which translated (at least in Syril’s mind) to his diminished station in life, was directly linked to Cassian Andor. Instead of recognizing Andor as a symbol of resistance against the lies he had witnessed, Syril fixated on him as the source of his personal downfall. The rage he had harbored for Cassian was stronger than his sense of morality; his perception of the evils unfolding in front of him.

If Syril had been of right mind, perhaps he would have chosen to revolt against the real source of his suffering: the Empire. However, Syril has been defined by his yearning desire to capture Cassain since the beginning of the series. While a world in which he becomes a rebel is intriguing, his choice to lash out at Cassian was perfectly in character. Syril could never have grown into a real impactful member of the rebellion so long as he blamed his personal downfall on outside factors.

In the end, Syril’s arc serves as a poignant tragedy of missed opportunities.  Dedra’s betrayal and his experience on Ghorman, both before and during the massacre, presented him with a clear view of the Empire’s dark heart and an opportunity to make a difference by siding with the rebel cell he had already infiltrated. He stood at a precipice, capable of turning his back on the lies and joining the fight for freedom. However, his inability to separate Cassian from his own personal failures ultimately sealed his fate, overpowering any logic that may have dominated in that moment. He became a victim of his own wounded pride, a stark reminder of how easily the potential for enlightenment can be overshadowed by the corrosive power of personal obsession, leading to a tragic end born not of Imperial might, but of his own deeply flawed choices.

The post This Andor Villain May Have Joined the Rebellion (But His Real Ending Was Better) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The final moments of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story are etched in the minds of fans: Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), having transmitted the Death Star plans, stand on the idyllic Scarif beach as the results of the planet-destroying weapon hurtle towards them. They embrace in a silent acknowledgment of their shared fate and the impact they’ve had on the galaxy. For many viewers, this embrace sparked a lingering question: why a hug and not a kiss? In a franchise often punctuated by romantic pairings, the lack of a final, passionate kiss felt conspicuous. Now, Andor offers a poignant and deeply satisfying answer, revealing the emotional landscape of Cassian’s heart and solidifying the bond between him and Jyn as one of deep kinship rather than romantic love. 

Through its detailed and emotional portrayal of Cassian’s past and his unwavering loyalty to Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), Andor reframes the ending of Rogue One, transforming what some perceived as a missed romantic opportunity into a powerful testament to platonic intimacy forged in the crucible of rebellion. Andor masterfully illustrates that love takes many forms, and in the face of imminent annihilation, the comfort of a shared understanding and mutual respect can be just as meaningful, if not more so, than a final kiss.

Cassian’s Unwavering Loyalty to Bix Solidifies His Emotional Priorities

Throughout its two seasons, Andor meticulously crafts Cassian’s backstory, revealing his deep and complex relationship with Bix. Their connection is established early in the series, depicting a history of shared struggles, mutual support, and undeniable affection. Bix is not merely a fleeting acquaintance; she is a crucial anchor in Cassian’s life, someone he trusts implicitly and cares for deeply. Their separation on Yavin, a plan enacted in secret by Bix herself to ensure Cassian committed fully to the Rebellion over their relationship, is a testament to the strength and selflessness of their bond. 

RELATED: After Andor and Rogue One, This 42-Year-Old Star Wars Question Is Even More Baffling

Bix’s heartbreaking decision underscores the deep impact she had on Cassian’s choices and his emotional compass. In the recorded message Bix leaves behind for Cassian after she leaves Yavin under the cover of darkness, she reaffirms her love for Cassian and promises they will find each other after the war. Considering audiences know that her hope is something that will never come to fruition, as Cassian’s story ends with Rogue One, Bix’s message is all the more devastating. If Season 2 of Andor established anything, it is that Cassian’s heart is already occupied, not by a potential romantic interest he meets later, but by the woman who understood him and sacrificed for his commitment to a greater cause. 

This context overhauls Cassian’s dynamic with Jyn. Their interactions in Rogue One, while marked by growing respect and a shared sense of purpose, never suggest a romantic undercurrent that would undermine his established love for Bix. Instead, Cassian and Jyn’s connection blossoms from shared adversity and a mutual understanding of the sacrifices required in their fight against the Empire.  

Jyn and Cassian’s Bond Was Forged in Shared Purpose, Not Romantic Desire

Jyn and Cassian’s journey in Rogue One is characterized by a gradual development of trust and respect born out of necessity and shared risk. Initially, their relationship is fraught with tension, driven by Saw Gerrera’s manipulations and the inherent distrust between two individuals with vastly different backgrounds. However, as they navigate the dangerous mission to Scarif, a deep bond forms, rooted in their shared commitment to retrieving the Death Star plans. Their connection is one of kindred spirits, two individuals who have experienced loss and hardship and find solace in their shared fight against oppression. 

Jyn, hardened by a life of abandonment and rebellion, finds a sense of belonging and purpose alongside Cassian and the other members of their rogue team. Cassian, burdened by his past as a Rebel operative and the loss of Bix, finds in Jyn a determined ally who understands the gravity of their mission. Their interactions are marked by a focus on the task at hand, with moments of vulnerability and shared understanding rather than romantic longing. 

RELATED: Andor Shows Love to a Major Rogue One Character (& It’s Not the One You Think)

The hug on the beach becomes a powerful symbol of this platonic intimacy – a final embrace between two individuals who have faced death together, their bond forged in the fires of rebellion and sealed by their shared sacrifice. A kiss, in this context, would have felt forced and inauthentic to the narrative established in both Rogue One and the subsequent expansion of Cassian’s personal life shown in Andor. The hug resonates more profoundly as a culmination of their shared experience, a testament to the powerful connections that can form in the face of overwhelming adversity, connections that transcend the boundaries of romantic love. 

Andor brilliantly reshapes the future dynamic, ensuring that the poignant ending of Rogue One remains a powerful and heartbreaking testament to the diverse forms of love and connection that can blossom even in the darkest corners of the galaxy.

The post Andor Provides a Heartbreaking Answer to One of the Biggest Debates About Rogue One appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Andor is a masterpiece. There’s really no other way to describe the show. Andor‘s first season surprised viewers with the way it used its setting and characters to tell a story about the dangers of fascism to the most endangered people — refugees and the working poor — while also showing the effects it had on other aspects of society. Star Wars has been in a not-so-great place since Disney took over, but Andor was a refreshing change of pace. Andor‘s second season went further in that direction, showing the horrors of fascism and what it takes to fight against it. Andor Season 2 ended beautifully, and the care it showed to its characters and story paid off.

I think that Andor was a perfect show in every way. Its characters and stories resonated so well because of the care put into every aspect of the series. No one ever expected it to be as good as it was, and it’s going to go down as not just the greatest Star Wars project ever, but also one of the greatest achievements in television history. Star Wars has been in trouble for a while now, and there are a lot of fans who don’t think Andor can be replicated. However, that’s not the case, and more projects like this can be made as long as they learn the lessons of Andor.

Andor Is the Way

Andor succeeded for one reason: craft. Right off the bat, before we even get into anything about the Star Wars stuff, we have to talk about that. The writing, the directing, the camerawork, the sets, and the acting are all examples of a group of people who are devoted to using all of their skills to create a work of art. Starting with creator Tony Gilroy and moving on down, this is a group of people who believed in Andor and put forth their greatest effort to make the show work. Andor, first and foremost, is a story about fascism and what it does to every level of society, something that resonates right now more than ever. Andor would work as a story without the setting of Star Wars because it’s not trying to tell a Star Wars story first and foremost. However, that doesn’t mean that it didn’t tell an amazing Star Wars story, all the same.

Andor used the setting of Star Wars as a universe perfectly. I’m a Star Wars fan who grew up with the West End Games Star Wars Roleplaying Game. I used to buy the sourcebook so I could have more Star Wars lore to devour. I read the Legends’ history of the Rebel Alliance a million times, about the Ghorman Massacre, and Mon Mothma and Bail Organa’s role in the Rebellion. Andor found a way to take the same kind of storytelling from that period of Star Wars and shape it within the new Disney canon. It’s not important that Andor used the story of the Ghorman Massacre so much as they captured the feeling of that horrific event. They brought entirely new aspects to it. They took old ideas and made them a million times better. Not only that, but they also incorporated the new canon ideas set up by shows like Rebels, uniting two different eras of Star Wars storytelling perfectly. This is what Star Wars can be.

RELATED: Star Wars Just Introduced a Major New Character With Andor’s Final Scene

Star Wars, in recent years, has been in a bad place. Star Wars was always a product to a certain extent, sold to fans as much as possible, but under Disney, it’s felt even more like one. However, the stories haven’t really been up to snuff for a lot of fans. Some people want Legends back. Some people don’t. Some people hate the Sequel Trilogy but love the Prequel Trilogy, some people hate the Prequels and love the Sequels. Recent Star Wars projects have failed, both from a viewership standpoint and from a quality standpoint. Most people don’t expect Star Wars to be good anymore. At best, they expect it to be crowd-pleasing fluff. Andor shows that it doesn’t have to be the case.

The key to saving Star Wars as a creative piece of fiction is by doing what Andor did. Don’t start with the idea of telling a Star Wars story because there have to be Star Wars stories; instead, start with the kind of story you want to tell. Andor isn’t about Star Wars; despite being a prequel to a beloved Star Wars movie, it’s about people dealing with fascism. Star Wars is a sandbox where any kind of story can be told, and the story is the important part. If Lucasfilm wants more successes on Andor’s level, they need to find creators with stories to tell that can be slotted into Star Wars, instead of Star Wars stories. Those are the kinds of stories that people get passionate about, and passionate people make better stories.

There Can be More Star Wars Like Andor

Star Wars feels, more often than not, like a cage nowadays. There are things that people expect from Star Wars, and unfortunately, it’s not good stories. They want their canon, their favorites, they want fan service. Andor showed that Star Wars didn’t have to be that way. The series found a way to be everything for everyone because at its core, it’s a story from a group of people who are deeply passionate about that story. They created something amazing. And it can happen again.

Not all Star Wars needs to be Andor quality, but it can still take lessons from Andor. Look at Skeleton Crew — Skeleton Crew was a coming-of-age ’80s kids romp set in the Star Wars Universe. It didn’t have to be a Star Wars story to be entertaining, because the people who made the show had a story to tell that they believed in and wanted to tell, and it was. Andor already showed the way forward for Star Wars, and it works. It’s time to treat the Star Wars Universe as a place to tell stories, not a place just to tell Star Wars stories.

Andor‘s full two seasons are streaming now on Disney+.

The post I Think Andor Is Perfect (Here’s How to Make More Star Wars Like It) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When developing Star Wars: Andor Season 2, showrunner Tony Gilroy considered including a cameo for an iconic original trilogy character, but he ultimately decided against it. Following the release of the Andor series finale, Gilroy spoke with Screen Rant and detailed his original plans for a Princess Leia appearance. Very early on in the process, Gilroy toyed with the idea of featuring Leia during the Investiture Week festivities that took place halfway through Season 2. In particular, Gilroy attempted to craft a scene between Leia and Mon Mothma, but it never materialized. He noted that the scene in question didn’t get past the conceptual stage.

“There were some nutrients for a scene between her and Mothma that if she was going there at 16 and Mothma had gone to the Senate when she was 16, there was some basic cool things for a scene, but it never got past that, and it never went to the casting stage, or it never got more real than that,” Gilroy said. “I remember talking to [Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy about it and talking to [Star Wars lore advisor Pablo Hidalgo] about it, but it never got traction, and then it became a distraction.“

Prior to the release of Andor Season 2 last month, actress Vivien Lyra Blair, who played young Princess Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi, revealed that she wouldn’t be reprising the role on Andor. While Leia herself never appeared on screen, her family still played an integral role in the acclaimed drama. Benjamin Bratt replaced Jimmy Smits as Senator Bail Organa in Andor Season 2, as Smits was unavailable due to a scheduling conflict.

[RELATED – Andor Dropped an Easter Egg Even Hardcore Star Wars Fans Probably Missed]

Bratt made his Andor debut in Episode 6, “What a Festive Evening,” which is the episode that features the Investiture party. The actor just has a cameo in the episode, exchanging pleasantries with Mon Mothma and her husband Perrin Fertha. Based on Gilroy’s comments, it seems like this would have been the episode where Leia appeared, getting advice from Mon Mothma about pursuing a career in the Senate.

Andor was never a show to lean on fan service, but a Leia cameo would have come across as organic. The Princess is heavily involved with the Rebel Alliance, emerging as one of the group’s determined leaders at such a young age. It would have made sense to include her, showing how she helped the Rebellion in its earliest days. However, from a certain point of view, it’s easy to see why Gilroy decided against it. It sounds like Leia only would have been part of a single scene for the entire season, which may not have been worth it. If Leia had a cameo and didn’t appear later on in Season 2, fans would have been disappointed. Rather than force something that wasn’t entirely necessary, Gilroy opted to just cut it.

Andor didn’t shy away from featuring Star Wars legacy characters, but they were never included just for the sake of it. Gilroy ensured they had meaningful roles to play, adding depth and richness to figures like Mon Mothma. As great as it would have been to see a teenage Leia working alongside her adoptive father to put the Rebel Alliance together, if Gilroy couldn’t find a way to weave her into the story properly, it was probably best Leia was cut altogether. Fortunately, Lucasfilm didn’t give Gilroy and his team mandates about which characters to include, and Andor Season 2 was able to end the acclaimed series on a high note.

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It’s not exactly a secret that Star Wars: Andor takes place between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope. After all, it’s about the early days of the Rebellion, so there are plenty of references to notable planets and characters in a galaxy far, far away. However, things go from zero to 100 during Andor‘s final episodes as the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story close in. Mon Mothma gets a haircut; Saw Gerrera moves his operation to Jedha, and K-2S0 joins Cassian on all his missions. But Rogue One isn’t the only Star Wars project that focuses on rebels, and Andor is well aware of that.

Andor Season 2’s second batch of episodes finally reveals the details of the Ghorman Massacre that make Mon Mothma sever her ties with the Empire. Cassian helps her escape the Senate after making an impassioned speech, which leads directly into Season 3, Episode 18 of Star Wars Rebels. Andor’s references to the animated series don’t stop there, though, as another one pops up in Season 2, Episode 10, “Make It Stop.”

Luthen Rael Ruins a Pet Owner’s Day in Andor Season 2

Andor‘s final arc finally peels back the curtain on the Empire’s big plan. Luthen Rael’s source within the ISB, Lonni Jung, gets his hands on top-secret files that house information about Orson Krennic’s weapon and reaches out to his rebel contact. Lonni wants some assurances before he tells Luthen too much, but the antiquities dealer has a way of persuading people. Once Luthen gets what he wants, he leaves the meeting immediately to pass on the information to his assistant, Kleya, in case he doesn’t make it off of Coruscant alive.

At first, it seems like Luthen keeps his word to Lonni about getting him safe passage. However, Andor soon reveals that Luthen chooses to tie up loose ends by killing Lonni and leaving him on a bench. The ISB plant remains there until a man shows up with his Loth-cat, which runs up and starts sniffing the corpse before being called back by his owner. The tragic moment drives home the fact that rebels like Luthen have to give up their humanity to win, but incorporating a Loth-cat speaks to an even more powerful theme: the fight for freedom is bigger than any one person.

[RELATED – Andor’s Latest Major Death Led to the Most Devastating Star Wars Line of All Time]

Loth-Cats Help Ezra Bridger and Co. Understand What They’re Fighting For

Lothal is one of the many planets that the Empire exploits. Promising riches for all, Imperial forces take control of the planet and engage in their regular shenanigans. After years of this, Ezra Bridger decides to fight back, which gets him on the radar of a group of rebels, including Jedi Kanan Jarrus. The crew spends the next several seasons fighting back against the Empire, and Lothal never leaves Ezra’s mind. He even shows appreciation for the Loth-cats that run around the planet despite their disdain for him. To him, they represent the innocence that the Empire is trying to snuff out on a daily basis.

Toward the end of Rebels, Ezra and his allies head back to Lothal to free it from the Empire once and for all. A massive battle breaks out, with many rebels losing their lives in the chaos. However, their sacrifices are not in vain, as Ezra, with the help of a few purrgil, sends the Imperials packing and brings peace to Lothal for the first time in years. Sadly, Ezra doesn’t get to see the fruit of his labors because he disappears along with the Star Destroyer threatening the planet, but his legacy lives on. His good friend, Sabine Wren, stays on Lothal, and when Ahsoka Tano arrives to pick her up and start the mission to find Ezra, the Loth-cats are watching on, appreciative of the heroes who got their home back on track.

Andor Season 2 is streaming on Disney+.

Did you notice the Loth-cat in Season 2 of Andor? What other Easter eggs did you catch in the show’s last couple of episodes? Let us know in the comments below!

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Star Wars: Andor is already being cemented as the “greatest piece of Star Wars content, ever” by many fans, who enjoyed the profound thoughts, views, and feelings of Tony Gilroy’s prequel TV series. Over two seasons, Andor took what was arguably one of the most underdeveloped (and arguably uninteresting) characters in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and transformed him into one of the franchise’s greatest heroic icons. It cannot be overstated what a feat it was for Gilroy to craft a longform prequel story to a film that’s already a prequel story itself, and still manage to retroactively infuse deeper meaning and development into characters we already know – not to mention a lead character whose death comes swiftly after first meeting him.

There are a lot of Star Wars fans who are finishing Andor‘s final episodes and hopping right into re-watching Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Disney+. I did the same, and while it was great to see one of my favorite (if not the favorite) Star Wars movies in a whole new light, seeing the darker, more serious and adult-minded tone of Andor left me thinking something else: now I really want to see that original cut of Rogue One.

Rogue One: The Edwards Cut

It’s no secret now that Rogue One was one of the first cases of Disney and Lucasfilm executives butting heads with their new wave of directors. Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Jurassic World Rebirth) had the final cut of Rogue One ultimately taken from him and handed to none other than Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy, who completed reshoots and script rewrites to an extent that has never been fully, publicly discussed. In addition to that, industry veteran writers like Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning), Scott Z. Burns (No Time to Die), and Michael Arndt (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) all added their flavors to Rogue One‘s story at different points.

The changes to Rogue One have been well documented in the years since its release. The biggest was no doubt the climactic Battle of Scarif where Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), and their crew heist the Death Star plans and transmit them to the Rebel Alliance. Originally, the Imperial facility on Scarif was designed to be spread across two locations – a “vault” holding the data records, and a transmit tower located across the beach at a separate location. That required a much more extensive battle across the beach, as seen in the now-infamous deleted scenes and trailer footage, which were filmed in Edwards’s signature guerrilla shooting style, like a combat journalist embedded in a military unit. Same for the sequence of getting the Death Star plans transmitted to the Rebel fleet above Scarif; fans are all too familiar with the deleted scene of a battered and bruised Jyn limping her way to the top of the transmitter array, only to be ambushed by a waiting TIE Fighter.

That original Battle of Scarif sequence echoes the larger thematic and stylistic tone that Edwards originally had for Rogue One, which was to be a much darker, grittier war film. “It’s the reality of war,” Edwards told fans at Star Wars Celebration 2015. “Good guys are bad. Bad guys are good. It’s complicated, layered; a very rich scenario in which to set a movie.”

Many Star Wars fans still remember the original Rogue One concept artwork shown at that same panel – the thrilling image of a squad of Rebel soldiers in special forces-style gear, landing in the mud and deploying for combat on a dark, rain-soaked night, with their full numbers obscured by fog and shadow. It promised the kind of experience that we really didn’t get until years later with Andor’s pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat espionage action and thrills. And while I love the version of Rogue One that now stands, I can’t help but wonder if Gilroy’s vision for Andor wouldn’t sync better with Edwards’ original vision for Rogue One.

Director’s Cuts Aren’t Always a Fix

Of course, it’s a reductive fallacy to think that way, I know. After all, changes were made to Rogue One that I certainly think were for the better. At first, Edwards had Jyn and Cassian survive Scarif, out of fear that Disney wouldn’t back the darker ending. That would’ve been a cop out from the themes of ultimate sacrifice and faith in an unpromised future that not only resonate so powerfully in Rogue One, but are directly responsible for creating the gallows irony that made Andor hit so hard (down to its twist ending final scene). Saw Gerrera’s (Forest Whitaker) Rogue One role was revised to be a tragic swan song for the broken revolutionary, which Andor has only helped cement as the right ending to the character’s epic arc through Star Wars. Multiple script revisions and reshoots all had to be done before proper introduction scenes for Cassian and Jyn (and others) made it into the final film, including Cassian executing his informant, Tivik, an act that came to define the character as a Star Wars antihero cut from a different cloth.

I’m happy for Star Wars to have the epic three part saga that is Andor, Rogue One, A New Hope, and while I wish that Disney would’ve had the confidence to make the kind of project on the big screen that Gilroy later did on the small screen, I think we’ve all learned an important lesson about what can happen when you wish too hard for an alternate cut of popular film. Let’s not go there again.

Andor, Rogue One, and Star Wars: A New Hope are all streaming on Disney+.

The post After Andor, I Really Want to See That Original Cut of Rogue One appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars: Andor creator Tony Gilroy explains why Kino Loy, the fan-favorite character portrayed by Andy Serkis in Season 1, did not return for Season 2. As Andor finished its run this week, the showrunner sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the final season and the series as a whole. Kino Loy’s whereabouts were discussed. When asked if he considered bringing the character back (perhaps as a member of the Rebellion on Yavin IV), Gilroy shed light on his decision. He felt Kino’s arc in Season 1 would have been too difficult to top and having him return would have undercut what made that story so special.

“Andy dropped the mic, man. What am I going to do that’s going to be better than what we did?” Gilroy said. “All it does is minimize that moment [where Loy reveals ‘I can’t swim’ after breaking out of the island prison]. I knew a lot of people were talking about whether we had a way of [bringing him back]. But I didn’t want to have that sort of coincidental environment.”

[RELATED – Star Wars Fans Stunned by Andor Character’s Death (But We All Should Have Seen It Coming)]

Kino Loy is introduced in Andor Season 1 during the Narkina 5 arc. At the Imperial prison where Cassian is being incarcerated, Kino works as the day shift floor manager, overseeing one of the many groups of inmates that are unknowingly building the Death Star for the Empire. At first, Kino just wants to serve the rest of his sentence and go home, but he eventually helps Cassian spearhead a prison breakout. He is unable to join Cassian, Melshi, and the rest since the one way out of Narkina 5 leads to a body of water.

The fate of Kino Loy is unknown; the character isn’t seen on screen after Cassian and Melshi swim away to safety. Prior to the release of Andor Season 2, Serkis addressed the possibility of returning, admitting that there were “no discussions at all” about what might have happened to Kino after the prison riot. Serkis did note that audiences didn’t see Kino die, suggesting the character could still be alive during the events of Season 2.

Serkis’ performance as Kino was a definite highlight of Andor Season 1, punctuated by his gripping speech in “One Way Out.” But even though the character was quite well-received, it’s probably for the best he wasn’t featured in Season 2. Though Andor is part of a large franchise and has several connections to previous Star Wars projects, it was never a show that engaged in typical fan service developments, such as having a beloved character coincidentally return. Given the amount of ground Andor Season 2 had to cover as it built up to Rogue One, there wasn’t really a natural spot to include Kino. At the end of the day, he served his role in the overall story, making an impact on Cassian during a specific period of his life.

Gilroy’s approach was a main reason why Andor was as successful as it was, so it’s hard to argue against him. “One Way Out” is such a powerful moment that trying to follow up on that seems like an impossible task. If Gilroy conceived an organic way to bring Kino back into the fold, he likely would have done it, but since no options presented themselves, it was better to leave the character behind. Though there probably won’t be any more on-screen exploits for Kinoy, perhaps Lucasfilm could continue his story in a novel or comic series. Fans would certainly be interested in learning about what happened to him after Andor Season 1, providing a greater sense of closure.

The post Andor Creator Breaks Silence on Why This Fan-Favorite Star Wars Character Didn’t Return appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Warning: Spoilers for Andor Season 2

Star Wars: Andor creator Tony Gilroy discusses the major twist in the series finale, explaining why he chose to end Season 2 on that note. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the showrunner opened up about the revelation that Bix Caleen was pregnant with Cassian’s child when she left the Yavin IV base in Episode 9, “Welcome to the Rebellion.” The final scene of Andor sees Bix back living on Mina-Rau, raising a child who will never know his father. Gilroy admitted this makes Cassian’s death in Rogue One even more upsetting, but he also hoped it ended the series on an uplifting note.

“It does three things for me. It does exactly what you said — I think it makes [Cassian’s] sacrifice that much more bitter,” Gilroy said. “And I think that for anybody who had any lingering doubts about Bix leaving in episode nine, it explains it for anybody who was hesitant about buying into that scene. And finally, ultimately, I was desperate to end on a hopeful note. ‘Rebellions are built on hope’ isn’t just a T-shirt, it’s a legit flame that a lot of people need to see. So hopefully I was ending on something that was upbeat, as it was important for me to do that.”

Before Bix stepped away from the Rebel Alliance, she left Cassian a message explaining her decision. Understanding the magnitude of the Rebellion and Cassian’s place in the fight against the Empire, she left so Cassian didn’t abandon the cause to pursue a life with her. She planned on reuniting with Cassian once the war was over, while knowing there was a likely chance she may never see him again.

[RELATED – Star Wars Fans Stunned by Andor Character’s Death (But We All Should Have Seen It Coming)]

Cassian unknowingly becoming a father is just one of the many ways Andor changes the complexion of Rogue One. Over the course of its run, the series was renowned for its ability to add depth to established Star Wars canon. Not only did it flesh out Cassian as a character, it also shed light on the morally gray origins of the Rebellion, making Rogue One and the original trilogy even more compelling in the process.

While the finale twist gives Andor one last emotional gut punch, it felt like a necessary one within the context of the show. By the end of Season 2, Bix had long been established as a fighter who would stop at nothing to put an end to the Empire. She didn’t have to leave Yavin IV just because Cassian wanted to leave the fighting behind and live a normal life; Bix might have been able to talk Cassian into sticking around if she planned on staying. Her secret pregnancy makes her decision much more logical. Perhaps the only thing that could have pulled Bix away from the Rebels is the prospect of becoming a parent. The Alliance life is not one for a newborn. And if she told Cassian the truth, he would have rushed to her without hesitation. Bix made her own sacrifice so Cassian could keep fighting.

Since Star Wars fans know what happens to Cassian in Rogue One, there’s no denying the imagery of Bix and her baby is exceptionally bittersweet. Still, it does accomplishes Gilroy’s goal of concluding Andor on a positive note. After all she endured, Bix is alive and at peace. Seeing her with her child is an emotional reminder of why the Rebellion fought until the Empire was defeated. Cassian and the many others who gave their lives never got to see the sunrise they made, but Bix, her son, and the rest of the galaxy could enjoy it.

The post Andor Creator Addresses That Massive Finale Twist (And Making Things More Tragic) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In its final moments, Star Wars: Andor introduced a major new character in the franchise. While fans know how Cassian Andor’s story ends (heroically dying in the Battle of Scarif), Andor featured several characters whose fates were unknown. In addition to setting the table for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Andor Season 2 finale needed to provide resolution for those arcs. After Bix Caleen left the Rebellion at the end of Episode 9, some wondered if the character would be seen in the last batch of Andor episodes. Bix doesn’t have a lot of screen time — only coming back for the show’s last scene — but it’s still very significant. The scene shows Bix back on the farms of Mina-Rau, raising a baby.

Warning: Spoilers for Andor Season 2

Andor doesn’t explicitly state this, but the implication, of course, is that Cassian is the father. So, while Cassian’s story ends on the Scarif beaches in Rogue One, his legacy lives on through a child he never got to know.

When Bix left the Yavin IV base, she recorded a message for Cassian explaining her decision. Understanding the importance of what the Rebellion is fighting for and Cassian’s vital role in the operation, she went away so that Cassian would stay. Seeing Bix with her baby in the final Andor scene all but confirms she knew about her pregnancy when she made her decision. It sheds additional light on why she left. Bix knew the Rebel base during wartime was no place to raise a child, so she stepped away so she could be a mother. Knowing that Cassian was out there fighting for their freedom probably gave her some form of solace.

[RELATED – Star Wars Fans Stunned by Andor Character’s Death (But We All Should Have Seen It Coming)]

Bix purposely did not tell Cassian about her pregnancy; if she did, Cassian would have dropped everything to find her and be with her. That was a sacrifice she was willing to make for the greater good. It may not have been an easy decision, but in Bix’s mind, it was the right one. She planned on living a peaceful, normal life with Cassian once the fighting came to an end. The revelation that Cassian fathered a baby shortly before he died adds an extra layer of tragedy to Rogue One. Not only did he never see Bix again, he’ll never have the chance to be a loving father to his child.

Fans should not interpret this development as a sign that one day, Cassian’s child will be the subject of a Star Wars movie or TV show, following his late father’s footsteps as a freedom fighter. Andor has always eschewed typical franchise tropes, and showrunner Tony Gilroy did not include this as a way to tease a continuation down the line. The scene’s purpose is to underscore what Cassian and his fellow Rebels are fighting for. In a way, seeing Cassian’s baby harkens back to Luthen Rael’s now famous monologue from Season 1. Cassian burns his life for a sunrise he will never see, but Bix and his child will get to see that sunrise.

Prior to Andor Season 2’s premiere, star Diego Luna promised Star Wars fans that the show would forever change the way they watch Rogue One. The acclaimed spinoff was already considered arguably the best Star Wars film of the Disney era, and Andor has only added a great amount of weight and depth to the movie. Cassian’s death struck a chord with viewers when Rogue One premiered nearly a decade ago; now, when viewers see him accept his fate with Jyn on the beach, it’ll be hard to not picture Bix on Mina-Rau, waiting for someone who will never return.

The post Star Wars Just Introduced a Major New Character With Andor’s Final Scene appeared first on ComicBook.com.

WARNING: There are Andor spoilers ahead! Andor is officially over, and this final batch of episodes had plenty of heartbreak and surprises left for the grand finale. Episode 10, “Make It Stop” finally gave us more background on Stellan Skarsgård’s character Luthen Rael, better known to the Empire as the Rebel leader Axis. In the process, we saw Luthen’s death, which was bittersweet as he went out on his own terms, withholding intelligence from the Empire until the very end. Of course, many fans predicted Luthen would die by the end of this series, and even those who didn’t had to admit that in hindsight, it should have been obvious. That hasn’t stopped fans from posting tributes to Luthen all over social media.

The first of this week’s three episodes was dedicated mostly to Luthen Rael and his protoge, Kleya Marki. When Luthen’s cover is finally blown by Dedra Meero, he tries to take his own life rather than be captured and interrogated by the Empire, but Dedra keeps him alive and takes him to an Imperial hospital. Kleya breaks into the facility and unplugs Luthen’s life support, letting him die rather than face torture.

Fans on social media called Luthen the “unsung hero of the Rebellion” after seeing this episode. Many Reddit posts celebrated the character, and marveled at the way his story was written to intertwine with existing Star Wars lore without interfering with any pre-established facts. Sadly, it makes perfect sense that a character like Luthen would go unremembered by the larger Rebel Alliance. In all likelihood, he would have wanted it that way himself.

[RELATED: After Andor and Rogue One, This 42-Year-Old Star Wars Question Is Even More Baffling]

“Luthen Rael, you burned your decency for someone else’s future, you died for a sunrise you never saw, but in spite of everything the dawn did come,” wrote u/Mando177 on Reddit. “The hopes and dreams of millions free of fascism will be the legacy of your sacrifice and struggle. Glory to the martyrs.”

“Undeniably one of the best written characters in Star Wars history,” added one commenter, while another wrote: “You could argue the show was as much about him as Cassian.” Meanwhile, fans speculated about the wide-reaching effects of Luthen’s actions in later movies and stories, from the establishment of Rebel Alliance networks and infrastructure to the philosophy behind the group’s future actions. One Reddit user wrote: “He had friends everywhere so you can imagine that when the rebellion was in full swing, he’d have those friends join it.”

While fans were happy to sing Luthen’s praises, it was difficult for some to process his death, realizing in hindsight how inevitable it was. They acknowledged that in hindsight, it was unlikely for a character like this to survive the run of Andor. If he were alive during movies like Rogue One or A New Hope, he would not be content to live in the background or go into retirement.

Andor is streaming now on Disney+, along with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the rest of the franchise. The series is complete now, with no plans for another season.

The post Star Wars Fans Stunned by Andor Character’s Death (But We All Should Have Seen It Coming) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars: Andor has officially come to an end after 24 episodes, closing a significant chapter in the galaxy far, far away. Since the series premiered in 2022, audiences have witnessed all-new insight into exactly how mild-mannered civilians could either become radicalized against fascist organizations or be led down a dark path, sacrificing anything or anyone in their path to climb the ranks of the Galactic Empire. Part of what sets Andor apart, however, is we know that Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) would ultimately sacrifice himself in order to obtain the plans for the Death Star during the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, yet fans still earned a handful of surprises, while also witnessing the fates of some major characters, and surprising new ones.

WARNING: Spoilers follow for Star Wars: Andor‘s final episodes.

Star Wars: Andor Kills a Major Character

Set a year after the Ghorman Massacre, Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) learns the truth about the Death Star from his ISB informant, Lonni Jung, killing him and leaving his body behind as he returns to his shop and prepares to escape. Before he can leave though, there’s a special visitor, Dedra Meero (Denise Goough), who arrives claiming she has always meant to stop by. Of course, this is merely an excuse to test Luthen to see if he will cower under the pressure of finally being confronted by the Empire. Before he can be apprehended, he stabs himself as to avoid torture and questioning, much to the disappointment of Meero. Not only does Meero face the disappointment of not being able to bring Luthen in front of the Empire, she is apprehended by her superiors for her actions of confronting him, potentially ruining their best shot at taking down the Rebellion.

Despite Luthen’s best efforts, he doesn’t succumb to his wounds and is instead taken to a nearby hospital. His assistant Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) knows that Luthen could be tortured, as she sets out to infiltrate the facility. Through flashbacks, we see Luthen first meeting Kleya, teaching her the ways of navigating the grey area between various forces and how to use your smarts to stay alive and make yourself useful. Kleya manages to avoid detection by the Empire to get close to Luthen to kill him, preventing the Imperials from torturing information out of him. After escaping the hospital, Kleya finds refuge in the safehouse occupied by Cassian and Bix (Adria Arjona) earlier in the season. From there she begins sending a distress signal, haunted by the information she’s learned about the Death Star. Her mantra she repeats to remember it all, which Rogue One fans will know well, “Ghoarman. Scarif. Kyber. Krennick. Erso.”

Cassian and K-2SO Team Up for a Rescue

Cassian’s friend Wilmon Paak (Muhannad Bhaier) receives the distress signal from Kleya, believing that the message hails from Luthen, which he immediately alerts Cassian to. Leaving with Ruescott Melshi (Duncan Pow), and the newly revived K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), they return to Coruscant. Sadly, Andor isn’t the only one to discover Kleya’s whereabouts, as the Empire attempts to eradicate her in the safehouse. Despite Andor and Melshi making it to Kleya, they’re delayed in leaving as she tries to explain the severity of the Death Star and the Empire’s secret plans. As a result, an Imperial squad pins them down and cuts off their comms. Luckily, K-2SO gets a sense of something being amiss, causing him to rescue his ally by wiping out the entire squad. The quartet manage to make it back to the Rebel base on Yavin IV safely.

RELATED: Andor’s Latest Major Death Led to the Most Devastating Star Wars Line of All Time

After they arrive, Cassian takes the information that he learned from Kleya on Coruscant about the Death Star to the leaders of Rebellion, hoping to light a fire under them about how quickly the Empire is moving to make sure that their super weapon is complete. The leaders however are not impressed or convinced by Cassian’s reveal, believing he sacrificed the safety of the entire rebel base for the personal gain of saving Luthen. As a result he has to argue for his place in the Rebellion instead of making the case for preparing for the Death Star. In fact, they all believe that Luthen was being fed false information by the ISB as they prepared to capture him.

Later, and all that in mind, General Draven goes to Cassian and reveals that Tivik, their informant feeding the Rebels information about Saw Gerrera, has made contact from Kafrene but will only speak to Cassian. Though Cassian believes this immediately, Draven thinks it’s all too much of a coincidence. The information from Luthen hailing from the ISB combined with a Star Destroyer parked over Jedha, and now endless calls from Tivik, make it all seem suspicious, like a trap. In the end, they decide to let Cassian leave the base and make contact with Tivik…setting the stage quite literally for Cassian Andor’s very first scene in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

As Andor‘s final episode comes to a close, it ends with a montage showing the fate of several characters leading up to the events of Rogue One. This includes not only seeing Kleya integrate into the Rebel Alliance, but also Orson Krennic as he supervises the completion of the Death Star, and even Dedra Meero’s ultimate fate, now confined to a prison planet that appears identical to Narkina 5. As the episode wraps, Cassian walks to his ship and prepares to make his exit from his own series and enter the 2016 fan-favorite movie.

There’s one last surprise though, and as Andor’s season finale wraps up we make a return to the farm planet of Mina-Rau, where not only do we see B2EMO is alive and well, but so is Bix. Most importantly, Bix isn’t alone, as she walks through the crops while holding a young baby, the child that she had with Cassian Andor.

The post How Star Wars: Andor Connects to Rogue One in Unexpected Series Finale appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Coincidentally, Diego Luna’s journey as Cassian Andor is ending exactly 10 years after it began. On May 13, 2015, Luna was cast in a lead role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a part that was eventually revealed to be the Rebel spy fans have come to know and love over the past decade. Even though that was the character’s lone big-screen appearance, Luna made a memorable impression thanks to his impassioned performance as the dedicated freedom fighter. He was a main reason why Rogue One was as successful as it was, and Lucasfilm eventually decided to build a TV series around him.

Andor Season 1 premiered back in 2022 and quickly established itself as one of the most acclaimed Star Wars projects of all time. The show returned for its second and final season this year, ending its run today, May 13th. Serendipitously, things have come full circle for Luna’s time in the galaxy far, far away.

Disney and Lucasfilm opted to switch things up for the Andor Season 2 release schedule. Rather than debuting one new episode each week like Season 1, this season saw three new episodes premiere per week. This decision was fueled by Andor Season 2’s story structure, as each three-episode block told its own mini arc. Because of that format, Andor wraps up today with its final three episodes, leading into the events of Rogue One.

[RELATED – After Andor and Rogue One, This 42-Year-Old Star Wars Question Is Even More Baffling]

Knowing how beloved Andor is today, it’s wild to look back and realize that it potentially might have never been made. Showrunner Tony Gilroy revealed the success of The Mandalorian “protected” other Star Wars shows in development, as it proved the franchise could work in the live-action television medium. Additionally, it’s hard to envision a world where Andor gets off the ground if Rogue One wasn’t as big of a hit. The film was plagued by a difficult production that saw significant reshoots that reshaped the movie’s story. That paid off, leading to positive reviews and a $1 billion worldwide gross. It’s unknown if the original Rogue One cut would have been as successful. If it didn’t land with the desired impact, a prequel TV series wouldn’t have been an appealing prospect.

Fortunately, many consider Rogue One to be the best Star Wars film of the Disney era, giving Gilroy & Co. the creative freedom to turn Andor into something that transcended the franchise. Andor isn’t just an acclaimed Star Wars series, it ranks as one of the finest TV dramas of the decade thanks to its powerful performances and compelling, mature themes that add a great deal of depth to Star Wars. Much like Rogue One, Andor is renowned for its storytelling, putting a refreshing spin on the classic source material. Because of Andor, Diego Luna will forever be a fan-favorite and Star Wars icon. Andor deals with the origins of the Rebellion as a whole, crafting a narrative that goes beyond just Cassian, but Luna is the beating heart of the series. Fans have enjoyed watching Cassian evolve from thief to Rebel leader, forever changing how they watch Rogue One.

Ten years ago was cause for celebration. Today is more bittersweet. This isn’t just the end of Andor, it’s the end of Luna’s time in Star Wars altogether. Cassian, of course, dies heroically during the Battle of Scarif in Rogue One, so he probably won’t have another opportunity to reprise the role. It’ll be sad to bid farewell to a memorable character and a great actor, but Luna has forever left his mark on the galaxy far, far away.

The post Andor’s Final Episodes Arrive On A Milestone Anniversary for Star Diego Luna appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It remains a perplexing mystery of Star Wars lore: how did the Empire manage to secretly start construction on a second, even more formidable Death Star after the devastating loss of the first? Fresh from their hard-won victory at the Battle of Yavin, the Rebel Alliance should have been hyper-vigilant for any similar Imperial projects. Their intelligence networks, fueled by the desperate need for freedom and the bitter lessons learned from the first superweapon, would logically have been laser-focused on detecting colossal construction efforts. Yet, the shadow of a second planet-destroying weapon rose; a testament to either the Empire’s unprecedented covert capabilities or a significant lapse in Rebel awareness. 

This curious oversight, a period of apparent silence on a galactic scale regarding such a massive undertaking, seems almost improbable given the high stakes and the immense resources the Empire would have needed to allocate.

The Cost of Knowledge Intelligence in a Galaxy at War

The events leading up to the destruction of the first Death Star, as seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, underscore the immense risks and sacrifices made to ensure the blueprints came into rebel hands. The film chronicles the desperate mission undertaken by Jyn Erso, a woman haunted by her father’s forced involvement in the weapon’s creation, and Cassian Andor, a seasoned Rebel intelligence officer burdened by morally gray assignments. Their journey, fraught with peril and culminating in the tragic loss of their lives and the entire team on Scarif, highlights the critical importance of understanding the Death Star’s vulnerabilities.

The data they managed to transmit at the cost of everything became the key to Luke Skywalker’s fateful shot that ignited the chain reaction leading to its demise in Star Wars: A New Hope. Rogue One serves as a stark reminder of the intelligence battles waged in the shadows and the lives extinguished in the pursuit of information that could tip the scales against the seemingly invincible Empire. Cassian and Jyn’s success in obtaining those plans wasn’t a mere footnote in the galactic conflict—it was a pivotal moment and a testament to the unwavering resolve of those who dared to fight back.

RELATED: Star Wars Already Showed Mon Mothma’s Speech to the Rebel Alliance Years Ago

Further exploring the early stages of the Rebellion and the morally gray choices made in its name is the Disney+ series Star Wars: Andor. The show delves into the formative years of Cassian Andor, years before the events of Rogue One, depicting his transformation from a self-serving survivor into a committed Rebel operative. Through gritty storytelling and complex character development, Andor showcases the challenges of building a rebellion from the ground up, the necessary compromises, and the constant threat of Imperial surveillance.

The series reveals a galaxy simmering with discontent, where whispers of defiance gradually coalesce into organized resistance. We see the early intelligence gathering efforts, the recruitment of disillusioned individuals, and the constant struggle to stay one step ahead of the Empire’s pervasive reach. Andor provides a crucial context for understanding the environment in which the Rebellion operated in the years leading up to A New Hope, emphasizing the constant need for information and the high price paid for even the smallest victories against a seemingly omnipotent foe.

Given the monumental effort and the devastating losses incurred to obtain the plans for the first Death Star, it seems almost inconceivable that the Rebellion would not have maintained an intense focus on detecting any signs of the Empire repeating such a catastrophic project. The destruction of the first Death Star was not the end of the war—it was a significant victory, but the Empire’s vast resources and unwavering grip on the galaxy remained. Surely the Rebel Alliance, having witnessed the destructive power of such a weapon firsthand with the obliteration of Alderaan, would have prioritized intelligence gathering on large-scale Imperial construction projects. One would expect their spies, their informants, and their reconnaissance missions to be constantly searching for telltale signs of massive resource shipments, unusual concentrations of Imperial Star Destroyers in specific sectors, or the construction of colossal orbital platforms.

Shadows of the Empire’s Secrecy and Scale

Perhaps the Empire, humbled by their defeat at Yavin, doubled down on secrecy, learning from their previous vulnerabilities. They might have compartmentalized the project to an unprecedented degree, utilizing remote construction facilities in less-monitored systems and employing advanced cloaking technologies or disinformation campaigns to mask their activities. The sheer scale of the galaxy could also have played a role. With millions of star systems under Imperial control, monitoring every corner would have been an insurmountable task for the relatively smaller Rebel Alliance. The vastness of space, while offering opportunities for concealment, also presented challenges for effective intelligence gathering.

RELATED: Andor Reveals the Secret Origin of Rogue One’s Most Memorable Line

However, even with these factors in play, the construction of a second Death Star would have required an immense logistical undertaking. The sheer volume of raw materials, the number of personnel involved, and the energy required for such a massive project would have been staggering. It’s difficult to imagine that such a colossal endeavor could have remained completely undetected for an extended period. Did the Rebellion become complacent after its initial victory? Did internal conflicts or resource limitations divert their attention from long-term strategic intelligence gathering? Or did the Empire simply become masters of deception on a scale previously unimaginable?

The plot hole created by this apparent oversight is significant. It allows for the dramatic reveal of the second Death Star in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, raising the stakes to an even higher level. The heroes, having overcome one seemingly insurmountable threat, are confronted with an even greater one, highlighting the Empire’s relentless capacity for evil and the constant struggle for the Rebellion. Yet, from a purely logical standpoint within the established canon, the lack of prior knowledge about this second superweapon remains a perplexing aspect of the conflict. It speaks to either a significant blind spot within the Rebel intelligence apparatus or an extraordinary level of Imperial secrecy that defies conventional understanding, leaving a lingering question mark in the grand saga of Star Wars.

Star Wars: Andor is now streaming on Disney+.

The post After Andor and Rogue One, This 42-Year-Old Star Wars Question Is Even More Baffling appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Force is a pathway to many abilities in Star Wars. In the original trilogy, the power allows users to influence actions, move objects, and, in rare instances, shoot lightning out of their hands. The prequels add a few more things to the arsenal, including the lightning-fast speed that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jinn show off in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. However, the movies aren’t the best place to seek out strange Force abilities, with the books and TV shows featuring their fair share of wild tricks. One of the most notable is Force healing, which makes its canon debut in an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Anakin Skywalker uses Force healing on the planet Mortis to save his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. Mortis is sort of a hotbed for the Force, though, so the new power doesn’t feel like something sticking around for the long haul. Well, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker proves that notion wrong by having Force healing be a major part of the plot. Unfortunately, the decision didn’t go over well, and Star Wars is still trying to defend it all these years later.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Doesn’t Earn Its Force Healing Reveal

The Rise of Skywalker‘s plot is all over the place. Following the negative reception to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Lucasfilm switched things up by bringing back Palpatine and sending the trilogy’s main heroes on a mission to find a Sith wayfinder that will reveal the Sith Lord’s location. The gang ends up on the planet Pasaana, and in typical Star Wars fashion, things go off the rails when they find themselves face to face with a terrifying serpent creature known as the vexis. While Poe Dameron and Finn want to fight the monster, Rey decides to take a different approach and uses Force healing to take care of a wound. The vexis appreciates the help and leaves the group to continue its journey.

Force healing also comes in handy again later in the film when Rey battles Kylo Ren. He feels his mother, Leia Organa, pass away and isn’t up for a fight anymore, but she stabs him with her lightsaber before she realizes what’s going on. Before Kylo succumbs to his injuries, Rey heals him, which helps him realize that he’s done being a tool for evil. Not long after, Rey heads to face Palpatine, and while she defeats him, she loses her life in the process. Kylo, now going by Ben Solo, decides to return the favor and gives Rey his life force, allowing her to live on and restart the Jedi Order.

Going from virtually no Force healing in the Skywalker Saga to it being the deciding factor in whether the protagonist lives or dies in The Rise of Skywalker is a tough pill to swallow. However, the powers that be at Lucasfilm clearly saw that outcome coming because they started laying the seeds for it early and haven’t let up since.

[RELATED: Star Wars Should And Needs to Abandon Television After Andor]

Force Healing Is Becoming Much More Common in Star Wars

Two days before the release of The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian released its seventh episode, “The Reckoning.” Din Djarin and the Child are attempting to avoid the Empire, but a call from Nevarro forces them right back into the action. They barely avoid a trap that Greef Karga sets, and during the scuffle, the scoundrel is hurt. Instead of giving up on him, the Child uses Force healing to get Karga back in fighting shape and gains a new ally in the process. The Child’s power doesn’t return in The Mandalorian after “The Reckoning,” making the moment feel like a desperate attempt to connect to something the movies are introducing. However, Force healing is back in an unlikely place.

Star Wars: Andor Season 2 focuses on the early days of the Rebellion, which includes building the base on Yavin 4. People from all over the galaxy come to the moon seeking refuge, and while everyone seems to get along for the most part, there’s one person Cassian Andor can’t stand: the base’s resident Force healer. The show makes it seem as if there are Force users all across the galaxy using their gifts to heal wounds and look into the minds of injured people. Some remain skeptical of the practice, though, with Cassian mentioning that his mother figure, Maarva Andor, had a bad run-in with a Force healer.

Andor‘s use of Force healing feels a lot more organic than what happens in The Mandalorian. There’s little to no pomp and circumstance, and the show left much about the spiritual nature of the Force and its shaping of destiny unstated, for the viewer to interpret how they will. It makes one wonder how Force healing would’ve been perceived if something like Andor Season 2 landed on Disney+ before The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters.

Andor Season 2 is streaming now on Disney+.

Did you catch the Force healer in Andor Season 2? Does its depiction in the Disney+ show help make up for its abrupt introduction in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Star Wars Is Still Defending One of the Sequels’ Most Controversial Aspects appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Out of all the unknown factors for the final 3 episodes of Star Wars: Andor, Dedra Meero’s fate is perhaps one of the most intriguing. Up until this point, Dedra has expertly navigated the brutal efficiency of the Imperial Security Bureau and carved her path through steely determination and a chillingly pragmatic approach. But even within the most hardened individuals, cracks can appear, and the guilt and pressure resulting from leading the Ghorman Massacre seems to be the first instance where we witness a flicker of something akin to doubt, perhaps even regret, in Dedra’s unwavering resolve. 

As we look towards Andor’s series finale, Dedra’s trajectory promises to be as compelling as it is uncertain.

Dedra Is Finally Witnessing the Cost of the Order She So Desperately Craves

Up until the devastating events on Ghorman, Dedra has been a study in controlled ambition. Her pursuit of Luthen Rael is relentless, driven by a sharp intellect and an almost unsettling commitment to Imperial order. We saw her meticulously piece together fragmented clues, outmaneuvering her superiors, and demonstrating a ruthless efficiency in the name of maintaining control. Her interactions, even with those she ostensibly commanded, were marked by a cold professionalism; a sense that the ends always justifies the means. There was little room for sentiment or questioning the inherent morality of the Empire’s actions.

However, the Ghorman Massacre casts a long shadow, and for the first time, there is a major shift in Dedra’s demeanor. While she has been cold and largely emotionless, Dedra finally breaks after witnessing the fallout of the Empire’s planned attack on innocent civilians, and knowing that Syril was among them. She cannot stop her hands from shaking and struggles to hold back tears, only managing to compose herself moments before returning to command. There is a flicker of horror in her eyes as she watches the chaos unfold, a momentary pause in her otherwise brisk and decisive movements.

RELATED: Andor’s Latest Major Death Led to the Most Devastating Star Wars Line of All Time

Despite a show of emotions, Dedra does not suddenly transform into a rebel sympathizer. Her commitment to the Empire, to the idea of order even if brutally enforced, remains to some degree, as she does not abandon her post after witnessing the cost of her actions. But the Ghorman Massacre appears to be a catalyst, forcing her to confront the human cost of that order in a way that she previously has not. The sheer senselessness of the slaughter that she herself had suggested to the Imperial brass and the fallout between her and Syril in their final meeting, forcing her to admit that she lied to him for over a year, seems to have sown a seed of doubt. Perhaps for the first time, the abstract concept of “security” clashes with the visceral reality of mass murder she helped to carry out.

Syril’s death as a whole will undoubtedly shape Dedra’s actions in the final arc of the series. No matter how detached she is or appears to be, losing the man she loved due to the Empire’s tactics would have to open her eyes. However, there remains the possibility that Dedra will continue to blame rebels for her woes, including Syril’s death, as she has been part of the Imperial machine for years, wholeheartedly believing the Emperor is right in his actions. Will Syril’s death reinforce her commitment to eradicating the rebellion, fueling a desire for revenge? Or will it further erode her certainty, forcing her to question the value of the system that consumed him?

Dedra’s Future Is Uncertain, Making the Conclusion of Her Arc Unpredictable

Looking ahead to the final three episodes, several possibilities emerge for Dedra’s storyline. One path could see her doubling down on her efforts, her unease over Ghorman and the loss of Syril hardening into an even more ruthless determination to crush the burgeoning rebellion. She could become even more authoritarian, viewing any dissent as a direct threat to the order she believes in, perhaps even becoming a more direct antagonist to Cassian and the other rebels.

Alternatively, the seeds of doubt planted by the Ghorman Massacre could continue to grow. Dedra could become more cynical; more jaded with the Empire’s methods. This could manifest in subtle ways: a hesitation to endorse overly brutal tactics, a quiet questioning of her superiors’ directives, or even a growing sense of disillusionment with the very system she has so diligently served. This path could lead to a more complex and morally ambiguous conclusion for her character, perhaps even a quiet withdrawal or a subtle form of internal resistance.

Regardless of the specific path, the final 3 episodes of Andor promise a significant turning point for Dedra Meero. The Ghorman Massacre introduced a crucial element of vulnerability, a hint of the human being beneath the formidable Imperial officer. Coupled with the impact of Syril’s death, this newfound unease has the potential to reshape her motivations and actions in extreme ways, making her one of the most compelling and unpredictable elements as Andor hurtles towards its conclusion. Will she become an even more formidable instrument of Imperial oppression, or will the cracks in her armor finally shatter, revealing a more complex and perhaps even redeemable figure? The answers we eagerly anticipate lie in the episodes to come.

The post What’s Next for This Andor Villain After the Ghorman Massacre? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The premise of Disney+’s Star Wars: Andor is a tough sell. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the project set directly after it, is already a prequel, showing how the Rebellion comes to acquire the plans to the original Death Star. But Rogue One pulls off the impossible by making a group of characters who have no future in the franchise incredibly compelling. Some of the standouts include Chirrut Îmwe, one of the mysterious Guardians of the Whills, and Bodhi Rook, an Imperial pilot who defects after crossing paths with Galen Erso. As great as they are, though, the characters at the heart of Rogue One are Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso.

Cassian, a seasoned rebel, shows Jyn the ropes, which involves dropping a memorable line she turns around and uses when times get tough. However, as Andor reveals, Jyn isn’t the only one in the galaxy who believes in Cassian.

Cassian Andor Witnesses What a Rebellion’s Failure Looks Like

Andor Season 2’s first three arcs built to the Ghorman Massacre. With the Empire in need of kalkite, a mineral that lives underneath Ghorman’s surface, it sends agents to aid the rebel cell growing on the planet. The Imperials allow the rebels to steal weapons in an effort to provoke an attack that will give them the green light to occupy Ghorman. Cassian first visits Ghorman while the rebels are still green, and he doesn’t come away impressed. He leaves the planet in the rearview for a couple of years until he learns that Dedra Meero, the Imperial officer responsible for the incident on Ferrix in Season 1, is stationed there.

Cassian and Wilmon Paak head to Ghorman, with Cassian posing as a member of the media. He arrives at the same hotel he stayed in years earlier and interacts with a familiar bellhop. Realizing Cassian is there to fight back against the Empire, the young man doesn’t check him in, allowing the rebel to operate without issue. Cassian tells the bellhop that he hopes things work out for him, and the bellhop replies, “Rebellions are built on hope.” Sadly, moments later, the Empire flexes its muscles on the people of Ghorman and kills hundreds of civilians. Cassian walks away from the event forever changed, but the message the bellhop gave him doesn’t leave his mind.

[RELATED – This Breaking Bad Alum Almost Played Cassian Andor]

Cassian Andor Pays It Forward in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

After the Rebellion learns about the superweapon the Empire is building, they task Cassian with helping Jyn find her father, Galen. The only way to do that is to talk to Bodhi, who is being held captive by Saw Gerrera, Jyn’s old caretaker, on the moon Jedha. Jyn doesn’t love the plan, and when she tells Cassian as much, he informs her that “Rebellions are built on hope.” The line sits with Jyn, who buys in fully after her father dies shortly after reuniting with her.

Without Galen to guide them, the Rebellion tries to figure out how to take down the Death Star with the resources they have. The meeting isn’t going well, but Jyn speaks up anyway and urges the leadership to send a crew to steal the plans for the weapon. They hesitate, so Jyn uses Cassian’s line to make them really think about what they’re fighting for. However, Mon Mothma and the rest still aren’t convinced, so the crew of the Rogue One heads off to Scarif on their own. The rest is history, with Jyn and Cassian succeeding in their mission but losing their lives when the Empire fires upon the planet.

Cassian had selfish goals when he arrived on Ghorman for the second time, but the tragedy opened his eyes to the gravity of the situation. He never looked back after, and when the moment came to inspire Jyn like the bellhop did him, he didn’t hesitate. That small interaction, while inconsequential at the time, changed the outlook for the entire galaxy.

Andor Season 2 is streaming now on Disney+.

Did you catch the bellhop say Cassian Andor’s line from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? What other references to the movie did you spot in Season 2? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Andor Shows Love to a Major Rogue One Character (& It’s Not the One You Think) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

So much of the appeal of the Star Wars franchise is the allure of the Jedi Order. It’s why every movie in the Skywalker Saga features at least one good guy with a lightsaber duking it out against some nefarious villain. However, there are Star Wars projects that feature Jedi that don’t need them to be successful. The Mandalorian is a great example because, while Ahsoka Tano and Luke Skywalker’s appearances are fun, the show still works without them. Unfortunately, Star Wars rarely takes the opportunity to cut itself off from Jedi completely, even when Star Wars: Andor proves there’s so much more to a galaxy far, far away.

Not every Jedi survives the events of Order 66. Emperor Palpatine wipes nearly all of them off the map, so during the events of Andor, while Cassian Andor and Luthen Rael work to build the Rebellion, there aren’t many Force-users to call upon in times of need. However, even if there were, Andor wouldn’t take the bait and doesn’t need to.

[RELATED: Star Wars Should And Needs to Abandon Television After Andor]

Andor Actively Avoids Referencing Jedi – And It’s Better for It

Like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Andor shines a light on the work that goes on behind the scenes to make change happen. And with an enemy as formidable as the Empire, everyone has to mind their Ps and Qs to ensure that the Imperials don’t catch on to what’s going on right under their noses. Fortunately, working in the shadows is Luthen’s specialty, as he spends his time recruiting people with influence to his side, such as Mon Mothma. She plays a major role in the first two seasons of Andor, which makes sense given her status in the Rebellion in the original trilogy. But she has no issues with calling on a Jedi to finish the job in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, making her movements in Andor feel like she’s playing an already difficult game with her hands tied behind her back.

What makes Andor so great, though, is that it’s a product of its time period. It’s easy to forget that, at the end of the prequels, when the Jedi Order falls, the galaxy loses faith in its peacekeepers. So, even though Mon Mothma is close to Bail Organa, who knows Obi-Wan Kenobi’s whereabouts, the thought of reaching out to him never crosses their minds. Star Wars Rebels also confirms that, whether Luthen knows it or not, he’s working on building the Rebellion with two Jedi, Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger. However, those aren’t the stories that Andor wants to focus on, and the rest of the franchise should take cues from the Disney+ series.

Star Wars Can Survive Without the Jedi

Outside of a couple of movies that are set to explore the Jedi Order’s past and future, respectively, and Ahsoka, there really isn’t much room for Force users with a sense of justice in Star Wars right now. The next big projects for Lucasfilm are The Mandalorian & Grogu, which may feature a Jedi cameo or two but won’t let them take over the story, and Star Wars: Starfighter, a film from Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy that takes place a few years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Neither is likely to have Andor‘s serious tone, but they don’t need it if they borrow the one thing that makes the Disney+ series stand out: fleshed-out characters.

Not a single character in Andor is one-dimensional, with all of them having major flaws and dealing with serious moral conundrums because of them. Some of the characters in the Skywalker Saga, especially a decent number of the Jedi in the prequels, fail to earn their spot at the table, and it takes supplementary material like Star Wars: The Clone Wars to make them interesting. If the powers that be at Lucasfilm start to be proactive instead of reactive, they can ensure that no one misses lightsabers and mind tricks when their next batch of projects drops, and they’ll have Andor to thank for it.

Andor Season 2 is streaming now on Disney+.

Do you think Andor is better for not having Jedi in it? What do you think the future of Star Wars will look like without Jedi? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Andor Proves That Star Wars Can Leave the Jedi Behind Entirely appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars: Andor has pulled off something nearly impossible: telling a prequel story that profoundly deepens the experience of the original story (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Andor deserves even more credit, as it’s technically a prequel of a prequel (Rogue One’s ending leads directly into the beginning of Star Wars: A New Hope). That all said, Andor Season 2’s final batch of episodes (10, 11, 12) have a unique challenge in front of them: bringing this prequel series to a satisfying close, without getting to see the actual payoff of Cassian Andor’s fight as a Rebel spy (that doesn’t happen until Rogue One).

Star Wars fans who haven’t watched Rogue One in a long time (or are saving that rewatch for after Andor Season 2) may need to do some fresh reconsideration of key moments in that film. It could be required to make the deeper meaning of Andor‘s final episodes truly hit home.

Here are 7 things to remember about Rogue One before Star Wars: Andor‘s final episodes are released.

7) All Those Spy Games Led to Death

The Death Star. In Star Wars: A New Hope and Return of the Jedi it represented the dark and destructive might of facsim and military forces like the Nazis, which has cast shadows of death and destruction across many groups of people. Andor has managed to deepen that metaphor, with Season 1’s prison arc and final post-credits scene painting a brutal picture of how slavish practices like prison labor can not only take away freedom but force oppressed peoples to quite literally engineer their ultimate doom.

Andor Season 2 has deepened the wound even further, with its arc about Ghorman and the ethnic cleansing the Empire planned and executed – wiping out an entire culture for a single resource needed for only part of the Death Star’s completion. The final episodes need to convey why learning about the Death Star (and stopping it) becomes the thematic climax to the show’s storylines for Cassian, Mon Mothma, Luthen, Saw Gerrera, Dedra Meero, and everyone who’s been caught in the web of their espionage cold war.

6) Meet the Ersos

The Erso family is the center of Rogue One’s story, but that’s about the only place you meet them in the Star Wars franchise, so it’s understandable if you don’t remember all the details. Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) was a brilliant Republic theorist, mathematician, and physicist, specializing in crystals, who was drafted into the Empire’s Death Star program think tank by the Tarkin Initiative under Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn). Galen’s expertise with crystals (specifically kyber crystals) was the key component the Empire needed to channel the energy of the Death Star’s super weapon.

By the time Andor‘s final episodes take place (1 BBY), Galen Erso is working from within Krennic’s team to turn an Imperial pilot (Bodhi Rook) into a spy and messenger who alerts the Rebellion about the Death Star. The odds of Galen showing up in Andor seem reasonable, and even if his daughter Jyn doesn’t appear, fans need to watch Cassian’s (Diego Luna) final arc closely, as the final sketches of his relationship with Bix (Adria Arjona) will likely redefine how we see Cassian and Jyn’s arc together in Rogue One.

5) Spy Family

Leia’s adoptive father, Senator Bail Organa (Benjamin Bratt / Jimmy Smits), has always been a low-key MVP of Star Wars, showing up like Scotty Pippen for key assists at key moments (helping both Mon Mothma and Yoda escape the Senate? Taking Leia as a final favor to Padme? He’s a saint!). Andor has only helped fans build more respect for Bail, as we now truly understand what kind of fascist boot the man was living under – all the way up to his tragic death, and the annihilation of his entire world.

Andor‘s final episodes may be the last place we get to see Bail Organa (and his family?) shine, while watching him stay cool and maneuver within the lion’s den, even when the jaws of the Empire start to chomp down.

4) The Final Mission

It’s important to remember some key names and terms from Rogue One, regarding Cassian’s mission at the beginning of the film. Cassian comes to the Ring of Kafrene trading post to meet an informant (Tivik) who tells him about Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) having captured Imperial pilot (and defector) Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), and the information that pilot has about a “planet killer” weapon the Empire has built. Cassian coldly shoots the informant rather than risk Imperial interrogation, and he follows his only lead, which is freeing Galen Erso’s daughter and using her to draw out her father. The group’s first stop is the moon of Jedha, where they hope to meet with extremist Rebel leader (and Jyn’s estranged mentor) Saw Gerrera.

The considerations for Andor‘s final run of episodes are all the intricate steps of espionage investigation that had to take place in order for Cassian to show up on Kafrene for the meeting with that informant. We’ve witnessed in Season 2 how methodical and careful he is as a spy, but by the time of Rogue One‘s first act, he’s running and gunning and barely escaping capture with a desperation that’s the total opposite of his usual demeanour. That same desperation will likely be born from the climactic final moments of Andor. The question is: what drastic turn happens to send Cassian scrambling?

3) Saw Long, Old Friend

Saw Gerrera has had one of the most unexpectedly long arcs in Star Wars – from his time as a young idealistic (if hotheaded) revolutionary during the Clone Wars, to the unhinged terrorist (freedom fighter?) he became in the Imperial Era. Saw’s role in tracking down and capturing Bodhi Rook is a footnote of Rogue One‘s story – one that Andor has laid down some purposeful groundwork to prepare for. Seeing Saw pulling off his final mission (a kidnapping at that) is something Andor fans have earned.

2) The ‘Full Luthen’

When Cassian brings Jyn to the Rebel base on Yavin IV in Rogue One, leader Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) covertly orders him to kill Galen Erso after making contact, instead of rescuing him (as Jyn believes). Mon and other leaders feel Galen’s knowledge is simply too dangerous for him to live. Cassian accepts without hesitation – not the only instance in the film of his cold killer nature.

Andor‘s final episodes are expected to fill in the final gap of Mon’s arc from being a wealthy elitist senator and spy to going ‘Full Luthen’ and becoming the same kind of ruthless, compartmentalized, and manipulative leader he was. There’s also going to be a clear evolution in Cassian Andor and Mon Mothma’s relationship as Rebel leaders by the time these final eps take place. All those formative years we watched over two seasons led to two Rebel leaders who have little left to lose, and are sharp and ruthless in ways they never thought they’d be.

Where does that leave Luthen? Well, answering that is a big part of what Andor’s climax should be built upon.

1) Where It All Ends

The “Battle of Scarif” was the pivotal climax of Rogue One, which saw Cassian and Jyn’s squad infiltrate the Imperial facility on Planet Scarif, steal the Death Star schematics, and transmit them to the Rebel fleet. Tarkin then annihilated the planet with the Death Star’s weapon, taking Jyn and Cassian with it.

Andor fans spotted the show’s subtle-but-heartbreaking foreshadowing of Cassian’s last moments during Season 1’s episode “Daughter of Ferrix”. After escaping prison on Narkina 5, Cassian returned to the lavish planet Niamos to retrieve his belongings, only to learn that his adopted mother Maarva had died. He stares out over the ocean, heartbroken, which made fans realize his last moments with Jyn, and assuring her that her father was proud, was also his own assurance about his mother’s pride in him.

The final episodes of Season 2 will probably deepen Cassian’s death even further, making us know with agonizing certainty all of the people and experiences that flash through his mind before dying – and all those he hopes to see again on the other side.

Andor and Rogue One can be streamed on Disney+.

The post 7 Key Things to Remember About Rogue One Before Andor’s Final Episodes Drop appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The latest installment of Andor, titled “Welcome to the Rebellion,” culminated in a moment that sent shockwaves through the Star Wars galaxy. In a powerful and emotionally charged sequence, Senator Mon Mothma, long a beacon of quiet resistance within the Imperial Senate, finally cast off the shackles of political maneuvering and delivered a blistering denunciation of the Ghorman Massacre and the Emperor himself. The episode’s conclusion hinted at a pivotal development: a second, crucial speech that Mon Mothma was slated to deliver to disparate rebel cells scattered across the galaxy. While the address is not shown in Andor, the significance of this upcoming speech was paramount, as Mon’s leadership is vital for the rebellion. For eagle-eyed Star Wars aficionados, this moment carried a profound weight, directly connecting the gritty realism of Andor to the more overtly heroic era depicted in Star Wars Rebels. 

The impending speech, though unseen by Cassian in this moment, is none other than the stirring call to arms delivered by Mon Mothma in the Season 3 Rebels episode, “Secret Cargo.” 

Mon Mothma’s Scathing Speech to the Imperial Senate Was the First of Two Powerful Addresses

After declaring Palpatine a monster responsible for genocide on Ghroman before a stunned assembly, Mon Mothma irrevocably branded herself a traitor to the Empire, setting in motion a chain of events that necessitated a perilous escape from Coruscant with the assistance of Cassian Andor. This bold act not only ratcheted up the tension within Andor but also laid the groundwork for the unified Rebel Alliance that fans have known and cherished for decades.

After Cassian ushered Mon Motham to one of Luthen Rael’s safehouses, it is revealed that she would give an address to the scattered rebel factions. The early days of the rebellion, as depicted in Andor, showcased a fragmented landscape of independent cells, each operating with their own agendas and methods. Bringing these disparate groups together under a unified leadership and a common cause was a monumental task, one that required a figure of immense credibility and unwavering conviction. Mon Mothma, with her established reputation as a principled senator and her newfound status as a public enemy of the Empire, was uniquely positioned to fulfill this role.

The speech referenced in Andor is delivered by Mon Mothma in Star Wars Rebels‘ “Secret Cargo,” and serves as a powerful testament to her ability to inspire and unite. In that episode, Mon Mothma addresses the scattered rebel cells, articulating a clear vision for a galaxy free from Imperial tyranny. Her words, filled with hope and determination, resonated deeply with those who had already taken up arms against the Empire, providing a much-needed sense of cohesion and purpose. As she concludes her speech while aboard Captain Hera Syndulla’s ship, The Ghost, Mothma and the Ghost crew all wait on baited breath for any response from the rebel cells. Almost immediately, ships begin to appear out of hyperspace, joining with the Spectre rebel cell (Hera Syndulla, Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Zeb Orrelios, and Chopper), signifying the real start of the unified rebellion. The fact that Andor explicitly sets up this pivotal moment, even without showing it directly, creates a powerful link between the two series, demonstrating the gradual but crucial steps taken towards the formation of the Rebel Alliance.

RELATED: Andor’s Most Intense Scene Happened Outside the Battlefield

By connecting Mon Mothma’s defiant Senate speech in Andor with her unifying address to the rebel cells in Rebels, the long and arduous journey of resistance is made clear. It highlights the transition from isolated acts of defiance to a coordinated and galaxy-spanning movement. Cassian’s departure before hearing the second speech is also significant. His journey in Andor is one of gradual radicalization, and at this stage, the broader political implications of Mothma’s actions and the fledgling rebellion are not his primary concern. His focus remains on immediate survival and personal motivations due to his relationship with Bix. However, the seeds of rebellion have been sown, and his path will inevitably lead him back to this growing conflict to his ultimate fate shown in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The deliberate connection between Andor and Rebels through Mon Mothma’s speeches serves to enrich both narratives. Andor provides the gritty context and the personal sacrifices that paved the way for the more overtly heroic struggles depicted in Rebels. It shows the difficult choices, the covert operations, and the individual acts of courage that were essential in building a unified resistance. Conversely, the later half of Rebels offers a glimpse into the fruits of these early efforts, showcasing a more established and coordinated rebellion fighting for the liberation of the galaxy.

Ultimately, Episode 9 of Andor not only delivered a gripping and pivotal moment in its own storyline but also masterfully wove itself into the fabric of the larger Star Wars saga. Mon Mothma’s courageous denunciation of the Empire and the subsequent setup for her unifying speech to the rebel cells serve as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices and the unwavering commitment required to ignite and sustain a galaxy-wide rebellion. By explicitly linking these events to the iconic speech from Star Wars Rebels, the series provides a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the origins of the Rebel Alliance, offering a satisfying and insightful connection for longtime fans. The stage is now set for the disparate sparks of resistance to coalesce into a blazing fire, a fire that Mon Mothma’s words so eloquently ignited years before we witnessed it on screen.

The post Star Wars Already Showed Mon Mothma’s Speech to the Rebel Alliance Years Ago appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Andor creator Tony Gilroy opens up about the original plan for K-2SO’s return, detailing a scrapped episode that played out like a horror movie. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the showrunner discussed the development of Episodes 7-9, the batch that finally brings Cassian’s droid companion back to the fold. At one point, Andor writer Dan Gilroy had a concept for a “self-contained” episode that would have served as K-2’s introduction. The idea was to portray the Imperial security droid essentially as a horror movie villain, hunting down Cassian and crew during a mission where the Rebels are transporting a tanker ship back to Yavin. While the idea was great on paper, it would have been too expensive to produce, necessitating rewrites.

“Dan Gilroy wrote an amazing, entirely self-contained episode that was episode 209,” Gilroy said. “It was an amazing episode that was like a horror movie. It was the K2 story. They had to bring this huge ugly tanker ship to Yavin, and there was a KX unit that was trapped inside there hunting. It was sort of like a monster movie with K2 on it. It was really cool. We could not afford to do it. It was made clear that it was out of the range, so we had to abandon that and consolidate things.”

In Andor Season 2, the droid fans know as K-2SO first appears in the eighth episode, “Who Are You?” He is part of a group of KX units who terrorize peaceful protestors during the Ghorman massacre, killing several innocent people. As K-2 closes in on Cassian and Wilmon, one of the Ghor, Samm, crashes into the droid and eliminates him. Cassian takes K-2 back to Yavin to be rebuilt and reprogrammed into the Rogue One character audiences know and love.

[RELATED – Andor’s Most Intense Scene Happened Outside the Battlefield]

Andor is set to wrap up its run on Tuesday, May 13th with its final three episodes. Season 2, Episode 9 – “Welcome to the Rebellion” ends with K-2SO’s rebirth, teasing that he will have a sizable role to play in the show’s remaining arc.

Lucasfilm granted the Andor creative team a substantial amount of freedom when making the show, but even the critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series had to work within some limits. Andor already has a very large budget, and the studio was likely trying to save where it could. It’s understandable why Disney/Lucasfilm balked at Dan Gilroy’s horror script. There’s obviously a lot of special effects work that goes into creating a character like K-2SO, which isn’t cheap. If the droid was featured more prominently in an episode, the costs would have gone up, and it might not have been sustainable. Fortunately, the Gilroy brothers found a way to compromise; K-2’s introduction in Andor still has traces of horror. The Ghorman massacre is one of the most horrific, terrifying sequences in the entire franchise.

The cost concerns around the scrapped K-2SO-centric episode raises questions about how large of a role the droid will have in the last three Andor episodes. Hopefully, he has a key part to play. The dynamic between Cassian and K-2SO was one of the many highlights of Rogue One, and many fans are looking forward to seeing the two together again. It sounds like Gilroy might have had to be strategic about where and how he implements the droid, so any scenes featuring K-2 should leave a memorable impact. Andor adds depth to Rogue One and changes the way fans will watch that movie, so this final arc shouldn’t be any different.

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The Star Wars galaxy often paints its most dramatic moments with the broad strokes of starfighter engagements and the clash of armies. Yet, the true intensity of rebellion often simmers beneath the surface, in the hushed corridors of power and the clandestine movements of those who dare to defy tyranny. Season 2, Episode 9 of Star Wars: Andor aptly entitled “Welcome to the Rebellion,” masterfully captures this tension, and one of its most gripping sequences unfolds not amidst laser fire and explosions, but within the politically charged confines of the Imperial Senate, as Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) delivers a pivotal speech that she knows will brand her a traitor to the Empire. 

With Mothma’s mind made up about speaking out against the Ghorman Massacre in the Imperial Senate, two rebel leaders in her closest circle – Senator Bail Organa (Benjamin Bratt) and Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) – both devise separate plans for Mothma’s speedy and perilous escape from the Senate.

Andor Proves That Star Wars Doesn’t Always Need Blasters or Lightsabers to Create Tension

The scene is set in the grand, yet oppressive, halls of the Imperial Senate. Mon Mothma, the Chandrilian senator of esteemed standing and secret linchpin of the burgeoning Rebel Alliance, has just concluded a speech that reverberates with raw courage and stark accusation. Her words, now echoing in the stunned silence of the chamber, leave no room for misinterpretation: 

“Fellow Senators, friends, colleagues, allies, adversaries. I stand before you this morning with a heavy heart. I’ve spent my life in this chamber. I came here as a child. And as I look around now, I realize I have almost no memories that pre-date my arrival and few bonds of affection that cleave so tightly. Through these many years, I believe I have served my constituents honorably and upheld our code of conduct. This chamber is a cauldron of opinions and we’ve certainly all had our patience and tempers tested in pursuit of our ideals. Disagree as we might, I am hopeful that those of you who know me will vouch for my credibility in the days to come.”

“I stand this morning with a difficult message. I believe we are in crisis. The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest. This Chamber’s hold on the truth was finally lost on the Ghorman Plaza. What took place yesterday…what happened yesterday on Ghorman was unprovoked genocide! Yes! Genocide! And that truth has been exiled from this chamber! And the monster screaming the loudest? The monster we’ve helped create? The monster who will come for us all soon enough is Emperor Palpatine!”

RELATED: Andor Season 2 Is Confirming Why Mon Mothma Is One of the Most Pivotal Figures in Star Wars

The atmosphere in the Senate chamber following this address is electric, a volatile mix of shock, outrage, and dawning fear. Loyalists to the Empire regard her with undisguised fury, their power challenged by her fearlessness. Others, senators whose consciences have long been troubled by the Empire’s iron fist, watch her with a mixture of awe at her bravery and terror at the retribution that will surely follow. Mon Mothma, having cast aside the carefully constructed facade of a concerned but compliant senator, stands resolute, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air. The undercurrent of danger is no longer subtle; it is a palpable threat as the Imperial communications agents scramble to cut off her broadcast.

Cassian Andor & Mon Mothma’s Long-Awaited Meeting is Marked With High Stakes & Higher Adrenaline

It is into this maelstrom that Cassian Andor steps. Tasked by Luthen Rael to ensure Mon Mothma’s safety in the immediate aftermath of her seismic speech, he moves with a quiet urgency, his eyes scanning the chamber for any immediate threats. He understands that the delicate dance of political maneuvering has ended, replaced by the stark reality of survival. The subtle shift in the atmosphere is gone; the air crackles with open hostility and the palpable tension of impending action.

As Mothma hurriedly exits her senate chambers with Cassian, she lets the blue robe she wore during her speech drop to the floor, exchanging it soon after for Cassian’s tactical leather jacket; a visual symbol of Mothma leaving behind her life as a senator for a corrupt Empire and embracing her new role as the leader of the soon-to-be united Rebel Alliance.

Cassian guides Mothma through the labyrinthine pathways of the Senate building. There is no time for farewells or explanations to bewildered colleagues. The urgency of their movements speaks volumes, their hurried footsteps echoing the frantic beat of their hearts. They are acutely aware that the Empire’s security forces will be mobilized swiftly, alerted to the unprecedented act of defiance and the now-fugitive senator. Every turn, every shadowed corridor, presents a potential encounter, a risk of capture.

A critical moment arises when they are confronted by Imperial security personnel, their suspicion immediately aroused by their hurried pace and their unsanctioned departure. This brief but intense confrontation encapsulates the core conflict: the individual fighting for freedom against the overwhelming power of the state. Cassian, relying on his street-honed instincts and his ability to think quickly under pressure, manages to create a diversion, his actions buying them precious, vital seconds. He knows the catastrophic consequences should Mon Mothma fall into Imperial hands. Her capture would be an irreparable blow to the burgeoning Rebellion, silencing its most prominent voice and potentially exposing its hidden networks, including the integral base on Yavin.

The escape escalates into a desperate race against time. They move with a shared sense of purpose, determination etched on Cassian’s face and pure shock on Mothma’s. Cassian’s focus is unwavering, his movements precise and efficient as he navigates the intricate network of corridors and service tunnels with his hand firmly on the senator’s back. His priority is absolute: to extract Mon Mothma from the very heart of Imperial power before the iron grip of the Empire closes around her. He utilizes his knowledge of the building’s underbelly, the less-guarded routes that offer a slim chance of evading detection.

RELATED: Andor’s Season 2 First Arc Directly Sets Up Mon Mothma’s Pivotal Star Wars Rebels Story Arc

Meanwhile, within the cold efficiency of an Imperial command center, the alarm has been sounded. The news of Mon Mothma’s incendiary speech and her subsequent flight spreads like wildfire through the ranks of the security forces. An officer barks orders, his urgency reflecting the irrevocable impact of her actions and the imperative to apprehend her swiftly and decisively. The immediate mobilization of Imperial troops underscores the profound threat Mon Mothma now represents and the ruthlessness with which the Empire will move to silence her.

The tension reaches its peak as Cassian and Mon Mothma make their final dash for freedom. Upon approaching the designated loading bay, they realize they will be cut off and captured by Stormtroopers. Mothma, thinking quickly, takes the lead from Cassian and swiftly guides him to where her private vehicle was stationed. Before they can reach the car, she spots her driver (who is an Imperial plant) mere feet ahead of them. Cassian, acting with a calm urgency, throws the man off kilter by calling his name loudly, only for Cassian to quickly shoot him with his blaster so that he can get Mothma safely through the final stretch of their daring escape. 

Even After Reaching Safety, the Sense of Urgency Still Lingers

Even as Cassian expertly pilots away from the imposing structure of the Senate, it feels as though they are not in the clear; that danger looms everywhere for Mon Mothma. He successfully navigates the perilous escape, his resolve fueled by the knowledge that he is carrying not just a senator but the very spark of rebellion, a beacon of hope for a galaxy shrouded in darkness. He delivers Mon Mothma to a place of relative safety–one of Luthen’s safe houses in which Cassian once lived–ensuring that her courageous act of defiance continues to resonate, igniting the flames of resistance across the stars. 

Though Cassian is not tasked with escorting Mothma all the way to Yavin (that is a privilege saved for Gold Squadron, particularly Captain Hera Syndulla and the Spectre rebel cell as seen in Star Wars Rebels), he was the only one among the many rebel spies at Luthen’s command with the savvy, bravery, and skill set for an escape mission of such significance. For Luthen – a man shrouded in mystery who does not trust anyone and cannot be trusted himself – to place all of his faith in Cassian for what is arguably one of the most vital missions of the Rebellion, it solidifies Cassian as an agent of change in the galaxy; the messenger that he was prophesied to be.

The escape sequence, devoid of grand battles and overt violence, stands as a powerful testament to the potency of political courage and the intense stakes involved in challenging a totalitarian regime from within. Mon Mothma’s fearless words, spoken in the very heart of the Empire, and Cassian’s crucial role in her daring escape highlight the extraordinary bravery and resourcefulness required to fight for freedom in the shadows. It is a stark and compelling reminder that the most intense battles are not always fought on open fields, but sometimes in the hushed tension of a Senate chamber and the desperate flight from the iron fist of oppression.

Andor is streaming on Disney+.

The post Andor’s Most Intense Scene Happened Outside the Battlefield appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Disney+ Star Wars series Andor has been praised for its gritty realism and complex character development, a stark contrast to the more fantastical elements of the franchise. One of the most compelling relationships in the series is between Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the titular rebel, and Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), the ambitious and obsessive one-time Imperial officer who spends years hellbent on capturing Cassian to prove his worth to the Empire. Their dynamic, a cat-and-mouse chase fueled by Syril’s relentless pursuit of Cassian, culminated in a brutal and emotionally charged final confrontation in the latest episode of the series.

And this moment, punctuated by a single line, stands out as one of the most crushing in Star Wars history. Spoilers follow for Star Wars: Andor Season 2.

Syril’s Obsession Leads to His Downfall

From the beginning of Andor, Syril Karn is portrayed as a man driven by a need for order and recognition. His initial discovery that Cassian had killed two Imperial guards in his sector ignites an obsession that consumes him throughout the first season. Syril sees Cassian as a criminal who must be brought to justice at all costs, a mission that becomes intertwined with his own desire for advancement within the Imperial ranks. This obsession is fueled by a deep-seated insecurity and a need to prove himself, particularly to his overbearing mother.

Syril’s pursuit of Cassian is not merely professional; it’s deeply personal. He projects his own frustrations and unmet desires onto Cassian, viewing him as the embodiment of chaos and a threat to the order he craves. This personal vendetta drives him to make increasingly reckless and desperate choices, often against the advice of his superiors, and ultimately leads to him losing his position, power, and any sense of control.

RELATED: Star Wars Fans in Mourning After Andor’s Surprising Death Scene (But Not for the Reason You Think)

The Ghorman Massacre

Syril and Cassian’s paths finally cross again after years on Ghorman in Season 2, amidst a peaceful protest against the Empire’s oppressive rule that turns into a riot and massacre. Syril spots Cassian in the midst of the chaos taking aim at Dedra Meero, the Imperial Security Bureau supervisor on Ghorman and Syril’s partner. Driven by his long-held obsession, Syril attacks Cassian with unchecked rage. The ensuing fistfight is a brutal and desperate affair, a culmination of their intertwined destinies.

The fight is not a heroic duel but a chaotic brawl, reflecting the messy reality of the rebellion. It underscores the personal nature of their conflict, a clash of ideologies and personal demons. At the climax of their long-awaited confrontation, Syril points a gun at Cassian, ready to finally achieve his goal. But Cassian’s simple question cuts through the years of obsession: “Who are you?”

RELATED: Andor Reveals the Secret Origin of Rogue One’s Most Memorable Line

This line, delivered with genuine confusion, is the crux of the tragedy. It encapsulates the futility of Syril’s quest. Cassian, the object of his obsession, doesn’t even recognize him. All the sacrifices, all the ambition, all the rage – amounted to nothing. Syril’s identity, so intertwined with his pursuit of Cassian, is rendered meaningless in the last moments of his life.

Before Syril can even answer, he is shot dead by Carro Rylanz, the leader of the rebels on Ghorman with whom Syril had established a clandestine relationship, highlighting the randomness and brutality of war. His death is not a heroic sacrifice or a villain’s comeuppance; it’s a tragic end to a man consumed by his own demons.

The Devastation of Anonymity

Syril’s death is particularly poignant because it underscores the theme of anonymity, a recurring motif in Andor. As Soller noted in an interview with Variety, Syril represents the countless individuals in history who have been forgotten; their efforts and sacrifices rendered meaningless. Syril’s desire to be known and remembered is ultimately crushed by the indifference of the very person he sought to define himself against.

The line “Who are you?” is devastating because it strips Syril of his identity, his purpose, and his legacy, all of which were already unravelling in front of his eyes in the last hours of his life. It’s a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict and the often-unacknowledged sacrifices made in the name of larger causes. It highlights the tragedy of a man who sought to make a difference in the very machine that betrayed him, but ended up as a footnote, a victim of his own obsession and the brutal realities of the Star Wars universe.

Season 2 of Andor is streaming now on Disney+

The post Andor’s Latest Major Death Led to the Most Devastating Star Wars Line of All Time appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Before Benjamin Bratt joined the Star Wars franchise in Andor Season 2, a Lucasfilm creative envisioned the actor playing a very different character in the galaxy far, far away. With Andor Season 2 now streaming, an anecdote from author Claudia Gray is circulating online again. In a 2019 Tumblr post, Gray shared her picks for who would play characters from her novel Master & Apprentice. She had Bratt in mind to portray Rael Averross, who trained under Count Dooku. He was Dooku’s apprentice before Qui-Gon Jinn. Rael and Qui-Gon became good friends during their time in the Jedi Order.

Gray’s other picks for Master & Apprentice characters include Shaun Evans as Pax Maripher, Uzo Aduba as Halin Azzuca, Gemma Chan as Rahara Wick, and Sadie Sink as Fanry.

Master & Apprentice, published in 2019, marked the first appearance of Rael Averross in Star Wars canon. In the book, he serves as the Lord Regent of Pijal and enlists the help of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi to settle a dispute with the Czerka Corporation. Rael was also featured in the audiobook Dooku: Jedi Lost. The character has never appeared on screen.

[RELATED – Andor: Mon Mothma’s Epic Escape Continues In Star Wars Rebels]

Bratt’s role on Andor was revealed to be Senator Bail Organa. His casting surprised fans, as Jimmy Smits had previously played the character in all previous live-action appearances. Bratt joined Andor due to scheduling conflicts with Smits. Bail does not have a lot of screen time on Andor, but he still has a key role as one of Mon Mothma’s allies in the earliest days of the Rebellion.

Marvel actors have played multiple MCU roles, so there isn’t any reason why Bratt couldn’t play Rael Averross if Lucasfilm ever wanted to use the character in live-action. However, it’s difficult to see where Rael could fit in a movie or TV project. Master & Apprentice is set prior to the events of The Phantom Menace, and the studio doesn’t seem to have anything planned that takes place in that area of the timeline. The Mandalorian & Grogu and Ahsoka Season 2 take place in the New Republic era post-Return of the Jedi, while Star Wars: Starfighter is set years after The Rise of Skywalker. Rael’s fate is a mystery, but he’s likely passed away by the time the New Republic is operating.

Bratt could always play the character in an adaptation of Master & Apprentice, but Lucasfilm has never gone in that direction for an on screen project. In fact, sometimes the movies and TV shows contradict what’s in the comics and novels (see: how Cassian meets K-2SO on Andor). The closest fans might ever get to seeing Rael in action is if he ever appears in a comic book, then perhaps Bratt’s likeness could serve as the inspiration for the character’s physical appearance. If nothing else, Gray’s fan cast gives readers something to picture mentally as they read through Master & Apprentice.

The post Andor Star Was First Envisioned to Play Dooku’s Other Jedi Apprentice appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Andor Season 2

The latest batch of Andor Season 2 episodes contains another shocking character death, and Star Wars fans are processing their feelings about it in the aftermath. The episode titled “Who Are You?” features the end for Syril Karn, who is killed by Carro Rylanz during the hysteria of the Ghorman massacre. It’s a tragic fate for Syril, who had come to the harrowing realization that he had been used as a pawn in the Empire’s horrific and tyrannical plans. Just as Syril seems to be reconsidering his allegiances, he’s overcome by rage upon seeing Cassian Andor on Ghorman and — much to Cassian’s surprise — brutally attacks him. During their fight, Rylanz is able to spot Syril and shoot him. Fans on X are talking about Syril’s role in his own demise.

“Syril was gifted the opportunity for one of the greatest character redemption arcs EVER on a silver platter and he threw it all away over a petty grudge that he realized was pointless at the end,” one user wrote. “Will forever wonder what would’ve happened had he not seen Cassian and crashed tf out,” another added.

“Syril was so close to fully understanding what the Empire has done but his hatred of Cassian overrode it and cost him his life,” summed up another X user.

[RELATED – Andor Reveals the Secret Origin of Rogue One’s Most Memorable Line]

In Andor Season 2, Syril continues to work at the Imperial Bureau of Standards and is stationed on Ghorman. He unwittingly is used to stoke the flames of rebellion on the planet, feeding Ghor resistance fighters information to help incite insurgent activity. Syril’s actions aid the Empire’s efforts to build a narrative about Ghorman, giving the Imperials a reason to use excessive force and take over the planet so they can secure materials for the Death Star.

Syril, who prided himself on his pursuit of justice and order, is appalled to find out the Empire intends to slaughter the innocent Ghor. Despite having his perceptions shifted, he can’t resist the urge to lunge himself at Cassian, who Syril relentlessly hunted over the course of Andor. That ended up being the death of Syril; Rylanz killed him for his role in the Ghorman massacre.

Star Wars canon includes instances of Imperials defecting and joining the Rebel cause. One of the more notable instances is Agent Kallus on Star Wars Rebels, who starts the show as a member of the ISB before becoming a Rebel spy. For a moment, it seemed like Syril was destined to follow a similar path, but his emotions got the better of him. One of the more tragic elements of Syril’s death is that he blames Cassian for what happened to his career. Prior to joining the Bureau of Standards, Syril attempted to bring Cassian to justice as a Deputy Inspector, and the Ferrix incident blew up in his face. In Syril’s mind, Cassian was the reason why he was on Ghorman in the first place, unknowingly helping cause mass genocide.

It’s understandable that Syril wasn’t able to put his personal feelings about Cassian aside, but it would have been interesting to see what might have happened had he more control. An arc of Syril and Cassian forming a tense partnership to go on missions for the Rebellion would have given Andor a meaty dynamic to explore as the two would have had to overcome their differences to work together. It would have been fun to watch those two play off each other given their history, but Syril’s ending was a tragic and poetic demise for the character.

The post Star Wars Fans in Mourning After Andor’s Surprising Death Scene (But Not for the Reason You Think) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Cassian Andor’s story comes to a conclusion in the 2016 film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but his legacy and unyielding belief in galaxy-wide freedom lived on through the Rebellion. But Cassian’s story did not end there, as the Disney+ series Andor delves into his life in the years leading up to the events of Rogue One, chronicling how he came to be one of the most pivotal figures in the Rebellion, instrumental to the destruction of the Death Star. The first season of Andor was hailed as an instant classic by fans and critics alike. The second season, which premiered on April 22, has been met with the same response, solidifying the series as one of the most high-stakes and emotionally charged stories of the early days of the Galactic Civil War.  

Episode 8 of Andor Season 2, titled “Who Are You?”, shows Cassian caught in the middle of the Ghorman Massacre; a tragic event that led to Senator Mon Mothma’s denouncement of the Emperor and the beginning of the unified Rebel Alliance. It is during this galaxy-altering moment that we learn the origins of one of Cassian’s memorable inspiring words to Jyn Erso from Rogue One.

A Young Bellhop on Ghorman Laid the Bricks for the Rebellion Without Knowing It

Earlier in Season 2, Cassian (Diego Luna) is sent to Ghorman to ascertain the local insurgents’ readiness for all-out rebellion against the oppressive Imperial presence on their planet. Behind the scenes in the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), it is revealed that the Empire has enacted a year-long campaign to provoke the rebels into open revolution so the ISB can open fire and wreak unimaginable destruction on the population and take control of Ghorman’s mines. Ghorman is the only planet that naturally produces the raw materials needed to produce pieces for the Death Star.

While Cassian is undercover on Ghorman the first time as a fashion designer named Varian Skye, he speaks with a young bellhop named Thela (played by Stefan Crepon). Thela explains that the monument in the center of town was resurrected in memory of the peaceful protestors who were gunned down by Grand Moff Tarkin’s ship when the Moff refused to delay his landing. One of those lost in the carnage was Thela’s father. While Thela tells Cassian that he has never forgotten what happened and still refuses to leave his home planet, there is a silent understanding between the men that they both are aware of the other’s true nature as rebels. 

RELATED: Andor Season 2 Is Confirming Why Mon Mothma Is One of the Most Pivotal Figures in Star Wars

When Cassian returns to Ghorman a year later on an unauthorized mission to assassinate ISB supervisor Dedra Meero, he crosses paths with Thela once more. This time, the atmosphere on Ghorman is much more tense, and Thela is less subtle about where his own ideologies lie while talking to Cassian in hushed tones, revealing that he never logged “Varian Skye” in as a guest a year earlier. Though Cassian does not reveal his true identity or what his connection to the larger rebellion is, the two understand one another and the gravity of the situation rapidly unfolding between native Ghormans and the Imperials. 

The day of the peaceful-protest-turned-massacre, Cassian informs Thela that he most likely will not be returning, and that he hopes “Things work out” for him, to which Thela replies, “Rebellions are built on hope.”

Cassian pauses for a beat to absorb Thela’s words and their implications. In that moment, Cassian knows the rebels on Ghorman will not be silenced. He knows that they are not ready for a war against the Empire, just as he advised the rebel leader Luthen Rael a year earlier. But with Thela’s poignant words, Cassian is made aware that the Ghormans would rather die than live under tyranny any longer. 

The sentiment clearly impacts Cassian deeply for years to come, as he repeats Thela’s words back to Jyn Erso at the beginning of her own journey as a rebel. Later, Jyn herself repeats the same sentence back to rebel leaders while trying to convey the importance of capturing the Death Star plans. 

Those five words–rebellions are built on hope–first said by a quiet and brave bellhop on Ghorman, would go on to be the reason for the Rebel Alliance’s first decisive victory over the Empire at Yavin. 

Andor Season 2 is streaming now on Disney+.

The post Andor Reveals the Secret Origin of Rogue One’s Most Memorable Line appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Andor Season 2

Andor creator Tony Gilroy explains why the show deviates from established Star Wars canon during Season 2, Episode 9 – “Welcome to the Rebellion.” In that episode, Mon Mothma makes a passionate speech to the Senate, condemning the horrific actions of the Empire on Ghorman. She’s then swiftly evacuated with Cassian as her escort. Those well-versed with the animated series Star Wars Rebels might have noticed that “Welcome to the Rebellion” connects to the Rebels episode “Secret Cargo,” in which Mon Mothma is taken to safety at the Rebel base on Yavin IV. On Rebels, Mon gives a similarly themed speech, resigning from the Senate as she dedicates herself to the rebellion. Gilroy discussed why he took things in a different direction.

“We are hijacking canon,” Gilroy told Entertainment Weekly. “In canon, she’s rescued by the Gold Squadron and the speech that they gave in the cartoon, which was a canonical show, [is on that ship]. And [Andor writer Dan Gilroy’s] like, ‘Do I have to stick to this f—ing speech?’ In a really sneaky way, we’re minimizing what they did in Star Wars Rebels, but we’re keeping it consistent. We’re just saying you don’t really know the whole story of what happened.”

The Andor creative team hasn’t been afraid to bend Star Wars canon to fit the show. The latest batch of Season 2 episodes (Episodes 7-9) rewrites how Cassian meets his droid companion K-2SO. Episode 8 – “Who Are You?” essentially wipes the events of the comic Rogue One – Cassian & K-2SO Special out of continuity. How Andor handles Mon Mothma’s escape to Yavin isn’t as drastic, but it demonstrates Lucasfilm’s ability to be flexible when it comes to canon.

[RELATED – This Breaking Bad Alum Almost Played Cassian Andor]

The studio’s willingness to go this route probably has something to do with Andor‘s reception. The series is widely critically acclaimed, being considered one of the best Star Wars projects of all time. Andor Season 2’s Rotten Tomatoes score set a new record for the franchise, which explains why Lucasfilm gave Gilroy & Co. creative freedom while making the show. The studio never forced decisions on Gilroy.

From strictly a filmmaking perspective, it’s easy to see why the Gilroy brothers wanted to mix things up for “Welcome to the Rebellion.” A writer is going to want to leave their own stamp on a project, and the prospect of essentially copying and pasting someone else’s dialogue was probably unappealing. To Gilroy’s credit, he found a way to make it work. Nothing in Andor contradicts what happens in Rebels; it’s just revealed that Gold Squadron taking Mon to Yavin was step two of an elaborate plan. Within the context of the Star Wars universe, what transpires makes a great deal of sense as well. Pulling something off like rescuing Mon Mothma from the Senate was never going to be an easy task. Bringing her to Luthen’s safe house before regrouping and flying to Yavin is logical.

The mission to save Mon Mothma also provides a foundation for Cassian’s relationship with Mon Mothma. As seen in Rogue One, Cassian is someone Mon trusts for highly pertinent assignments, such as uncovering the truth about the Death Star. Andor pulls of the trick all best prequels do by adding depth to the characters; Mon knows what Cassian is capable of because she’s seen it up close. He saved her life during a dangerous, stressful time. The next time Star Wars fans rewatch Rogue One, it’ll be hard to not think about Cassian and Mon’s daring escape from the Senate.

The post Andor Creator Explains Mon Mothma Breaking Star Wars Rebels Canon (And It Makes Sense) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The second season of Star Wars: Andor focuses on the Empire’s interest in the planet Ghorman. While on the surface, the world looks like nothing more than a hub for textiles, it’s actually sitting on a large quantity of another resource, Kalkite, which the Imperials need to finish Emperor Palpatine’s quest for unlimited power. The Empire begins to plant the seeds of a hostile takeover early in Season 2, but the situation reaches a fever pitch in Episode 8, “Who Are You?” With the Ghor growing unruly, the Empire allows them back into the heart of Palmo. They begin to demonstrate, which the Empire interrupts by making it look like the civilians are opening fire. The people don’t stand a chance, and it doesn’t take long for word to get back to Senator Mon Mothma on Coruscant.

Being behind the Ghor since the beginning, Mothma is beside herself after the massacre and takes to the Senate Chambers to give a speech denouncing the Empire. However, she’s up against the most powerful force in the galaxy and in need of allies, including ones that don’t even appear in Andor.

Mon Mothma Puts All Her Cards on the Table in Andor Season 2

As soon as she calls out the Emperor in front of the Senate, Mothma is branded a traitor. The Imperials are already prepared for her display, so they send forces to apprehend her. Fortunately, after being present for the Ghorman Massacre, Cassian Andor agrees to transport Mothma to safety for Luthen Rael, who feels the walls closing in. Andor pulls no punches while protecting Mothma, shooting both her driver and an Imperial spy within Senator Bail Organa’s ranks. Mothma and Andor make it out by the skin of their teeth and end up at Luthen’s safehouse on Coruscant.

Mothma is visibly shaken, especially because she only recently learned that her aide, Erskin Semaj, had been working for Luthen and reporting her every move. She can’t stay mad at him for long, though, because when they reunite in the safehouse, Kleya Marki, Luthen’s colleague, informs them of the next stop on their journey. Gold Squadron, a group of ships based on Yavin 4, will arrive soon and take them to the Rebellion stronghold. It sounds like a pretty dull gig, but Star Wars Rebels proves there’s no escaping the Empire.

[RELATED – This Breaking Bad Alum Almost Played Cassian Andor]

Mon Mothma Faces Even More Danger in Star Wars Rebels

After meeting up with Gold Squadron, Mothma and Semaj board a freighter and begin their flight to Yavin 4. However, the moon is in the Outer Rim, meaning there’s no way to get there without stopping to refill. The Rebellion is well aware of that, so it sends the Ghost crew in Star Wars Rebels Season 3, Episode 18, “Secret Cargo,” to act as a gas station. They run into some trouble while they’re waiting, fighting off an Imperial probe, but Gold Squadron eventually shows up and begins its pit stop. Unfortunately, things take a turn when Star Destroyers arrive and send out a squadron of Tie Fighters.

To ensure everyone gets out unscathed, Gold Squadron has to reveal the details of its mission. Mothma introduces herself to everyone and even helps Chopper detach the Ghost from the freighter to give it a fighting chance. She’s clearly much more confident, and after the Ghost and Gold Squadron take care of the Empire, she delivers another speech to rally the various rebel cells. Draven mentions it in Andor Season 2, Episode 9, “Welcome to the Rebellion,” and, just like he hopes, it makes its way across the galaxy. Ships start arriving at the Ghost’s position and look ready to join the fight.

While Rebels likely didn’t know it at the time, “Secret Cargo” acts as a perfect bookend to Mothma’s story in Andor Season 2. The next time she shows up in canon, she’s the face of the Rebellion in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and well on her way to making good on the promises she makes in her speech in the Senate Chambers.

Andor Season 2 and Star Wars Rebels are streaming on Disney+.

Did you know that Mothma’s escape from the Empire continues in Star Wars Rebels? Do you think Andor will reference the animated series again before it’s over? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Andor: Mon Mothma’s Epic Escape Continues In Star Wars Rebels appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Warning: Spoilers for Andor Season 2

A fan-favorite character from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story finally returns in the latest batch of Andor Season 2 episodes, as Cassian Andor meets his droid companion K-2SO. Audiences first see K-2SO in the eighth episode, “Who Are You?” when he’s operating as an Imperial security droid. He is part of a group of KX units stationed on Ghorman the Empire deploys to brutally murder citizens during the massacre. Viewers get a sense of how ruthless and terrifying the KX droids are, and the droid fans know as K-2SO is responsible for killing many innocents himself. Towards the end of “Who Are You?” K-2 approaches Cassian and Wilmon, but Samm crashes into the droid, rendering him useless.

Cassian opts to recover K-2’s parts and brings the droid to the Rebel base on Yavin IV. In the ninth episode, “Welcome to the Rebellion,” K-2SO has been reprogrammed and is reactivated. The Rebels know K-2 is no longer a threat to them when he politely asks Cassian to stop pointing his blaster at him. The episode ends with K-2’s rebirth.

Star Wars fans had known for a while that Andor Season 2 would feature the return of K-2SO. Unlike the case of Benjamin Bratt taking over the role of Bail Organa, Lucasfilm did not attempt to hide actor Alan Tudyk’s involvement with the series. K-2SO was featured in Andor marketing materials, including a special featurette that gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at Tudyk and Diego Luna filming a scene together.

[RELATED – This Breaking Bad Alum Almost Played Cassian Andor]

What’s fascinating about the way Andor handles Cassian and K-2SO’s first meeting is that it significantly differs from the comic Rogue One – Cassian & K-2SO Special, which was canon’s first attempt to depict the origins of their friendship. In the comic, Cassian is on a mission on the planet Wecacoe, and K-2SO tracks Cassian and his allies down. Cassian tries to wipe K-2SO’s memory (but is only partially successful) and ultimately is able to remove the droid’s base programming.

K-2SO’s arrival on Andor was a long-awaited development. There are only three episodes left in the series, and it seems like the droid is going to have a sizable role in Season 2’s final arc. In some ways, it’s understandable why it took showrunner Tony Gilroy eight episodes to bring K-2SO to the fold. The first half of Andor Season 2 had a lot of ground to cover, and there really wasn’t room to include such a substantial character over those first two arcs. But now that Andor is quickly approaching the events of Rogue One, it feels more natural to have K-2SO around. Over the remaining episodes, fans will likely get a taste of what Cassian and K-2 were up to before they met Jyn Erso. Perhaps the two will embark on a dangerous mission together, cementing their partnership.

Cassian and K-2SO’s relationship was one of the highlights of Rogue One. It was a source for both humor and heartbreak over the course of the film. It will be fun to see the beginnings of their dynamic and watch it evolve in the last episodes of Andor. At the end of “Welcome to the Rebellion,” Cassian is in a very interesting place emotionally, as he’s just learned Bix has left so he will continue fighting with the Rebellion. Obviously, there isn’t anything that can fill that void, but finding a friend in K-2SO could be part of his healing process. Whatever Andor has in store for Cassian and K-2, it’ll be fun to see the two together again.

The post A Rogue One Fan-Favorite Finally Returns in Andor Season 2 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars has a villain problem. Don’t get us wrong, the franchise excels at creating bad guys: Darth Vader, for instance, is one of the most beloved antagonists ever put on screen. But while this seven-foot-tall onyx demon was originally introduced as evil incarnate — his first act onscreen is lifting a full-sized adult man off the floor by his throat, one-handed — Lucasfilm eventually gave him a super lame backstory. All of the Sith Lord’s onscreen badassery gets derailed the moment you find out he was once a whiny kid who used to run around calling stuff “Wizard!”

And it’s not just Darth Vader. Every time the Star Wars Universe gives its heroes a worthy adversary, it has to demystify them with an unnecessary backstory. Boba Fett used to be a mysterious figure with a design for the ages, but Star Wars wasn’t content with letting the character coast along on his iconic looks, while fans speculated about the evildoer behind the armor. Instead, the franchise chose to explain him into mediocrity. Now, with the recent release of Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld, it’s Cad Bane’s turn to lose a cool point or two with a banal origin.

Star Wars Just Did It to Cad Bane

Bane’s story starts with the infamous bounty hunter as — what else — a kid. From there, in true Star Wars fashion, viewers are spoon-fed little details like where Bane got his hat and why he carries two blasters instead of one — you know, details absolutely no fans were clamoring for. Ironically, the one thing that would have been nice to know, how the name Colby became Cad, isn’t explained in the slightest. Of course, making Cad’s birth-name “Colby” is a detail that adds nothing to the character.

Origin stories in general are kryptonite for villains. Michael Myers is scary because you have no idea what is going on behind those black, soulless eyes. Giving him motivation like a sister or an abusive childhood makes him too relatable, and once he’s relatable, he loses the power to inspire fear. Likewise, the Joker is best when he’s a nameless force of chaos – justifying his insanity with a sad backstory completely kills the character’s vibe.

Giving a great villain a tragic backstory dilutes their villainy and makes them hard to root against. Shades of grey in a realistic drama are fine, but Star Wars is, at its core, a fairy tale, and fairy tales are allowed to be black and white. Fans shouldn’t have to look at a villain who just had his own daughter tortured for information, and be forced to weigh his evil deed against the sad way he lost his own mother.

[RELATED: Star Wars is Wasting Darth Maul’s Potential & Needs to Fix It]

It’s Not Just Villains

To be fair, Star Wars tends to overexplain everything, not just villains. Every single Star Wars fan who’s seen Star Wars: A New Hope has walked away scratching their heads, wondering, “Where did Luke get that toy spaceship he plays with in that one scene?” Just kidding, no one in the history of creation has ever asked that question, but the 2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series gave us an answer anyway. But it’s one thing to answer questions nobody was asking. Taking a bounty hunter that fans love, specifically for his uniqueness, and giving him hundreds of thousands of siblings and a dad who dresses just like him is another thing entirely.

In Boba Fett’s case, having a backstory is especially egregious, considering he was based on Clint Eastwood’s iconic character, the “Man with No Name.” Over the course of three loosely connected Spaghetti Westerns, Eastwood played the kind of gunslinger who wanders into town with no history, no baggage, and leaves a few days later the same way he came in. No character development, no emotional growth, just an outlaw who kicks butt, takes names and looks rad as hell while doing it.

Even after the Star Wars Prequels made Boba Fett just another dude, fans had the perfect Spaghetti Western villain in Cad Bane (who coincidentally was based on another character from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), at least they did, until Lucasfilm saddled him with his own cliched, trauma-filled childhood.

Less is always more when it comes to antiheroes and villains. The simple fact is that a villain you know will never be as scary as the villain you don’t know. It will always be more fun imagining your own gruesome scenario for how Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side and became Vader, rather than knowing it was essentially a series of bad dreams that left him triggered. If Star Wars cares about its villains, it needs to leave them in the shadows more often, instead of putting them in the spotlight.

Unfortunately, fandoms have gotten in the habit of producing so much content that delving into the backstories of popular characters is now a question of when, not if. So while it would be great for Star Wars to stop doing deep dives into the history of their bad guys, it’s probably not going to happen anytime soon.

If you need us, we’ll be over here anxiously waiting for Disney to announce a young Jabba the Hutt miniseries – maybe after this new series that puts Maul in the spotlight.

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The post Star Wars Needs to Stop Doing Deep-Dive Villain Backstories appeared first on ComicBook.com.