Everything to Remember from Star Wars: Andor Season 1

One of the best live-action Star Wars™ offerings is poised to return soon. If you fell head over heels for Andor™ season 1, you’re not alone. The tense spy thriller that serves as a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story™ and the original trilogy kept viewers on the edge of their seats when it took Disney+ by storm almost three years ago.

Now, the remaining 12 episodes will fill in the gaps regarding Cassian Andor’s tale as a Rebel hero, taking us to the beginning of the events in Rogue One that kickstart Star Wars: A New Hope™.

Below, I’ve compiled a list of the most important Andor highlights from season 1 to keep in mind as we head into season 2.

---

The Characters

Andor season 1 boasts a plethora of fascinating characters, and not all of them are morally black or white. In fact, more often than not, they’re varying shades of gray (unless it’s, you know, the Empire). Let’s break down the major players:

Cassian Andor is our titular smuggler-turned-Rebel hero. He plays a vital role in the Rebellion, culminating in stealing the Death Star plans alongside Jyn Erso in Rogue One. He dies on Scarif, and his ultimate sacrifice is a boon for the Rebel Alliance, giving Luke Skywalker the boost he needs to defeat the Empire and destroy the Death Star.

Luthen Rael, AKA “Axis,” is an antique dealer and leader of the Rebellion who also operates a spy ring. He recruits Cassian as a key operative in said ring. Mon Mothma is a Chandrilan senator working behind the scenes in the political sphere to enact real change. She’s a Rebel of a different kind.

Bix Caleen is a mechanic from Ferrix and Cassian’s ex-girlfriend. At one point, the Imperial Security Bureau’s Dedra Meero oversees Bix’s torture as the latter refuses to divulge Cassian’s location. Dedra is a supervisor within the ISB who is in relentless pursuit of uncovering the identity of Axis (ahem, Luthen) and capturing Cassian.

Maarva Andor is a smuggler who resides on Ferrix with Cassian. She’s his adoptive mother, taking him in alongside her late husband Clem when Cassian was little. Lastly, Syril Karn is an ISB employee who is fired after a failed attempt to arrest Cassian on Ferrix. However, he returns to the organization with a promotion, and he rescues Dedra after a Ferrixian lobs a bomb at Imperial officers.

---

Cassian Andor’s Origin Story

Our eponymous protagonist had humble beginnings before rising through the Rebellion ranks as a bona fide change-maker. Born on Kenari, Cassian’s real name is Kassa. He has a sister named Kerri.

One day, Cassian and a group of villagers decide to explore a crashed starship. It’s here that Cassian meets his future adoptive parents, Maarva and Clem, while they’re scavenging on the planet. Cassian departs for Ferrix and never sees Kerri again, but he continues to search for her, even into adulthood.

---

Maarva Andor’s Death Galvanizes Ferrixians to Rebel

In one of the best scenes of the season, a recording of Maarva is broadcasted at her funeral. She delivers a speech that is so compelling that it galvanizes the people of Ferrix to stick it to the Empire. It incites a riot against ISB officers.

Before that, though, we see Maarva’s health deteriorate rapidly. Despite this, she never wavers or gives Imperial officers an inch when they incessantly pester her for details of her son’s whereabouts. Knowing her death was inevitable, Maarva recorded this speech shortly before she passed of natural causes. Her legacy is one of resistance, and she didn’t let her health (or death, for that matter) prevent her from making a difference.

---

The Aldhani Heist

Luthen gives Cassian a chance to cut his teeth regarding his involvement in the Rebellion. The mission? Cassian and his fellow Rebels must travel to the Imperial headquarters on Aldhani to steal the sector’s quarterly payroll, which amounts to 80 million credits.

The team consists of Vel Sartha, the cousin of Mon Mothma; Cinta Kaz, Taramyn Barcona, Karis Nemik, and Arvel Skeen. Karis is the only one who welcomes Cassian into the fold; the others treat him as an outsider with something to prove.

While the crew successfully nabs the payroll, the heist results in several casualties, including most of the Rebel team. Only Cassian, Vel, and Cinta emerge unscathed. After their escape, the crew flies to Frezno, where Karis succumbs to injuries sustained during the heist and Cassian kills Arvel, who suggests they betray Vel and Cinta by taking the payroll credits for themselves.

---

Cassian’s Imprisonment on Narkina 5 and Subsequent Escape

Eventually, Cassian is arrested on Niamos, where he was living under the alias Keef Girgo. He’s sentenced to six years on Narkina 5, an Imperial prison, for anti-Imperial activity.

There, we learn that the prisoners — Cassian included — are constructing parts for the Death Star. This makes Cassian inevitably stealing the Death Star plans, which costs him his life, all the more poignant and impactful.

Cassian deftly persuades his floor manager, Kino Loy, to start an uprising. At first, Kino is resistant to the idea until he learns that prisoners are getting re-sentenced after serving the entirety of their initial sentences.

So, Cassian and Kino orchestrate a proper uprising. The prisoners take on Imperial officers in a bloody battle, resulting in a huge swath of prisoners, including Cassian, escaping. Cassian meets Ruescott Melshi during his time on Narkina 5, who we know from Rogue One as a key part of saving Jyn and obtaining the Death Star plans.

---

Mon Mothma and Luthen Rael’s Roles in the Rebellion

Mon Mothma and Luthen Rael are both part of the Rebel Alliance; however, they have different methods for implementing change. Mon hopes to operate in the shadows under her role as a senator, inspiring that change from within.

But even Mon must get her hands dirty. She arranges a marriage for her daughter Leida with the son of a seedy businessman who vows to keep the Empire from sniffing around her financial assets.

As for Luthen, he loves to fan the flames — stir the pot of rebellion and make a scene. His methods are more ostentatious. Mon criticizes Luthen’s approach in the wake of the Aldhani heist, citing that this could bring more planets under Empire scrutiny.

It’s interesting that while they work in service of the Rebellion, Mon and Luthen don’t work together. Of course, Mon eventually organizes a more unified Rebel Alliance.

---

What are you excited to see in Andor season 2?

Share your thoughts and theories with other Star Wars fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!