Andor was billed as a series depicting the early days of the Rebel Alliance against the Imperial Empire. Now completed, season one of the series only gives us glimpses of the organized effort to take down Emperor Palpatine and his goons. We get a small taste of the hidden networks, front businesses, and shifty characters behind the fight for freedom. We hear of the battles and the sacrifices of the Rebellion but don’t see much of them. It turns out we were looking at the wrong Rebels the entire time.

Andor season one ended on a note of uprising. Regular people of the planet Ferrix flooded the streets in force, hurling bricks and fists at Imperial riot squad shields. It’s a cathartic conclusion to this campaign. We know the backstory of the boot on the neck ways of the Empire. But Andor gave us an up-close look at the smug and complacent players, as well as those who are actively hunting down the Rebels. Seeing them put in their place, albeit briefly, sets up the series’ future perfectly. Where will Andor go next in future seasons of the series?

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Andor Adds to the Star Wars Lore

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Andor season one is an introduction to the novel. It builds up with a solid payoff and closes out on a subtle cliffhanger. We are given hints and peeks behind the curtain but not a full lifting of it. We only get to see the frustrations of one people on one planet boil over and burn the Empire. But from the viewer’s point of view, it’s the first shot fired in the war.

The battle on Ferrix can be held up to the same standard as the Battle of Yavin from A New Hope, which is used as the line of demarcation in the Star Wars universe. It is the beginning of the greater struggle against the Empire from the audience’s perspective.

Implications for the Characters of Andor

Andor added and explored some memorable characters to the Star Wars universe, fleshed out by excellent performances. Diego Luna’s titular character Cassian Andor goes through a significant evolution. Andor starts out as just a small-time hustler who gets in over his head. He owes everyone money and runs out of excuses and hiding places. He just wants to get set up for the future and to get out.

His plans are upended when he is offered a chance to not just steal from the Empire but stick it to them in the process. As his stakes are slowly raised throughout the season, Andor begins to see past his myopic worldview toward the bigger picture; everyone wants to get out, but from under the thumb of the Empire.

Dedra Meero, portrayed with steely joylessness by Denise Gough, is another stand-out from the series. The Imperial intelligence officer’s ambition matches Andor’s simple life tunnel vision as she hunts him down, and their views narrow and expand, respectively. Dedra becomes obsessed with taking Andor and, by association, Luthen, and Andor’s tour of the galaxy pushes him closer to the Rebellion. Dedra sees Andor as the key to her ascension and is putting all of her chips into that bet. With Andor in the wind, we hope to see Dedra return and double down on her efforts to cage the newly minted Rebel.

The political front and the Rebel sympathizer reality of Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) is also notable. Mothma maneuvers behind the scenes to help fund the Rebellion while playing the role of the passionate but ultimately harmless politician. She poses as a humanitarian annoyance while working with the Rebellion to keep the credits flowing. It is implied that she narrowly escapes Imperial detection by attributing her large Rebellion contributions to her husband’s gambling problem. She dodged the blaster round this time, but she may have to either go all out for the Rebellion or stand aside.

The character of Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) largely stays the same from beginning to end. He’s a cut-throat for the Rebellion; he will do whatever it takes to advance the cause. It’s beneficial to the story to have this steady character to serve as a contrast to Andor as the latter figures out his place in the struggle for the galaxy. Leaving Luthen in this state makes sense for him going forward.

Season Two Set Up

We will be getting a second season of Andor, so a clearer look at the as-of-now murky inner workings of the Rebellion could mark the next campaign. The Empire has been wounded by the assault on Ferrix. It’s too powerful to be cornered by one incident, but it will be angry and looking to retaliate (with a certain planet-killing weapon shown in the post-credits scene), just as Andor will be out looking to strike at it again.

It’s a simple potential formula that will play well in further establishing the Rebellion as a force to be reckoned with.