Like most long-running franchises,Star Warshas several rules that it generally follows, but many of these were broken inAndorseason 2. While rules can create consistency between stories and maintain what makes a series special, they can also limit creativity and taking risks. ModernStar Warsmovies and TV showsoften struggle to strike this balance between what is the familiar and the unknown.
Of course, aStar Warsstory’s main job is to be good, andAndorseason 2 excelled in this regard. It can feel very different from what fans typically expect ofStar Wars, but it still exemplifies the franchise’s core themes, and any changes are always in service of the story. Even so, 10Star Warsrules were noticeably broken inAndorseason 2 and are worthy of a closer look.
10Andor Is The First Live-Action Star Wars TV Show Not To Feature A Lightsaber
No Force, Jedi, Sith, etc.
Andordoesn’t feature a lightsaber in any of its 24 episodes, a notable departure from every other live-actionStar WarsTV show. Many of the other shows are about Jedi and Sith, but even shows likeThe Mandalorian,The Book of Boba Fett, andSkeleton Creweventually include at least one lightsaber.Andorcould have featured one at the last minute, but it committed to its more grounded story about non-Force users.
9Andor’s Tone & Style Are Wildly Different From Most Star Wars Projects
And it’s exactly what the story needed
Andoris noticeably darker, grittier, and more realistic compared to otherStar Warsstories, and season 2 took things to the next level. The season had some of the darkest moments in the entire franchise, but it also had times when it experimented with style and structure. It was a refreshing change that the franchise needed and effectively served the story being told.
8Andor Has Multiple Time Jumps In One Season
Covering four years in only 12 episodes
One of the unique aspects ofAndorseason 2 is how the season is structured. While it retains the three-episode arcs from the previous season, each one jumps forward a year, covering the remaining four years leading up toRogue One: A Star Wars Story. OtherStar Warsshows include time jumps between seasons, and some movies have one time jump in the story, but few projects have taken this approach.
7Andor’s Pacing Is Unlike Anything Else In Star Wars
A slow burn with payoffs that are well worth the wait
Despite how quicklyAndorseason 2 covers four years, the show’s pacing is still remarkably slow and purposeful. George Lucas was fond of saying"Faster. More Intense!“when directing the firstStar Warsmovie, butAndortakes advantage of a TV show to make its slow-burning drama work to its advantage. There are still moments where the pacing suddenly picks up, like when Cassian steals an Imperial ship in the first episode.
6Andor Is Willing To Bend (& Sometimes Break) Star Wars Lore
But it’s always in service of telling a compelling story
AlthoughAndorseason 2 is a fantastic prequel toRogue One, seamlessly leading into the film, it doesn’t always perfectly adhere toStar Warscanon. Some examples include Mon Mothma’s speech aboutthe Ghorman Massacrebeing different fromStar Wars Rebels, even though the basic meaning is the same. Other examples are more obvious, like retconning how Cassian and K-2SO originally met in aStar Warsone-shot comic.
5Andor Shows The Dark Side Of Characters Who Have Always Been Highly Moral
No one is clean when it comes to leading a rebellion
Because Andor reveals the dark realities of organizing a rebellion, it isn’t afraid to flesh out its iconic characters in similar ways. Mon Mothma was always presented as a highly virtuous character who called out more extreme rebels, but in Andor, she’s forced to compromise her morals and work with people like Luthen Rael. Even Bail Organa was given more flaws, having as much skepticism and even arrogance as the other rebel councilors.
4Andor Actually Makes Us Sympathize With Imperials
We see up close who they are and why they serve the Empire
Just as not all rebels are perfectly good,Andoralso shows that not all Imperials are entirely evil.Star Warshas stories where the viewer understands why people join the Empire, but we rarely sympathize with them on a personal level. InAndor, we closely follow characters like Syril Karn and Dedra Meero, who either see the Empire’s true nature too late or fail to realize that the system they served was perfectly willing to cast them aside.
3Andor Crosses A Lot Of Surprising Lines For Star Wars
This is especially true in the second season
Star Warshas always had dark and graphic elements (it is about war after all), butAndorhas crimes that evenStar Warsrarely shows. Perhaps the most notable example in season 2 is when an Imperial officer attempts to sexually assault Bix, which stirred a great deal of controversy. It makes sense for a darker drama to include these moments, but it’s understandable why longtime viewers were taken off guard.
2For The First Time, Star Wars Has Actually SHOWN An Imperial Genocide
It’s no longer implied or shown from far away
The worst crime the Empire committed was multiple genocides against different worlds and species. However, most of these were either shown from a distance, like Alderaan inA New Hope, or just mentioned, like Lasan inStar WarsRebels. Andor spends the majority of season 2 building up to the Ghorman Massacre, which is shown up close and in horrifying detail.
1Andor Isn’t Afraid to Choose Tragedy Over Redemption Or Reconciliation
The most powerful endings aren’t always happy ones
WhileStar Warsundeniably has tragic elements, it almost always ends with some kind of redemption. Characters whose redemption was hinted at usually get one, or characters have a chance to make amends with each other before the end.Andor, however, has many of its characters meet tragic fates or die without reconciliation, giving greater weight to the story and an ending that will always stick with viewers.
