Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Andor season 2A cameo from aMandaloriancharacter would have been darkly perfect forStar Wars’newest show. On the one hand,Andorshowrunner Tony Gilroy took pride in the fact that the series didn’t feature any gratuitous cameos and that every character featured was included for an important narrative reason. The same is just as true forAndorseason 2 as it was for the first season, though I believe there’s one cameo that would have truly benefited not justAndor, butThe Mandalorianas well.
InThe Mandalorian, the Empire has been shattered following the end of the Galactic Civil War, leaving only pockets of the Imperial Remnant in its wake. However,Andoris set when the Empire was at the height of its power,with construction nearly complete on the first Death Star.With that in mind, I think it would have been fascinating hadThe Mandalorian’sMigs Mayfeld been featured, showcasing his early days as a soldier of the Empire who could have participated in one of the darkest atrocities seen inAndorseason 2.
The Mandalorian’s Migs Mayfeld Was An Imperial Sharpshooter
He Wasn’t A Stormtrooper
Played by Bill Burr, Migs Mayfeld first debuted inThe Mandalorianseason 1, leading the crew Din Djarin briefly joined for a breakout on a prison transport. After the crew tried to betray Din Djarin, the Mandalorian gained the upper hand and left the criminals to be arrested by the New Republic, only for Djarin to later seek out Migs for his help locating theImperial Remnant’s Moff GideoninThe Mandalorianseason 2.This was because of Migs' confirmed Imperial history, having served the Empire during the Galactic Civil War before he left to become a mercenary shortly after its end.
It’s important to remember that Migs made it clear to Djarin when they first met that he wasn’t a stormtrooper.Instead, Migs was a skilled Imperial Sharpshooter. With that in mind, there was a tragic event where a younger Migs Mayfeld could have easily been featured inAndorseason 2:The Ghorman Massacre.
Andor Season 2’s Ghorman Massacre Would Have Been Darkly Perfect For Mayfeld
The Slaughter Began With Sharpshooters
As seen inAndorseason 2, the Empire needed the rare mineral known as kalkite for the highly classified Death Star project.As such, the Empire secretly stoked and incited increased aggression and growing unrest on the planet Ghorman, creating an entire galactic narrative that the world had turned unruly and defiant due to the influence of outside agitators. This allowed the Empire to “justifiably” slaughter the peacefully protesting Ghormans by making them appear violent, allowing them to then destabilize the world via planetwide strip mining operations.
Notably, the violence and slaughter began with Imperial sharpshooters on the rooftops who were given orders to fire upon their fellow Imperials on the ground below managing the protesters (who’d been peaceful up till that point). As such, it’s easy to imagine a younger Migs Mayfeld among these sharpshooters, a still loyal Imperial following orders. However, this wouldn’t have just been a gratuitous cameo, as it could have further shown the complex dynamics at play when an oppressive regime’s own enforcers become disillusioned (whichThe Mandalorianconfirms eventually happened to Mayfeld).
Preceding Burnin Konn and Operation: Cinder
As seen inThe Mandalorianseason 2, it’s revealed that the incident that truly motivated Migs Mayfeld to leave the Empire was Operation: Cinder. As seen inBattlefront IIand connected novels and comics,Operation: Cinderwas the galaxy-wide bombardment campaign posthumously ordered by Emperor Palpatine. Migs was on Burnin Konn during Cinder, resulting in the intentional loss of his division along with thousands of civilians, leaving Migs and his commanding officer among the small handful of survivors.
However, it would have been fascinating had Mayfeld also participated inAndor’sGhorman Massacre, making Operation: Cinder a few years later the straw that broke the camel’s back. In this way, a cameo from Mayfeld would have served bothThe MandalorianandAndor, putting a familiar face amid all the Imperials that willingly committed such a terrible atrocity during the height of the Empire’s reign. At any rate, it’s still interesting to think about what Migs' Imperial career was like before Operation: Cinder.
All episodes ofAndorseason 2 are now streaming on Disney+.
The Mandalorian
“The Mandalorian” is a live-action Star Wars television series set in the post-Empire galaxy, five years after the events of “Return of the Jedi.” The series follows the adventures of a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin, who becomes the protector of a mysterious child known as Grogu (popularly referred to as “The Child” or “Baby Yoda”). Combining elements of Westerns, samurai films, and classic Star Wars lore, “The Mandalorian” has become a cultural phenomenon, praised for its storytelling, character development, and visual effects.
Andor
Cast
Andor is a Star Wars prequel series set before the events of Rogue One, following Cassian Andor as he navigates a world of danger and deception. The series delves into his transformation into a pivotal figure in the struggle against the Galactic Empire.
