Thanks toAndor, an unwritten George Lucas rule that has lasted 48 years in theStar Warsfranchise has been broken, and I am very glad that it has. Almost 50 years ago, George Lucas began the vastStar Warsmovie timeline. Since then, the franchise has only expanded, be it the spin-off movies crafted or the seemingly endless pot ofStar WarsTV showsbeing released on Disney+. Although some installments have been divisive, they have all mostly committed to translating the galaxy Lucas began.
Be it the iconic designs and musical style that Lucas employed forA New Hopeor the vast canon crafted by him in the prequel era, most newStar Warsstories adhere to what he began, including the most recentAndorseason 2. The many rules and standards Lucas brought to Dark Times ofStar Warsare highlighted and adhered to inAndor, with many dubbing it thebest-rankedStar WarsTV showas a result. That said,Andorstill brings many differences toStar Wars, with one breaking an unwritten Lucas rule, rendering the show - and the franchise - all the better for it.
The Empire’s Evil Has Always Been Shown From A Distance
Lucas Kept The Focus On The Heroes Of Star Wars
Firstly, it is worth exploring the Lucas rule I have referenced. While not something theStar Warscreator has remained steadfast on, especially in the prequel era, the original trilogy certainly kept the Empire’s evil ways at arm’s length. I admit that elements likeStar Wars’Order 66somewhat contradict this, but, again, this was found in the prequel era and Lucas has consistently reiteratedStar Warsremains a franchise for children. Even then, a scene as bleak as Order 66 is rare in the franchise. Where the original trilogy specifically is concerned, though, the Empire’s crimes were kept at a distance.
The most obvious example of this is the destruction of Alderaan by the Death Star. In the first half ofA New Hope, the planet is destroyed, killing billions of people, including importantStar Warscharacters like Bail and Breha Organa. At the time ofA New Hope’s release, little about Alderaan was known, other than it being the home planet of Princess Leia. Lucas deliberately chose this tactic and did not show the planet, its inhabitants, or their final moments, with Alderaan simply being obliterated in a giant explosion from afar.
Moreover, another decision that was made during the filming ofA New Hopethat reinforces this idea was Leia’s reaction. There are brief shots of Leia looking shocked, enraged, and somewhat saddened at Tarkin’s order to fire on the planet, but after its destruction, Leia is not seen again until Luke frees her from her cell. The depth of her emotional reaction is avoided, meaning the true sadness of Alderaan’s destruction is too.Alderaan’s destruction happens, yes, but the true effects of the Empire’s evil are skimmed overinA New Hope.
Even beyond this, the remainder of the original trilogy keeps the Empire’s evil at bay, given that Lucas keeps the focus of each film on its heroes. The Empire and its agents only really appear in big battles or showdowns with characters like Luke, Leia, and Han, allowing the depths of the regime’s atrocities to remain off-screen. In recent years,Star Warshas begun to change this.
Star Wars Began Changing This In Rise Of Skywalker
The Sequel Trilogy Delved A Little Deeper Into The Empire’s Worst Crimes
I am someone who mostly enjoys the sequel trilogy, specificallyStar Wars: The Force AwakensandStar Wars: The Last Jedi, and will freely admit that I think those films adhere well to what Lucas created in the 1970s.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerdoes too, though this movie began slightly pushing back against the rule of showcasing true evil, as didThe Force Awakens. The latter, for instance, showed a brief glimpse of the population of the Hosnian system as they were destroyed by Starkiller Base, providing an ever-so-slightly bigger emotional punch for the audience than Alderaan’s fate did.
InThe Rise of Skywalker, this was taken to a higher level. A big portion of one of the film’s subplots takes place on the planet of Kijimi, with several inhabitants of the planet having a role in the story. This is all tied to Poe Dameron’s history, with the planet being shown up close and personally in a way Alderaan never was, at least where therelease order ofStar Warsmoviesis concerned. As a result, Kijimi’s destruction during the Final Order later in the movie feels more impactful than Alderaan’s, even if every named character escaped.
Andor Finally Shows An Imperial Genocide In Detail
Even More So Than The Original Or Sequel Trilogies
Despite this small pushback against showcasing Imperial evil in the sequels, the franchise still did not lean entirely into this - until 2025.Andorseason 2 delved entirely into showing Imperial evil on a scale George Lucas or the filmmakers of the sequels never dreamed of. 48 years later, this rule was broken byAndorseason 2’s Ghorman Massacre. The Ghorman Massacre was part ofStar WarsLegends beforeAndorseason 2, with the show canonizing another version of that, while rendering the former the “Tarkin Massacre.”
InAndorseason 2, it was revealed that the Empire needed a mineral from Ghorman’s core to finalize the construction of the Death Star. After years of exploring alternatives, the Empire decided there was no other way, thus purposefully escalating a rebellion on Ghorman to justify a complete occupation of the planet.Andorseason 2, episodes 7-9outlined this, with episode 8 showing the true evil of the Empire firsthand. The way the Empire orchestrates a rebellion is incredibly chilling and dread-inducing, as is the complete genocide of the Ghormans after the chaos ensues.
More so than any otherStar Warsproject in the last 48 years,Andordetails an Imperial massacre in a way the franchise never has. Not only are the more distant, planet-killing ways of the Death Star traded for more intimate, personal methods of murder, butAndorspends an entire seven episodes making audiences care about Ghorman and its people. This makes the events ofAndorseason 2, episode 8 all the more tragic, disheartening, and brutal, showcasing the Empire’s evil in a way Lucas never did.
The Ghorman Massacre Was Tragic, But It Made Andor (& Star Wars) Even Better
The Empire’s Evil Only Improves Star Wars' Message Of Hope
Although the Ghorman Massacre was incredibly heartbreaking, it was a necessary part ofAndor’s story and made that show, as well as the entireStar Warssaga, even better. While it was overly difficult to watch the Empire displaying such evil on such a personal scale, there is no denying that it improved the narrative and emotional stakes of the story tenfold, in a way that the more distanced destruction of Alderaan, for example, did not inA New Hope. This was no more evident than inAndorseason 2, episode 9, with Mon Mothma’s speech against the Emperor inducing chills as the rebels ofStar Warsfought back.
Star Warshas never been better…
Thanks toAndorseason 2’s story being so immensely impactful, theStar Warsstories that take place after it have been retroactively improved too. Be itRogue One’s story, which now has a heap of context regarding Cassian’s character and how important he is, or the original trilogy, which details the fightback against the Empire thatAndorso brilliantly set up,Star Warshas never been better. These Imperial atrocities are awful and difficult to watch, but in terms of allowing audiences to feel the spark of hope and rebellion when the franchise’s heroes fight back,Andorhas proven they are massively necessary.
