WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Andor season 2, episodes 1, 2, and 3!Andorseason 2 just premiered its first three episodes on Disney+, and it showed why theRebel Allianceactually neededLuke Skywalker. The setup forAndorseason 2’s first batch of episodes wasCassian Andorstealing anImperial TIE Avenger prototype, and throughout these episodes, it was brought up again and again how difficult it was to fly the ship, making for some comedic and lighthearted moments in a very dark and serious show.
While audiences got to see Cassian figure out how to fly the TIE Avenger prototype well enough to navigate, it was clear that the rebels with whom he was stranded with, onYavin IVbefore the Rebellion established their base there, couldn’t figure out how to fly it either. It’s known that the Rebel Alliance was built on outlaws and outcasts, which means they couldn’t be overly picky about who they let into their ranks. This also shows a flaw within the Rebel Alliance: a lack of competent pilots.
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When we think of Cassian Andor as a character, the first attribute that comes to mind isn’t “ace pilot,” though he has shown how competent a pilot he is throughoutAndorseason 1 and inRogue One: A Star Wars Story. However,Cassian would likely be considered an average pilot overall, and in ineptitude shows when he clearly doesn’t know how to fly the TIE Avenger.
If the Rebellion needed to get their hands on the TIE Avenger, they would’ve likely sent in one of their best pilots, but they sent Cassian instead, indicating he was the best they could get their hands on. Likely, the Rebellion was almost always in need of new pilots.
In fact, inStar Wars Rebels,there was a whole episode dedicated to the extraction of three pilots looking to defect from the Empire.That episode,Rebelsseason 3, episode 4 “The Antilles Extraction,” took place two years after theAndorepisodes that were just released. This indicates that getting good pilots for the Rebellion was a consistent problem, and something they were willing to lose people on if it meant getting more competent fliers.
Luke Was Probably Sent Up There To Die
A Dark, But Probably True Scenario
When Luke Skywalker joined the Rebel Alliance inA New Hope,he was an untested, inexperienced pilot. He was the definition of a rookie pilot, but the rebels still gave him an X-wing to fly to help them blow up the Death Star. The dark truth is thatthe rebels were likely okay with Luke getting his own ship and going into battle because they were okay with his death.
The best case scenario for a rookie pilot like Luke would’ve been that he drew enough enemy fire to keep the heat off the better and more experienced pilots. Even though Luke turned out to be a great pilot who was responsible for blowing up the first Death Star, the expectations were likely low for him. If anything, it’s a miracle that Luke turned out to be a half-decent pilot.
While the Rebel Alliance didn’t need Luke Skywalker because of his fledglingForce powerswhen he first joined, they needed him as a pilot, even if he was a bad one. Though Cassian Andor is a fine pilot, hopefully the rest ofAndorseason 2 sees better pilots at the helm of ships like the TIE Avenger.
Andorseason 2 drops three new episodes every Tuesday at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT on Disney+.
Andorseason 2, episodes 1-3
Andorseason 2, episodes 4-6
Andorseason 2, episodes 7-9
Andorseason 2, episodes 10-12
