The modern story of Star Wars has often been defined by the mission to expand away from George Lucas’ era. At times, it’s been successful, as with most of The Mandalorian, but the allure of the Skywalker Saga looms large, and killing the past is often more difficult in practice. Cynics will say that’s always a problem, but three years ago today, on September 21, 2022, a new show premiered on Disney+ that proved that returning to the past could still be an incredible experience.
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It didn’t arrive with the fanfare of a new Skywalker Saga film or a spin-off focused on a legacy character, but Star Wars: Andor was met with cautious optimism from a fan base exhausted by uneven storytelling. The first three episodes dropped at once, a slow-burn entry that felt less like a space fantasy and more like a gritty, grounded spy thriller. The pacing was deliberate, the dialogue sharp and understated, and the world felt lived-in and real in a way few other Star Wars projects had. It was a bold departure from the norm—a calculated risk that paid off in spectacular fashion.
What began as a prequel to a prequel quickly evolved into something far more significant in more than one ways. Andor became a masterclass in mature storytelling, character development, and world-building, and in doing so, it changed the entire landscape of Star Wars forever.
The Show Finally Took the Rebellion Seriously
Before Andor, the Rebellion was typically portrayed with a sense of romantic heroism. Audiences were shown brave pilots, resourceful spies, and powerful Jedi fighting against a faceless Empire. While these stories were undoubtedly fantastic, they did not show what it truly means to fight a totalitarian regime from within and the hard, sometimes unethical, decisions that have to be made.
Andor peeled back the layers of this struggle, revealing the fear, the sacrifice, and shades of gray that define a true revolution. The show understood that the Rebellion wasn’t just made up of valiant heroes with lightsabers, larger-than-life smugglers, or princesses; it was built on the backs of ordinary people forced into extraordinary circumstances. Cassian Andor is not even remotely a principled leader when his story begins in Andor Season 1, but as a cynical, self-serving man just trying to survive under Imperial occupation. His journey isn’t a straightforward march toward the heroism shown in Rogue One; it’s messy, complex, and deeply painful, awakening him to the realities of how the Empire is ruining the galaxy.
The series excelled at showing the quiet acts of defiance that fuel a larger movement. The arc on Ferrix, with its community-led resistance, was a brutal and emotional display of how an oppressed, small, but devoted, community and personal tragedies can ignite a fire that spreads across the galaxy. The prison arc on Narkina 5, where Cassian is forced into 6 years of servitude in dehumanized conditions, was another work of creative art, showing how the Empire’s own cruelty and policies wound up creating the very rebels they wanted to eliminate.
Luthen Rael and Kleya Marki, the architects of the Rebellion from the shadows, were responsible for taking risks that could expose their operation and network of spies, but carried on with a fervent dedication for years to create a better galaxy. Luthen’s quote, “I burn my life to make a sunrise that I will never see,” is a perfect example of not only their dedication, but showed just how deadly the early days of the Rebellion were. It wasn’t about flashy battles or epic duels; it was about the unseen sacrifices made by people who knew they would never live to see the fruits of their labor. This grounded, political, and deeply human approach gave the Rebellion a weight and gravity it had never had before, taking it from a simple good vs. evil into a complex historical drama.
Andor Proved That Original Stories Could Be the Franchise’s Greatest Strength
For years, Star Wars had been tied to the Skywalker Saga. Most new projects either featured Luke, Leia, and Han or were heavily connected to the events of the original and/or prequel trilogy. This approach, while commercially successful, was creatively limiting. Andor shattered the status quo by proving that a well-written, high-stakes, original story with a new cast of characters could be the most powerful way to expand the galaxy. The show introduced us to a cast of new characters who have now become integral to Star Wars lore and worlds that held deep significance and were fully realized.
From the idealistic Mon Mothma—a character who had only ever been in the background—struggling to build a political movement in the senate while maintaining her cover and keeping her family in the dark, to the cynical but determined Luthen Rael, the show’s success wasn’t dependent on nostalgia. It was built on the strength of its writing, its stellar performances, and its dedication to telling a meaningful and complete story.
This creative risk paid off in a big way. Just this month, at the 2025 Emmy Awards, Andor’s second season swept up an incredible five Emmy awards, including Outstanding Drama Series. This is a feat no other Star Wars project has ever achieved, and it signals a major shift in how the franchise could move forward if it follows what the fans truly want. The win wasn’t just a testament to the show’s quality; it was proof that the idea of Star Wars can, and should, be more than just fan service. It can be a platform for serious, critically acclaimed, and groundbreaking television that isn’t afraid to touch on sensitive topics.
Andor’s success has opened the door for future projects to explore new corners of the galaxy, new time periods, and new characters without the burden of pleasing legacy fans at every turn. It proved that a great story, well told, is the most powerful force in the galaxy. In an era of constant content creation and nostalgia-driven reboots, Andor was a refreshing reminder that the best way forward is often a bold step into the unknown.
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Image courtesy of Stage 6 Films -
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm.
