Streaming services are bringing us a lot of content based on massive IP this year. Prime Video is giving us The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Netflix already dropped a new Stranger Things season, and Disney+ is unveiling the latest installment in Star Wars, Andor.
Andor is a television series that won’t be released until its three-episode premiere on September 21, and yet the internet is already buzzing.
So, we’ve put together a small explainer to tell you everything you need to know about this show and where it fits in the Star Wars canon.
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What will Andor be about?
Andor picks up the character Cassian Andor who we met in 2016’s Rogue One. In this television series, we’ll get to know who the mysterious assassin is and how he became a key fighter for the insurrection that will become the Rebel Alliance.
Along with our main character, we also see the rise of Senator Mon Mothma. The series will show us how the politician walking the halls of power in Coruscant becomes the leader of the Rebellion.
Together, both of these roles will intertwine to show us how the stage was set for the original trilogy.
Where does Andor fit in Star Wars?
In Rogue One, Andor and Jyn Erso steal the plans for the Death Star, which are later used by a Rebel force (including none other than Luke Skywalker) at the end of A New Hope.
If you remember the events of Rogue One, you know that Cassian dies. So this series takes us five years before the events of Rogue One. That places this show right at the beginning of the Rebellion — an exciting time.
Tony Gilroy, the showrunner for Andor, says that the first season’s 12 episodes will show us the first year, and the second season will cover the four remaining years leading up to Rogue One.
What is the significance of Andor in Star Wars?
Andor is most likely going to be an important show for Star Wars fans for a couple of reasons. The first is that it will give us important insight into the earliest days of the Rebellion, much like the animated show Star Wars Rebels — though likely on a much larger scale.
For this reason, we will likely see many important figures as they shape the future of the galaxy. (Rumors abound that Ahsoka Tano will at least make a cameo.)
But the series also promises something important due to the amount of time we’ll be able to spend with the lead character. His exploits in Rogue One led to the victory at the end of A New Hope, and eventually to the total victory of the Rebellion. That makes Cassian Andor a critically important character.
That being said, he is also morally complicated — and that should make for some compelling television. Andor on Disney+ drops on September 21.