Andor Has Taught Star Wars Fans the Wrong Lesson (& It’s Extremely Concerning)
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It has been a long time since there has been something for Star Wars fans to get excited about. The last trilogy of saga films was divisive at best, and any subsequent material has not had much longevity. Then along came Andor. It was a series that arguably no one was asking for, but it delivered. The prequel to the Star Wars prequel, Rogue One, followed rebel spy Cassian Andor as he became the man who was partially responsible for delivering the plans to the Death Star.
Andor accomplished what many late Star Wars ventures failed to do. It required no previous knowledge from viewers and wove a tale that was topical as well as futuristic. Creator Tony Gilroy leaned away from Force-sensitive shenanigans and the Skywalker family in favor of a personal story about the realities of rebellions. Andor was full of moral compromises and real-life ramifications in the name of deposing a galactic dictator. It was not just one of the best Star Wars shows in a long time, but the best series of 2025 so far. This naturally pushed fans to go full tilt into the series, but this is not an instinct that they should follow through on.
Star Wars Fans Are Putting All Their Eggs in the Tony Gilroy Basket
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Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
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Andor has become an unequivocal success. When Rogue One first premiered in 2016, no one was begging for a Cassian Andor series. But when one premiered in 2022, they were proven wrong. Andor took place years before the titular character met his rebel partner Jyn Erso and created the foundation for Luke Skywalker to destroy the first Death Star. Andor opened with Cassian being in Jyn’s shoes at the beginning of Rogue One.
Though he had no doubts that the Empire was evil, he had other interests. He was on the path to finding his missing sister and, even more pressing, trying to survive day to day. The first season tracked his journey from a man living on the fringes of society to becoming a full-blown radicalized rebel. Tony Gilroy’s series didn’t sugarcoat anything either. While Luke has all the fame and glory for firing one shot down an exhaust port, Cassian and his rebel cohorts put in the work to get him there.
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They compromised, killed, and in some scenarios, died just so the Empire would eventually fall. Andor wasn’t just a Star Wars series, it was about taking no prisoners with fighting fascism. This worthy message struck fans to the core, showing them a world that was rarely portrayed in the long-running sci-fi franchise. This made watchers of the show thirsty for more content from the creative, and it’s easy to see why. In recent years, Star Wars has had the MCU problem of an oversaturation of content. Gilroy proved he was an outlier in the field, creating something closer to art than a franchise series.
Andor – Luthen Rael’s Monologue (Clip)
Fans have been urging Gilroy to make more content after the conclusion of Andor or even take over the brand creatively in some capacity. No matter how tempting that is, it would ultimately be a mistake. Andor is a beautiful piece of writing, particularly because it is fleeting. There is nothing worse than a show going on too long or a concept overstaying its welcome. For Gilroy’s part, he has already stated that he had no intention of continuing in the universe after Andor Season 2.
“It’s not really part of my plan,” Gilroy told Collider in an exclusive interview. “I’ve been peripherally involved for 10 years and intensely involved for six years, so that’s a pretty big chunk of my life. There are other things to do. I think when it’s done, I will have left a pretty big piece of Star Wars real estate behind.” Gilroy’s decision to move on to other ventures may break audiences’ hearts, but it is the best way to preserve the legacy of the series.
The Star Wars Franchise Works Best as a Melting Pot
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Property of Disney and Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
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The long history of Star Wars has ensured that not every decision is popular. The original trilogy, first released in 1977, still maintains its iconic status. But while not everyone likes to admit it, George Lucas was not alone in his invention. He had an entire crew of creatives, including his own ex-wife as an editor and even Carrie Fisher script doctoring on later films.
Marcia Lucas’ edits on A New Hope helped cut out any extraneous content and make a more streamlined and coherent film.
Star Wars was the resolution of many people who loved it, which is perhaps why it has lasted so long. Lucas retired as the steward of the franchise, and since then, it has gone through many hands. While not all of it is phenomenal, Star Wars has — for better or for worse — always been a collaboration. Sometimes, it doesn’t always work out. The latest trilogy didn’t stick the landing even though there is a potential for it to be redeemed.
Viewers let out an audible sigh of relief when Dave Filoni took over as the creative leader of the franchise for this reason. The creator of The Clone Wars and the best Star Wars series, Rebels, Filoni ushered in a new era of Star Wars, but his leadership wasn’t faultless. Ahsoka attempted to reclaim the former glory of Rebels, and although it deserves respect for bringing Hayden Christensen back to the fold as Anakin Skywalker, showcasing his tragic character arc, it wasn’t perfect.
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Ahsoka failed to truly capture the titular character’s persona from the animated series, and it is hard to forgive it for the lack of screen time it gave Ezra Bridger. Star Wars never belonged just to one person. Even in the heyday of Lucas, he employed many creatives to help create the optimistic sci-fi feature that everyone knows and loves. Gilroy shouldn’t be the sole owner of Star Wars, no matter how spectacular his series was. The most exciting part of the franchise is seeing what new creatives will come up with next.
The Acolyte, for instance, was the most underrated Star Wars put to screen and did not deserve its sudden cancellation. The series was divisive because it was doing something different. It may not have been clear, but the show was really a Sith origin story that fans mercilessly killed. The Sith weren’t wholly evil in The Acolyte. Or at the very least, they didn’t start out that way.
Every character believes they are the hero of their own story, and that includes the Dark Force wielders. Taking away the story was extremely disappointing for Star Wars fans who were hungry for new perspectives. These attempts should continue, even if Andor was about the best thing that ever happened to the sci-fi world.
Star Wars Stories Should Not Stay Dark Forever
Image via LucasfilmTony Gilroy caught lightning in a bottle with Andor. Talent was, of course, needed to make this series shine, but it also had timing and an audience ready for this type of story. Star Wars had shown the ramifications of fascism before, but not to an audience so ready and willing to be radicalized. Andor didn’t mince words about what it took to take down an empire and allowed its characters to use terrorism to their benefit.
Showing a corrupt government made all the characters’ actions make even more sense. In the ‘70s, fans may not have been ready to see government-sanctioned genocide up close and personal or a daughter having to euthanize her father so he doesn’t get interrogated. Andor was exactly what fans needed when they needed it most. Gilroy correctly stated that he left his mark on the Star Wars universe. Having already told that incredibly important story, there would be no reason to continue it past its prime.
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Fans were ready to see such a mature story because Star Wars had been lighthearted for so long. The vice versa is also true. Andor was always going to be a bleak story. Viewers know his fate in Rogue One, and although he forged the path for liberation from the Empire, it is still tragic to see him go. Living in the darkness forever isn’t good for anyone and offering hope in the end was important.
Release Date
Writer
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Rogue One
December 16, 2016
Tony Gilroy
84%
Andor
September 21, 2022
Tony Gilroy
96%
Gilroy added the birth of Cassian’s son with Bix to offer some light at the end of the tunnel. Cassian may have perished before he could see the war against the Empire won, but he made the world better for his child, even if he didn’t know he existed. Star Wars can and should forge ahead with new stories with differing tones.
This may be a dark time for the brand, but interesting shows like The Acolyte and animated series like Tales of the Jedi are just as important. Star Wars is the rare franchise that can get away with different styles and tones and should continue to explore this down the line. Seeing Hayden Christensen portray Anakin in a more nuanced way in Ahsoka is one of the many gifts that the franchise has to give. Andor remains a testament to the power of Star Wars and will always be there to revisit as many times as fans want.
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