How ‘Andor’ Builds on Star Wars’ Political Messaging

Like its sibling series The Mandalorian, Andor has become a fast favorite among dedicated Star Wars fans and TV viewers.

The series expands the world of Star Wars by building out the story of the Rebellion and the Empire. There are even plotlines that flesh out beloved characters in the sci-fi universe, like Mon Mothma.  

Most importantly, it is packed with political commentary true to the original movie’s intentions. Andor returns to the heart of Star Wars by focusing on what it takes to fight oppression and the importance of political activism in the face of rights backsliding. 

Andor’s Backstory

Andor Season 1 Episode 4, “Ahldani”

One of Andor’s goals is to build out the main character’s backstory.

Throughout Season 1, the show provides flashbacks into Cassian’s past growing up as an indigenous person named “Kassa” on the planet Kenari.

The flashbacks piece together the story of how the Empire had mining operations on Kenari that raided the planet of its resources.

This destruction left Cassian, along with countless other children on Kenari, orphaned because many adults died from the poisoning that resulted from the mining operations. 

Andor Season 1 Episode 3, “Reckoning,” specifically shows how young Cassian was found by Clem and Maarva among the ruins of Kenari.

The Rebel couple took him in and raised him away from the inhabitable planet where he grew up, and he was forced to leave his sister behind. Andor doesn’t shy away from illustrating how Cassian experienced the cruelty of the Empire firsthand and how the greedy institution’s exploitation tore his whole family apart.

This background helps inform Cassian’s eventual dedication to the Rebel cause and connects to the central messaging in Star Wars about how tyrannic rule can ruin people’s lives by destroying the place they live.

Much like Tatooine, Luke Skywalker’s home planet, became overrun by smugglers after the Empire mined resources from it, Kenari suffered an unfortunate fate that contributed to Cassian’s political stance. 

The Aldhani Heist 

Following the theme of combating exploitation and bringing about justice for those harmed by the Empire, a central storyline in Andor is Cassian’s contributions to the Aldhani heist.

He joins this Rebel mission on Andor Season 1 Episode 4, “Aldhani,” but the mission reaches its peak on Andor Season 1 Episode 6, “The Eye,” when he helps the Rebel team pull off the heist. 

The goal of the mission was to steal the Empire’s payroll of about 80 million credits.

While the heist itself is exciting, the episodes also highlight how the indigenous Dhani people of the planet Aldhani are being mistreated by the Empire that Cassian and his associates are stealing from.

Like the people of Kenari, the Dhani were driven off their homeland by Imperial soldiers so the Empire could use their land to build military bases.

While Cassian joins the Rebel mission to get a portion of the credit stolen, it’s undeniable that he sees his story reflected in the injustice the Dhani face. 

By fighting against the Empire, Cassian and the Rebels prove that justice sometimes requires taking back what the oppressors steal from you.

The mission helps spark widespread anti-Imperialist sentiment, proving that the message Star Wars sends about providing hope by standing up against wrongdoing holds true in every corner of the galaxy. 

Escape from Narkina 5

One of Andor’s most memorable storylines is Cassian’s time in the Narkina 5 prison.

In prison, he meets fellow inmate Kino Loy, who is also the floor manager in charge of ensuring that all the inmates complete their tasks of building Imperial equipment. 

Initially, Kino is hesitant to listen to Cassian’s words, but over time, Cassian convinces Kino and the other inmates that they cannot allow the Empire to hold them captive. This all culminates in a dramatic prison break on Andor Season 1 Episode 10, “One Way Out.” 

Kino’s switch from complicity to actively organizing against the Empire and gathering his fellow inmates for a cause is extremely moving, considering his eventual sacrifice for the cause.

Even though Kino was only around for a few episodes, his bond with Cassian and his impact on Narkina 5 is hard to forget for any Andor viewers. 

His change of heart demonstrates that no matter how jaded oppression can make you, having hope that there can be a better life than being subjected to endless oppression.

The theme of hope and the capacity for change is the very heart of Star Wars. Before Cassian arrived at Narkina 5, all the inmates, including Kino, had essentially lost against the Empire because they no longer had hope.

With what he learned during the Aldhani mission, Cassian helped bring back hope and the desire for positive change for the inmates that led to their freedom.

With Season 2 coming out soon, Andor will hopefully continue its crusade to address the original franchise message, which remains relevant today, about the need for political struggle in the face of oppression. 

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Andor Season 2 is coming to Disney+ on April 22, 2025.

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