Andor: Star Wars Dialed to Eleven
An essay on the Andor series, analyzing its place in the Star Wars franchise, its thematic underpinnings and moral stance.
Spoiler Notice
This piece will contain spoilers for both seasons of Andor, up to season two, episode nine.
Introduction
Andor is an excellent series. It breaks partially from the aesthetic mold of Star Wars, but justifies this decision by amplifying the franchise’s most important themes. It explores the emergent power of collective movements, carefully restricts the options of characters to serve the oppressive atmosphere, and questions the straightforwardness of moral doctrines. However, at no point does the series advocate for nihilism.
Andor contains various analogies for real world ideologies, whilst rarely making caricatures of them. The lack of criticism levied toward the show on political grounds reveals that, generally, audiences can embrace alternative perspectives so long as they are not being overtly mocked or belittled in the process. Andor is thus an endorsement of artistic resonance and sophisticated commentary, over political posturing.
Andor’s Place in the Star Wars Franchise
The most obvious way Andor respects the original vision of Star Wars is that it never questions which of the two sides is the antagonist. The Empire is clearly the villainous side, if for no other reason than it takes the comically evil Emperor Palpatine for its tyrant. The rebellion, with its compassionate counterfigure in Mon Mothma, differentiates itself as the heroic front standing against the authoritarianism of the Empire.
However, there is a departure from previous content, which is likely one reason why fans intuit a betrayal of the Star Wars vision. Both sides of the conflict contain a spectrum of morally grey characters, all melded and influenced by circumstance. This shift complicates the superficial reading of the story as depicting a simple fight between pure good and pure evil, though wading deeper, one still finds a definite moral prescription.
Morals in Andor are primarily translated through the characters’ own feelings about their role in the story. Even though Luthen Rael and Saw Gerrera are psychologically scarred by their dark actions, they are shown to have achieved self-acceptance, derived from the faith that they are supporting the right side. Syril Karn, conversely, is torn apart by his actions on the eventual discovery that his end was a destructive and evil regime. These states of good and bad conscience transcend the minutia of independent actions, arising instead out of the totalizing narrative tension or harmony surrounding one’s self-image.
The series, by positioning sacrifice and fate as central tenets of the rebellion, broadly affirms the controversial idea that “the ends justify the means.” However, it is clear that decisions which break moral codes in service of a desired end are not meant to be light decisions and can have undesirable consequences. This is reflected in the discord that these actions cause in character relationships; such as between Mothma and Rael. By introducing a Machiavellian pragmatism, Andor breaks the straightforwardness of the original trilogy, where absolute virtue reigns supreme.
The series rarely debates how one determines which side to fight for, when to abandon a movement and other questions of this nature. It is this restraint which allows its themes to be more thoroughly interrogated. Whilst the narrative is elevated on this account, there is a danger of inflaming and bolstering real-world movements, without proper interrogation of their ends. This is no strike against Andor, only a recommendation that audiences supplement the show with other content; content which interrogates all factions with equal vigor.
The Unified Rebellion and the Disharmony of the Empire
In Star Wars, the rebellion illustrates the power derived from a group feeling of solidarity, arising out of a mutual goal or unifying narrative. Andor brings the power of group feeling to the fore, by contrasting the collective will of the rebellion against the singular will of the Emperor. In broader lore, the Sith rule of two helps to cement this individualist/collectivist dichotomy. Whilst the rebellion has its figureheads, they are the symbolic emergence of the rebel factions’ will. Democracy, a system of governance positively portrayed by the Star Wars franchise, was born out of this very principle by Jean-Jacques Rousseau: that politicians should enforce the general will of their constituents.
“Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will; and in our corporate capacity, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Social Contract (Book I, Chapter 6)
Further, the rebellion is, on paper, fueled by wilful cooperation. Most sacrifices are made intentionally on the part of each individual as a tribute to the movement. The elimination of allied liabilities, such as Mothma’s childhood friend Tay Kolma, are kept in closed circles. Far from a perfect system, the rebellion at least maintains the illusion of consent.
Meanwhile, Emperor Palpatine imposes a singular will over his entire project and becomes a terrifying, looming threat for each member of the ranks. Few Imperials are doggedly committed to the cause, for they are too distracted by their atomized and punishing incentive structures. Instead of enthusiasm for the success of the Empire's vision, individuals become hyper-focused on their own mission goals and career ambitions. Thus, the Empire self-cannibalizes with its staff competing amongst each other for scraps, and avoiding accountability.
A Hard-Won Truth Cuts Deeper than a Thousand Lies
The most important message of Andor, and Star Wars in general, is the need to resist tyranny. This is poetically stated in Karis Nemik’s manifesto:
“Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward. And then remember this. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural.” Andor Season One, Episode Eight
Andor season two delivers one of the actionable steps towards this goal through Mothma’s speech, in which she states that keeping the “objective truth” alive is the most crucial weapon against the Empire. It is the rallying cry to unite the galaxy against a common enemy, and spark courage in the resistance. Yet, there is a narrative complication... This very speech is made possible by Rael’s espionage, sacrifice of allies, and manipulations. The Ghorman massacre, intentionally spurred on by Rael, becomes the basis of Mothma’s speech to expose the evil of the Empire. There is an irony in building such a speech about the importance of truth on foundations of deception, yet this leads into a far richer critique.
Mothma acts as the catalyst for a rebirth of the rebellion, strategically positioned to be as innocent in the affair as possible. It is no coincidence that as Rael’s act is ending, and his power almost spent, the rebellion has become a more disciplined and united front. The group feeling of the rebels is on an upwards trajectory, thus the eerily Palpatine-esque operation of Rael is less necessary - a fact that does not seem lost on him. By staying mostly in the shadows, he ensures that the rebellion can evolve into a natural and organic movement, in contrast to the suffocating Imperial ranks.
Following Mothma’s speech, the galaxy is encouraged towards open action and a more explicit expression of discontent with the Empire; finally with the hope that imperial resources can be spread thin by galaxy-wide efforts. The many sacrifices and dangers which enabled this event reframe the very concept of truth; it is not merely a moral preference, but a hard earned prize. The series shows that in order to allow the most important truths to win out, many must sacrifice themselves and their comforts. They may even be forced to become hypocrites through their deception. Mothma’s speech then becomes the culmination of every victory, every sacrifice, every means to an end which threatened to undermine the rebels’ narrative. An orchestrated bombshell of truth, detonated in the Senate with catastrophic results for the Empire.
Conclusion
Andor does not sugarcoat the fight against tyranny. It suggests that moral doctrines and idealism can only be achieved by polite society because those in the shadows fight dirty to preserve that right. This theme is uncomfortable, and a perhaps unintentional artifact of showrunner Tony Gilroy’s parallelizing of real world rebellions. This discomfort, and invitation to debate, is what transmutes Andor from casual entertainment into a vector for engaging with important ideas.
Ultimately, Andor tells the story of rejecting apathy and the value in sacrificing oneself to a worthy cause. Individuals may have influence on the events of the story, but they are unable to transcend powerful, unseen forces: both the mysticism of the force and the sociological factors which bloom out of human psychology. Those who stand idle feed the Empire and enable its power, whilst those who actively embrace their circumstances with courage are the most dangerous threat to its dominion. This is the message at the core of Star Wars.