After the success of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars fans can look to a less Force-heavy series on Disney+ with Andor, the gritty live-action prequel that takes place 5BBY. Many fans will already know the fate of Cassian Andor, the Rebel spy who valiantly served the Alliance to Restore the Republic in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but there are several key plot points from not only that movie, but the original and prequel trilogies as well that will be helpful to remember prior to the series premier on September 21, 2022.
As the Empire grows stronger and more powerful, Andor and his allies help the Rebellion strike small decisive blows where it can, while its more politically savvy leaders in the Imperial Senate attempt to cripple it from within. It is a dark and violent time, but also a hopeful one, as the series functions to connect and fill in complex layers of the Star Wars franchise and the Skywalker saga.
The Rebellion Is Not Yet The Alliance To Restore The Republic
Dedicated politicians like Senator Bail Organa and Senator Mon Mothma worked diligently to form the Alliance to Restore the Republic in 2BBY, but prior to that, the Rebellion is still made up of cells like the Specters working in small ways against the Empire. At the time Andor takes place, the Rebellion isn't nearly so structured.
The Rebellion lacks the structure it has in Rogue One, where skilled military professionals and savvy politicians worked together to take on the Empire by recruiting the best starfighter pilots and helping Imperials defect.
Cassian Andor Is Willing To Kill An Ally To Preserve Rebel Secrets
Who could have predicted that in the first few minutes of Rogue One, audiences would have to sit uncomfortably and watch one of the "good guys", Rebel agent Cassian Andor, kill one of his own to safeguard a secret from falling into enemy hands? It was an important moment highlighting what one person was willing to do to get results in a war they had been fighting all of their lives.
That the Rebellion's cause is important to Andor is an understatement, but for every "good" Rebellion using hearts and minds to fight for freedom, there's one who must use the most underhanded and even malevolent methods to see progress done against the oppressors.
The Death Star Is Still Being Built
The Death Star took nearly two decades to complete, and therefore isn't ready for action during Andor, but there's a good chance fans will see hints and clues about it leading up to the events of Rogue One where, even though it hadn't yet been unveiled to the galaxy, Krennic used it to blow up Jedha, and Grand Moff Tarkin used it to blow up the Imperial Archive on Skarif.
Galen Erso is still dutifully toiling away under the watchful eye of Director Krennic in an effort to complete the Empire's superweapon on schedule. He's secretly implanting a bug in the system so that in five years time, his daughter Jyn Erso (with help from Andor) can figure out a way to exploit its weakness.
Mon Mothma Is Actively Stirring Rebellion In The Imperial Senate
Mon Mothma (as played by Caroline Blakiston) first made her appearance onscreen in Return of the Jedi, when she famously told a gathering of Rebel forces that "many Bothans died" to bring information about the shield generator protecting the Emperor's second Death Star into the hands of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
Given that Andor takes place before Rogue One, in which she was already a decisive Rebel leader alongside Senator Bail Organa, fans can look forward to seeing her (played by Genevieve O'Reilly, who played her in both Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and Star Wars Rebels) begin to shake the foundation of the Imperial Senate from within the halls of Coruscant, (one of several prominent locations in the series) anxious to see which Rebels sympathizers come loose.
Bail Organa Is Trying To Draw Sympathetic Senators To His Cause
Even as recently as his appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Bail Organa remains a steadfast believer in democracy. At a glittering political gala, he keeps his priorities straight as an earnest figurehead and a leader of his people among Imperial-centered bureaucrats. The Empire has already been in power for a decade in that series, and Organa insists other senators must act against taxation and indenture servitude, but his sentiments seem to fall on deaf ears.
Along with Mon Mothma, Senator Organa is one of the central figures in the creation of the Rebel Alliance, and at this time, he'll have had enough of Imperial tyranny. Like Mon Mothma, there is so much more to his story that needs to be told.
Saw Gerrera Is Splintering From The Rebel Alliance
Many of the important plot pieces that are referenced in Rogue One begin 5BBY. While Andor is earning his stripes as a Rebel spy, Saw Gerrera is splintering from the Rebel Alliance to form his own cell that Mon Mothma views as closer to "terrorists" than freedom fighters, known as the "Partisans." In 5 BBY he abandoned Jyn Erso at Tamyse Prime, and in 2BBY, Mon Mothma specifically issued the Resolution of Censure Condemning Saw Gerrera of the Partisans, which truncated any contact he had with the Rebel Alliance.
Gerrera believed that the Rebellion had become a frenzied political machine dangerously close to mirroring the Empire it vowed to overthrow. While Gerrera may be one of the characters who could appear in Andor, his perspective of its ineffectiveness will certainly be felt throughout.
The Empire Is Expanding Its Reach
A New Hope had several scenes of Imperial officers gathering around a table to discuss Imperial expansion, and Andor will have plenty more, helping it connect to the original trilogy. The Empire is expanding from the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim, and with the newly appointed Grand Moff Tarkin issuing the Tarkin Doctrine, it will be a time of great supremacy for high-ranking Imperials and oligarchs.
Alien planets like Kashyyyk will be occupied and Wookiees forced into servitude, human worlds will see higher taxation, and the Cassian's flashbacks will become the norm on countless other worlds in dozens of systems throughout the galaxy. The age of the Empire is truly in full effect.
Princess Leia Is Being Groomed As A Senator
5BBY, Princess Leia is taking her first steps into a larger world. Having been groomed to follow in her father's footsteps and represent Alderaan in the Imperial Senate, she is showing signs of being a quick-thinking and compassionate diplomat. Star Wars Rebels featured Leia as a teenager on missions delivering relief aid and learning about the Empire's atrocities.
Leia appeared in Obi-Wan Kenobi as a precocious and plucky ten-year-old who wanted to participate in space adventures, not Senate hearings. While she may not appear until Andor's second season (confirmed at Star Wars Celebration 2022), it's important to know that she's laying the groundwork towards being the forceful freedom fighter and Rebel leader she'll later become.
Jedi Are Operating In Secret
Even in hiding, Jedi are operating all across the galaxy, their numbers few, their hearts big. Ahsoka Tano was seen in Star Wars Rebels adopting the codename Fulcrum, which Andor himself takes on later. In fact, the animated series takes place 5BBY, so many of the adventures of the Ghost crew occur simultaneous to Andor's missions.
Even Cal Kestis, the hero of Jedi: Fallen Order was still alive and well in this time period, when the anticipated sequel of his game will take place. While Andor promises to spend less time among Force-sensitive people, it's important to remember that Jedi were still commited to resurrecting the Republic behind the scenes.
Cassian Andor Was Against The Military Expansion Of The Republic
For the most part, much of the Star Wars franchise has been black and white in its conflict between good versus evil, but Andor complicates that dichotomy, especially with its intriguing lead character. While never a member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Andor and his family fought against the Republic and opposed its military expansion through the Grand Army of the Republic.
In key flashback sequences, a young Andor is seen cowering as clone troopers level his home, highlighting his impetus to join arms against what he perceives as an oppressive force. When that very same army becomes the legions of the Empire, Andor realizes just how much manipulation went into both sides being used against each other so that the Empire could rise from the ashes. Fans will get to watch his journey from jaded spy to selfless hero become a matter of perspective.