The Death Star reveal at the end of Andor season 1 implies something tragic happens after the events of A New Hope. For three episodes of Andor, Cassian is imprisoned on Narkina 5 making Imperial machinery. The prisoners don't know the nature of what they're working on, only that it is vital to the Empire. In Andor season 1, episode 10, "One Way Out," Cassian and Andy Serkis's Kino Loy lead a prison escape. Cassian breaks a pipe to cause a flood, so the electrified floors can no longer be used against the prisoners.

In the Andor season 1 finale post-credits scene, the acclaimed Star Wars show reveals the machines constructed by Narkina 5 prisoners are pieces of the firing dish of the Death Star, which is near completion after two decades under construction. It's possible that Cassian's prison escape delays the construction of the Death Star, but it's also likely that the prisoners who come after Cassian will be trapped in even worse conditions. This is even clearer when considering that the second Death Star is completed in only five years.

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Why The Second Death Star's Creation Time Is So Worrying

The Second Death Star from Return of the Jedi and the Original Death Star from Rogue One

After Luke Skywalker destroys the first Death Star in A New Hope, a second Death Star is revealed in Return of the Jedi. There may be some differences between the two Death Stars, but they still use the same basic design, so it's logical it would take the Empire less time to build the second one. Still, jumping from 20 years of construction to five is significant. It means that even more prisoners are probably forced to work on the second space station, under even more grueling conditions than what was shown in Andor. Between the Andor jailbreak and the destruction of the first Death Star, the Empire will be working even harder to make sure the second Death Star is completed perfectly.

How The Second Death Star Makes Andor Season 1's Jailbreak More Tragic

Andy Serkis as Kino Loy in Andor episode 9

The jailbreak in Andor season 1, episode 10, "One Way Out" already has a bittersweet ending, because the series doesn't show if Kino Loy survives, yet it's even worse when thinking about future Narkina 5 prisoners. The Empire may kill Kino, put him back to work, or torture him like Bix and Leia to find out all the details of the escape plan. Knowing the prison's weak spots, the Empire will be able to stop other prisoners from taking advantage of them, plus employ worse discipline tactics. There will probably be less water access, so prisoners can't fry the floors. Cassian's plan also hinged on how few guards there were. More guards will probably be stationed at Narkina 5 after the breakout. All this adds up to a bleak life for the future prisoners of Narkina 5 — and other Imperial prisons — of which there will be many as rebellion grows in the galaxy.

A theme of Andor is the sacrifices Rebels, Imperials, and everyday people make, willingly or not. Andor season 1, episode 10, "One Way Out," isn't just about the jailbreak — it's about how all the characters are trapped. Luthen reprimands Rebel spy Lonni Jung for wanting to quit his ISB position. He points out the sacrifices he has personally made, saying, "I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see." Though the prisoners of the Empire do not get to choose to make their sacrifice, it's because of their future tragedy that Cassian is able to escape in Andor, and it's because of Cassian that the Rebel Alliance is able to destroy the Death Star in A New Hope, which leads to the defeat of the Empire.

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