Spoilers for Andor season 1, episode 9, "Nobody's Listening!"
Andor star, Faye Marsay, recently broke down her new Star Wars character's mysterious role and Rebel connections. The popular science-fiction fantasy franchise's latest Disney+ series stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, the feared Rebel spy who led the team to steal the Death Star plans from the Galactic Empire in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Set five years earlier, Andor centers on the titular character's journey from a lone smuggler to the dedicated soldier who is dead-set on destroying the Empire.
Although the series features several familiar Star Wars characters, including Imperial Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), resistance leader Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), and Colonel Wulff Yularen (Malcolm Sinclair), the majority of the faces in Andor are new to the franchise. One such character is Vel Sartha (Marsay), a tough Rebel fighter who leads the mission to infiltrate the Imperial garrison on Aldhani and steals the miltary force's payroll. In episode 9, it is revealed that Vel actually comes from a rich family and is a cousin to Mon Mothma.
In a recent interview with SlashFilm, Marsay discussed Vel's mysterious role in the show and her connections to the Rebels. The actor explained her character's ability to blend into her surroundings regardless of the population and admitted that the audience may never know who the "real Vel" is. Read what Marsay said about her character below:
So Vel is, much like Luthen, a bit of a shapeshifter. So if you look at, for example, Vel in Aldhani, she's in her rebel getup. If you look at her in Ferrix, she blends in with the colors, the tones, and the kind of general vibe of Ferrix when she goes over there to meet up with Cinta. Then you have her over in Coruscant in a completely different style.
So you never know which one is the real Vel, and you never know which one she feels most comfortable in. To be honest, as the actor playing Vel, I'm not entirely sure of that. I think that she's so used to moving who she is around and around and around into different pockets of the galaxy that I think I couldn't say which would be her favorite.
What Vel's Relation To Mon Mothma Means For Andor
Vel's revelation that she has direct ties to Mon Mothma may limit the scope of Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and Mon Mothma's rebellious reach, but it also raises the stakes for the senator. Where Mon Mothma had only been previously thought of as Luthen's rich benefactor, Vel's familial connection shows that the senator has more to lose outside her personal bubble. However, a direct line to Vel can also keep Mon Mothma's rebellious machinations in motion if Luthen is ever compromised.
With Vel still searching for Cassian with intent to eliminate the loose end, her connection to an Imperial senator can give her access that a lowly insurgent would likely never have. As Cassian is intent on breaking out of prison by the next episode, his actions will likely be broadcast across the HoloNet, alerting Vel of his whereabouts. Although Rogue One: A Star Wars Story establishes that Cassian later partners with Mon Mothma and becomes an integral part of Rebel intelligence, the final few Andor episodes may put Cassian on the back-foot as he must avoid the very organization he will later join.
Source: SlashFilm