When Lucasfilm first announced a live-action streaming series revolving around Diego Luna’s Rogue One character Cassian Andor, Star Wars fans weren’t particularly excited. The character wasn’t very well-rounded in the movie and we all know the inevitable grim fate that awaits him.
However, Andor will offer Luna and co. a chance to explore the character in much more depth than the movie, and the story of a Rebel spy at the height of the Empire’s reign could be a great way to dig into the dirty work that went into the Rebellion’s ultimate victory. The show might connect to the original trilogy in these ways.
R2-D2 & C-3PO
At the end of Revenge of the Sith, R2-D2 and C-3PO are reprogrammed and assigned to work with the Rebellion on Tantive IV under Captain Antilles. At the beginning of the original 1977 movie, they have the same jobs.
The beloved droids made a cameo appearance at a Rebel base in Rogue One, so there is a precedent for them to reappear in the Andor series.
Alderaan
When the Empire abducted Leia in the original Star Wars movie, their first order of business was to demonstrate the awesome power of the Death Star by using it to blow up her home planet of Alderaan while she watched.
If the Andor series introduces fans to a thriving society on Alderaan, then the planet’s destruction in the original movie will be an even more heartbreaking moment.
Darth Vader
Easily the most memorable scene in Rogue One is Darth Vader’s triumphant hallway massacre. When the Rebels are escaping with the Death Star plans, Vader slashes his way through troops in a last-ditch effort to retrieve them.
It’s unlikely that Vader will appear in Andor since the show will focus on street-level Rebel spies and Vader is confirmed for a major role in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, but it could be cool.
Admiral Ackbar
If Andor is going to explore the Rebellion’s operations in the Galactic Civil War, then all the top brass might show up, and that includes Admiral Ackbar — who might even utter his immortal catchphrase, “It’s a trap!”
After Ackbar got an unceremonious blink-and-you’ll-miss-it death scene in The Last Jedi, the character deserves to get a more fitting send-off with an appearance in Andor.
Rebel Spy Missions
The opening text crawl of the original Star Wars movie refers to the Rebellion’s theft of the Death Star plans as “their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.”
But the Rebels had been around for years before then, sending spies on dangerous missions, and Andor can depict some of those missions through the eyes of its grizzled title character, who’s been in this fight since he was six years old.
Mon Mothma
In addition to Leia and her adoptive father Bail Organa, the Rebel Alliance was run by Mon Mothma. She was integral to the Rebellion’s formation during Palpatine’s rise to power and ended up spearheading the assault on the second Death Star.
As one of the Rebels’ top brass, it would make a lot of sense for Mon Mothma to appear on Andor. Genevieve O’Reilly could reprise the role from Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and Rebels if the writers can find a place for her in the story.
Hoth
The opening act of The Empire Strikes Back takes place at a secret Rebel base on Hoth as it’s attacked by Imperial forces. From the wampa to the snowspeeders, the world of Hoth was set up as one of Star Wars’ most fascinating planets.
If Cassian Andor takes a trip to the Rebels’ Hoth base in his solo series, it could be a great way to explore even more creepy creatures and cold weather-specific vehicles on the snowy planet.
Ben Kenobi
The latest rumor about the Andor series is that it’ll feature Ewan McGregor’s return as Obi-Wan Kenobi. McGregor, of course, is reprising his role as Obi-Wan for his own spin-off, but that series might cross over with Andor.
During Kenobi’s exile on Tatooine, he wouldn’t just hang around in the desert and hope that the fight against evil got resolved. He undoubtedly would’ve done some work with the Rebel Alliance that could be depicted in Andor.
The Imperial Senate
When the Empire boards Tantive IV to reclaim the Death Star plans, Leia claims she’s on a diplomatic mission from the Imperial Senate. Shortly afterward, Vader announces that the Emperor has shut down the Imperial Senate.
It seems as though Palpatine kept the Senate going under the Empire well beyond the completion of the Death Star. The Andor series can explore how the Imperial Senate operated.
Leia Organa
After Luke Skywalker’s glorious appearance in the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian, the stage is set for Leia Organa to show up in Andor’s depiction of the Rebellion’s war efforts.
The flashback scene in The Rise of Skywalker proved that the combination of Billie Lourd and CGI can create a very convincing on-screen incarnation of Leia.