Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Andor episode 10.
In Andor episode 10, Andy Serkis' complex new Star Wars character Kino Loy deserved a far better fate than the one he received. Taking part in Cassian Andor's prison break on Narkina 5, the floor manager of 5-2-D chose to finally fight back against the Empire after he had nothing more to lose. Becoming a leader and inspiring his fellow inmates to resist and fight for their freedom, Kino's evolution is incredibly dynamic on multiple levels.
After being so compelling as a character, Kino Loy should have been allowed to continue his journey outside the prison's walls after Andor episode 10. Instead, after the inmates made it outside and dove into the waters below to freedom, it was revealed Kino couldn't swim. This leaves his fate largely unknown and up to interpretation, especially after Cassian gets pushed over the side by other inmates running for the cliff's edge. Regardless, Kino was a crucial part of the proto-Rebellion and the fight against Imperial oppression regardless of whether he lives or dies following this episode. As such, he deserved a more definitive send-off than the aside he got.
Why There's Slight Hope For Andy Serkis' Kino Loy
Despite his inability to swim, it's possible Kino Loy might have survived to enjoy the freedom he'd been denied by the Empire. While he had been content to fulfill his sentence, the reveal that the prison was simply putting inmates set for release on new floors to eventually die was Kino Loy's breaking point. Motivated to fight, Kino joined Cassian and the duo made it to the main control room to shut down all the electrified floors. Andor also encouraged Kino to speak to the inmates over the comm system. As such, Kino inspired the entire prison complex to rise up, fight back, and help each other escape. Keeping that in mind, one would hope that some other inmates took Loy's words to heart and helped him get to the shore.
While the odds are slim that audiences will ever know Kino Loy's ultimate fate in the Star Wars galaxy, it's a nice dream that Cassian may one day reunite with Kino. He'd certainly make the perfect Rebel commander. Even though he did deserve more, Kino Loy saving his men and the entire prison from the Empire's oppression is incredibly noble considering who he was when Cassian first met him in Andor episode 8.
Andy Serkis' Kino Was Key To The Rebellion (Whether He Lives Or Dies)
The key to the prison break's success was securing the control room and Andor pushing Kino to speak to the entire prison. Loy effectively inspired 5,000 men to put their fear aside and fight for their freedom, something that will no doubt have an impact on the Star Wars galaxy going forward. After all, it's unlikely that Andor and Rogue One's Melshi are the only inmates who end up joining the Rebellion. While Serkis' Kino Loy deserves more than dying or being recaptured by the Empire simply because he can't swim, he struck his blow against the Imperials all the same. Here's to hoping on the unlikely chance Kino survives to be seen in Andor season 2.
New episodes of Andor release on Wednesdays on Disney+.