What Happens To Andy Serkis' Kino In Andor Episode 10's Ending?

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Andor episode 10.Andor epsiode 10 features the highly-anticipated prison escape from Narkina 5, leaving one main question open-ended at its culmination: what happens to Andy Serkis' Kino Loy? Andor episode 10 picks up immediately from where episode 9 left off, with Kino and Andor returning to their fellow inmates and explaining the fates of Ulaf, what happened on level 2, and what the latter means for everyone else: no one escapes. As seen by Andor episode 9's ending, this is what Kino Loy needed to push him into attempting to escape the prison alongside Cassian, Melshi, and the others, with Andor episode 10 featuring the explosive escape attempt in all its glory.

One thing that Andor episode 10 leaves unexplained, however, is the fate of Andy Serkis' Kino Loy. At the end of Andor episode 10, after fighting their way up to the surface of the prison, the inmates jump to the water below and swim to freedom, only for Kino Loy to reveal the heartbreaking truth that he cannot swim. The last Andor, and the audience, see of Kino is him retreating back into the prison to be lost in the crowd of his fellow inmates rushing to swim to the distant shores. Andor episode 10 purposefully leaves Kino's fate unclear, meaning he could potentially survive despite his inability to swim to freedom alongside the rest of his inmates.

Andy Serkis' Kino Loy Deserves To Escape... But Probably Doesn't

Andy Serkis as Kino Loy in Andor episode 9

One thing that Andor and Andy Serkis' return to Star Wars has clearly established is that Kino Loy deserved to escape Narkina 5. The prison arc that began in Andor episode 8 has masterfully transformed Kino from a man simply trying to live out his sentence to an impromptu leader against the Empire's cruelty, through its exceptionally crafted script, fantastic character work, and Andy Serkis' outstanding performance in the role. All of this made the audience realize that, if anyone deserved to escape Narkina 5 besides the show's titular character, it was Kino Loy. This makes his inability to take that last leap all the more tragic.

With Kino unable to swim to freedom, it is likely he dies in the prison once the majority of inmates have escaped and the cowering Imperial officers regain control. While Loy could get lucky and escape on a craft full of Imperials bringing new prisoners - theorized to be building the Death Star - that are unaware of the prison break, it is more likely Kino does not escape and dies on Narkina 5, which better fits the themes of Andor and Star Wars as a whole.

Andy Serkis' Kino Dying In Andor Better Fits Star Wars Themes

Stellan Skarsgård as Luthen Rael and Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor

Should Kino Loy be revealed to have died after Cassian's escape, this ending for his character would better fit the themes of the show and the franchise as a whole. In terms of the wider Star Wars story, and still linking to Cassian himself, Rogue One's ending established that characters tragically dying for the greater good is often always emotionally impactful. Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor dying on Scarif at the hands of the Death Star, mere moments after being instrumental in the space station's future destruction, was incredibly moving and fit Star Wars' overall themes of fighting against evil at all costs.

On top of this, Stellan Skarsgård's Luthen Rael sums up why Kino Loy's sacrifice works in his fantastically written and performed monologue in Andor episode 10. Luthen explains that in order to fight the Empire, he had to give up everything in his life, from kindness to love and his own inner peace. This perfectly describes the past, present, and future of this pocket of Star Wars. From Cassian's eventual sacrifice on Scarif to Kino Loy's potential death in helping his inmates escape his own horror of never getting out, Andor episode 10's Luthen speech exemplifies how they perfectly fit the themes of Star Wars' constant struggle against evil and oppression despite the personal cost.

Did Andy Serkis' Kino Know He Was Never Escaping The Prison?

The revelation that Kino cannot swim may explain why he was so dead set on finishing his sentence and being set free from prison in the first place. As seen by Cassian and Andor's first introduction to the prison, new inmates are not blindfolded in any way and can clearly see the prison is surrounded by water. This was likely the same for Kino Loy's initial introduction to Narkina 5, meaning he has known since his first day that there was no escape other than being transported off-world by the Empire after his sentence ends.

This makes Kino Loy's rebellion in Andor episode 10 work even better in two major ways: Kino knowing the escape attempt would mean everyone gets free besides him, and in further establishing that the Empire's sheer cruelty made Kino lead the escape attempt after what happened on the prison's level 2, despite knowing he would never be free. Not only does this make Kino Loy a truly heartbreaking character, and one of the very best in Andor, but it furthers the overall theme of the season: that the Empire's cruelty and injustice are what stokes the flames of rebellion across the galaxy, no matter the personal cost to its many combatants.

New episodes of Andor release on Wednesdays on Disney+.

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