Breaking Down That Mon Mothma Family Twist & Why It's So Important

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Andor episode 9

The Andor twist concerning Senator Mon Mothma's family is important not just for the final episodes of the season, but also for Mothma's future going forward with the Rebel Alliance in the Star Wars galaxy. Following Mothma's continuing struggles to legally resist the Empire's oppression in the Imperial Senate, she's also having issues financing Luthen Rael and his network of rebels. Now, Andor reveals just how personal Mothma's mission of rebellion truly is.

In Andor episode 9, Mon Mothma is surprised to learn that her cousin has come to Coruscant from their home world of Chandrila. However, Mothma's cousin is none other than Vel Sartha, one of Luthen's chief Rebel contacts and the one who led the raid on the Imperial garrison at Aldhani. As such, Mon and Vel being revealed as family members fighting the Empire together is both surprising and very significant. Considering all the opposition Mon Mothma has been facing, she needed a personal ally and someone she could fight for.

What Mon Mothma & Vel Being Cousins Means For Andor's Story

Mon Motha and Vel Sartha in Star War Andor

Publicly, it seems as though Vel is perceived as an adventurous rich girl from Chandrila who's yet to settle down and get married. As such, this is the perfect disguise for her to work for Luthen Rael. He must have approached both Mon and Vel around the same time, seeing their talents and unique positions as valuable assets while also recognizing their shared hatred of Palpatine and the Empire.

While Mon doesn't seem to know the particulars of what Vel has been up to for Luthen (like the Aldhani robbery) she assumes Vel has been taking risks that could lead to exposure if she doesn't lie low and start using her cover as a rich socialite more than she has. While it's unclear whether Vel will listen to her cousin or not, she's now been set up as Mothma's biggest source of support in her secret battle against Imperial oppression.

How Andor's Vel Twist Changes Mon Mothma's Rebel Story

Mon Mothma stands in her apartment in Andor Episode 9.

Andor's growing focus on Mon Mothma and the reveal that she has a cousin goes beyond what could happen in the rest of the season alone (or even in Andor season 2). However, having a family member who shares her fight certainly helps reframe Mon's current mission on Coruscant. Hardly anyone is listening to her in the Imperial Senate with other politicians outright leaving during her speeches, and her relationships with both her husband and daughter are incredibly strained. Likewise, she's also been struggling with Luthen's harsh tactics as he's actively trying to get the Empire to be even more oppressive in the hope of fostering greater calls for rebellion across the galaxy.

However, having Vel as a source of familial support looks to be a major reason why Mon Mothma keeps fighting despite all the adversity. Even in the tragic scenario where Vel is potentially caught and killed by the Empire, Mothma will likely be motivated to keep fighting, hence the fact that she goes on to lead the entire Rebel Alliance and eventually becomes Chancellor of the New Republic once the Empire is defeated. Having Vel keeps Mon personally motivated to keep going for the worthwhile cause.

Mon Mothma & Vel Continue A Star Wars Family Trend

It's also notable that Mon Mothma and Vel Sartha being revealed as family members continues a trend that's been seen before in the Star Wars canon. Having such different roles in the early days of the Rebellion is very similar to Luke Skywalker and his sister Leia Organa. Princess Leia herself similarly started out as a senator to Alderaan before eventually becoming a major member of the Rebellion's High Command alongside Mon herself.

Mon and Vel could also be compared to Mandalorian sisters Satine and Bo-Katan Kryze. While Satine was the pacifist Duchess of Mandalore during the Clone Wars, Bo-Katan was a more active fighter similar to Vel Sartha. While they didn't share the same values, Bo-Katan would eventually fight in memory of her sister after she lost her life, an unfortunate scenario Mothma could very well find herself in as Andor continues. At any rate, the reveal that Vel Sartha is family to Mon Mothma clearly communicates a lot about her mission of Rebellion in the Star Wars timeline as a whole. Without Vel as a personal source of support, Mon Mothma might have stopped trying to fight Empire which often seemed like an unstoppable force (much less go on to lead the free galaxy once the war ended).

New episodes of Andor release on Wednesdays on Disney+.

Want more Andor articles? Check out our essential content below...