Andor Is Changing How We See Star Wars Heroes
He may not be a Skywalker, but he’s just as important.
Cassian Andor was never meant to be a major Star Wars player. In Rogue One, his story ends about two hours after it starts, as he sacrifices himself for the Rebellion. But fans (and Disney) wanted more, so we got Andor, a prequel series depicting Cassian as he goes from minor backwater criminal to key Rebel spy. Season 1 covered a year in Cassian’s life, and now Season 2 is picking up the pace. And according to showrunner Tony Gilroy, this final look at the revolutionary proves that Cassian is just as much of a Chosen One as Anakin or Luke.
In an interview with Collider, Gilroy discussed how Andor operates as a throughline for Season 2’s stories, which will be organized into four three-episode arcs. “Cassian is sort of Star Wars Jesus running through there—this messianic character running through the middle,” he said.
We’ve seen the end of Andor’s story, and now we’ll see how he reached that point.
That’s a pretty big comparison, but it makes sense. Cassian is someone who went on a vast adventure, weaving in and out of different stories before sacrificing himself for the good of the galaxy. That’s a classic messianic archetype familiar to anyone who knows Star Wars. Both Anakin and Luke Skywalker, Star Wars’ iconic “chosen ones,” sacrifice themselves for the sake of what’s right: Anakin in Return of the Jedi, and Luke in The Last Jedi.
“Chosen one” is a loaded term within Star Wars lore. It usually refers to the prophecy that loomed large over the prequel trilogy, culminating in an anguished Obi-Wan yelling “you were the Chosen One!” during his duel with Anakin on Mustafar. But Andor proves you don’t need to be the subject of a prophecy to be a Star Wars hero. In fact, you don’t even need to be Force-sensitive.
As Gilroy hastened to add, a messianic figure is nothing without people to make a sacrifice for. “I think the surprising and shocking emotional punch will come from the collateral damage and triumph of the people all around him,” he said. Andor may be a destined hero, but he’s the people’s hero. We’ve seen him pay the ultimate price, and soon, we’ll get to see all the people who made him realize it was worth it.
