Andor is a prequel to a prequel, so many did not expect much from what was likely to be just the next disappointment in the long line of live-action disappointments from Disney's Star Wars. Yet, from the first moments of the first episode, Andor blew away all expectations, good and bad, and quickly established itself as the show no one wanted yet everyone needed, for both Star Wars lovers and haters.

Hailed as "the greatest series of the year" and "better than The Mandalorian," Andor brought fresh life into the half-century-old franchise, standing out from the rest of Star Wars and all other shows on streaming. Following Rogue One's Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) before he joined the Rebellion, Andor is a giant leap for Star Wars, affecting the franchise and fandom even more than Rogue One did. Andor stays away from Star Wars, but still exceeded its function as a prequel to Rogue One by building on Rogue One while maintaining its own story, and here's how:

Using Small and Real Characters

Star Wars Rogue One
Disney 

Rogue One is unique in the franchise, if only for being one of the few Star Wars movies to satisfy everyone. Before release, Rogue One was promised to be a great spy thriller, and while there was epic espionage and sneaky steals, it was more in the vein of classic WWII films following a mismatched team on a desperate mission, with the twist ending where all main characters die tragically. Andor actually was a spy thriller, on the battlefield and in halls of politics, but it is more than a spy show, it was a real show, dealing with the realities of fascism and rebellion. Rogue One was more than a Star Wars movie. It was a real movie, exploring the incredible sacrifice but terrible cost that war demands.

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Using many small characters, both Andor and Rogue One create fully fleshed characters in short time, like Saw Gerrera and Kino Loy, each one making deep decisions that affect everyone, including the audience. By making the characters real people, both movie and show express the deeper meaning of rebellion and sacrifice through real people to audiences, which is why both have made their mark on the franchise.

Andor and Rogue One Can Stand Alone and Together

Andor
Disney+

Andor is a prequel to Rogue One, which is a prequel to A New Hope. Rogue One leads directly into the opening scroll of A New Hope and builds on the story of the movie, yet stands all by itself, so much so that a viewer doesn't need to have watched any previous Star Wars at all in order to understand or enjoy Rogue One. The same goes for Andor, which was meant to build on Rogue One, specifically Cassian and his character, and does an excellent job, but still can remain separate from absolutely everything else in the complex franchise, and remains whole.

Andor Builds Both Cassian's and Jyn's Arc At The Same Time

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Lucasfilm

Jyn Erso is the protagonist of Rogue One, the fulcrum and hinge of the Rogue Squadron that sacrificed their lives to help the Rebellion. Jyn and Cassian are both the reason for Rogue Squadron's success because as we see in Andor, Cassain understands Jyn and everything she goes through.

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"Suddenly the rebellion is real to you," Cassian says to Jyn after she loses her father, who died to create the fatal flaw of the Death Star. Jyn devotes herself to taking down the Empire after seeing her father dying to make things right. Cassian didn't see his mother die, but he knew she wholeheartedly believed in the Cause and saw how her last words roused people to "Fight the Empire!"

Cassian and Jyn both spent years ignoring the atrocities surrounding everything, running instead of fighting, until the death of a parent who devoted the end of their lives to fighting the evil of the Empire inspired them to rebel. Cassian understands Jyn, and helps her complete her vital mission for Rebellion which ultimately frees the galaxy.

Andor Even Builds On Rogue One's Small Moments

Andor - Bell Guy Time Grappler
Disney+

Andor provides deeper context to everything about Cassian and Jyn, their cause and motives, their sacrifices and beliefs, and even their words. In the Imperial prison camp in Andor, Cassian shouts at Kino that "Nobody's listening!" to their plans to break free. No one listens, not even other inmates, until Cassian and Kino lead an uprising. In Rogue One, Cassian quietly asks Jyn, "Do you think anyone's listening?" for the plans to destroy the Death Star, as they wait calmly on the beach to die. This time, the galaxy will hear, and rebel. In Star Wars, we see that fascism and evil die when people listen and act.

Andor is some of the best Star Wars has to offer and really is just a good show that happens to be placed in the Star Wars galaxy. Andor and Rogue One go hand-in-hand, together but separately, and are a good lesson in what Star Wars can be.