Andor is one of those once-in-a-blue-moon type of shows that comes out of nowhere and hits you when you least expect it. We all know that Star Wars has been divisive ever since its dawn, but its quality has only been discussed ever since Disney came along.
Shows likeThe Acolyte or The Book Of Boba Fett were divisive even before their premiere. That’s why it’s so amazing when they put out a show like Andor that’s so mature and different toall other Star Wars media, full of great dialogues, monologues, plots and characters.
10Saw Gerrera
Forest Whitaker
Another one to the list of great appearances by Saw Gerrera, after being seen in Clone Wars, Rebels, The Bad Batch, Rogue One, and even the game Jedi: Fallen Order. This time, it’s a relatively short appearance, but a very effective one nonetheless.
Those who have the context of having seen Saw in thepreviously mentioned Star Wars mediaunderstand how much this character has gone through, and therefore can understand his attitude and actions a little bit better. Forest Whitaker makes for a great performance that elevates the character even more.
9Syril Karn
Kyle Soller
Syril Karn is a character that sometimes seems to be made specifically to make you feel sorry for them. He is over-ambitious and a bit of a sociopath. That’s not to say he is not a very important part of the story, he absolutely is, just not in a very direct or conventional way.
You start to understand the character a little bit more through context, especially when you are introduced to his mother, who is a very over-protective and distrusting parent, the typical mom who really doesn’t think her child is capable of much of anything.
8Vel Sartha
Faye Marsay
Vel Sartha is an interesting character, being part of the group Luthen assembled to steal credits from the Aldhani Garrison. She was the leader. After this very intense experience, we see that she is actually the cousin of Mon Mothma, which is quite the plot twist.
She then takes on a sort of villainous path, as she is sent by Luthen to kill Cassian, which makes you hate her in a way, but you also understand that she ran away from her life as a member of high society to join the Rebel cause against the Empire.
7Bix Caleen
Adria Arjona
Bix Caleen is a character we don’t know much about, as is the case for many of Andor’s characters. What we do know is that she has a story with the main character, Cassian Andor, and a connection with Luthen, as she’s the one that got them together.
She is one of the characters that suffers the most throughout the show, first with the death of her boyfriend, Timm, although he certainly wasn’t the world’s best boyfriend. She is then captured and submitted to some brutal psychological and physical torture by the Empire.
6Maarva Andor
Fiona Shaw
Cassian Andor’s adoptive mother, Maarva, quickly became one of the show’s most beloved characters. Characters losing loved ones to the Empire is one of the main themes and plots of the show, and Maarva is not an exception, as we are told she lost her husband.
During the show, she sadly dies as well, making for one of Andor’s most impactful moments. She decided to stay on her home planet, which led her to her death, but her hologram farewell message inspired the rebellion on her planet and became one of the greatest monologues ever performed in Star Wars history, and yes, the other ones are from Andor as well.
5Mon Mothma
Genevieve O’Reilly
First appearing in Episode 6: Return Of The Jedi, Mon Mothma is a character most people didn’t see coming. She is a very low-key and underestimated character.She also appeared in Rogue One, Revenge Of The Sith, Rebels, Clone Wars, and Ahsoka.
Starting as a senator from the Republic, to working for the Empire as a sort of infiltrator, while secretly being one of the founders of the Rebel Alliance, Mothma made herself a name and always stood her ground and the values of democracy. We see the inner and personal struggles she goes through on this journey.
4Dedra Meero
Denise Gough
Lieutenant Dedra Meero is the embodiment of the Empire we see in Andor. We see her climb up ranks and position inside the Empire during the show, due to her relentlessness and conviction, making her a truly despicable character.
What’s interesting about her is how enormous she makes the entire Empire look in comparison: here we have a hideous character that we all hate, but still the scope of the Empire is so vast and massive that we never even have a glimpse of Darth Sidious. That’s how big the whole Empire operation goes.
3Kino Loy
Andy Serkis
Kino Loy plays such an important part in one of the best arches in Andor, which grants him a high spot on this list, and it would probably be even higher if he were a part of the bigger narrative, and not only the prison plot.
Andy Serkis, as always, delivers a near-flawless performance, and is responsible for, not only another one of the great monologues of Andor, but also the single most heart-wrenching one-liner in the entire series. After all the effort and sacrifice it took them to escape the prison, Kino can’t swim. But that doesn’t matter, the point was made, and the objective was complete.
2Cassian Andor
Diego Luna
It might’ve been a surprise to see Cassian Andor be the chosen one to get his own spin-off series, but given what a great job at captivating audiences he did in his appearance in Rogue One, we are lucky he got his spin-off.
Cassian is a troubled character, with a tough childhood, and having to grow up and survive in a post-Order 66 world. He is a victim of the Empire, who put him in one of the world’s worst prisons for absolutely nothing, but nonetheless, his spirit remains unbreakable. What a great choice for a protagonist.
1Luthen Rael
Stellan Skarsgård
Luthen is just one of those jaw-dropping characters that does so much for the show, and elevates it to legendary status. Following the pattern, he is also responsible for one of Andor’s monologue scenes, and in this case, it’s probably the best one.
This is a man who does abhorrent things, and he knows it. Therefore, he hates himself. And he’s made his peace with that. Because, even though he doesn’t justify himself, he knows he does all this for a good reason, and that is bringing down the Empire, and is you follow the trail of his actions and the events that transpired. In the end, he made it.
