Andor season 2 is chock-full of Star Wars references—some quite obvious and tied to the story, others less so. The first six episodes have done a brilliant job of setting the scene for the impending Ghorman massacre.
Here are the most interesting Easter eggs from episodes 1-6. Beware SPOILERS ahead; you have been warned.
1. Cassian steals a TIE Avenger prototype
The TIE fighter Cassian steals at the beginning of episode 1 looks like a prototype of a TIE Avenger. In the Star Wars Legends expanded universe, this starfighter type was created with more speed, bigger weapons, and a hyperspace drive that most other TIE Fighters did not have. They were presumably even faster than TIE Interceptors and a perfect counter for the Rebel pilots. However, due to the high manufacturing cost, they were not mass-produced. If Cassian stole a prototype, coupled with the high price, it makes sense why the Empire did not bother to build it again. Gamers can identify the TIE Avenger from LucasArts’ 1994 TIE Fighter computer game.
2. Sienar Facility ties with Star Wars: Rebels
The TIE Avenger Cassian steals is a Sienar Fleet Systems production. The company features prominently in Rebels. They built a research and manufacturing unit on Lothal, Ezra Bridger’s home planet, and the base from which the Spectres primarily operated. The TIE Advanced v1s that chase Cassian as he escapes from Test Facility 73 were unveiled in Rebels season 1, an occasion the Spectres naturally interfered with in their signature explosive manner, but not before Hera felt bad about blowing it up.
3. Kafrene
The password Niya gives to Cassian for stealing the TIE Avenger is "Kafrene." The Ring of Kafrene is where we first meet Cassian in the movie Rogue One. There, he's rendezvousing with an informant who told him about Galen Erso sending a defecting Imperial pilot to Saw Gerrera with the Death Star secret. Kafrene is also set to appear in the upcoming tactical game Star Wars Zero Company as the squad’s HQ.
4. Early glimpse at Yavin 4
One of the obvious Easter eggs of the first three episodes was Yavin 4. The planet's name is not shown when Cassian lands the TIE fighter there; we only see that it is a heavily forested world. Only when Cassian escapes from the disarrayed Maya Pei Brigade at the end of Episode 2 do we see the iconic pyramidical spires of the Messassi Temples, confirming that he had been on Yavin 4 this whole time. It was also name-dropped multiple times in the episodes, hinting at its significant role as the Rebel base in a few more years.
5. The Maya Pei connection
The rebels confronting Cassian on Yavin 4 call themselves the Maya Pei Brigade. Maya Pei is known to lead a rebel cell and is in touch with Luthen, just like Anton Kreegyr and Saw Gerrera. Saw calls her “Neo-Republican” in a rant to Luthen in season 1. Like Cassian says in season 1, Maya Pei was also a customer who purchased stolen Imperial devices from Bix’s secret business on Ferrix. Dedra Meero mentions her in an ISB meeting as one of the names given up by Bix after being tortured by Dr. Gorst.
6. Timeline for the Rakatan Invasion
Luthen, under the guise of his antique collector and seller persona, attends Leida’s wedding. He brings a massive package which is later revealed to be a gift for the newlyweds. The groom’s father, Davo Sculdan, unveils the present and explains that it is an ancient Chandrilan artifact. It is one of the original 12 Chandi Merle figures that were stolen during the Rakatan Invasion 25,000 years ago. This coincides with the date of the formation of the New Jedi Order, around 25,000 BBY. Although it was mentioned in Star Wars Legends, this timeline has not part of of official canon until now. Luthen mentions the Rakatan Invasion in Andor season 1. The blue kyber sky stone pendant — a Kuati signet — that he gives Cassian as a down payment for Aldhani marks the uprising against the Rakatan invaders.
7. Foreshadowing the Ghorman Massacre and Project Stardust
Eagle-eyed fans of Rebels or Star Wars Legends would’ve immediately known the fate that awaits Ghorman, the planet Director Orson Krennic plans to exploit for kalkite deposits. The Empire commits many purges during its control of Ghorman, but this massacre is the one that eventually leads to Mon Mothma’s Declaration of the Rebel Alliance.
Moreover, one of Krennic’s secret Ghorman Project meeting attendees wears the Project Stardust insignia on his arm. It is the same logo that Galen Erso’s scientists — those who Krennic gunned down on Eadu — had on their uniforms in Rogue One. This refers to Krennic’s real intention: to build the Death Star.
8. Mon Mothma’s aide, Erskin Semaj
Rebels fans would also know Mon Mothma’s senatorial attache, Erskin Semaj, who we see talking to Luthen about his lineage at Leida’s wedding. He tells Luthen that his father was Chandrilan, his mother is Ghorman, and he was born on Naboo. In Rebels, he accompanies Mon Mothma in the episodes “Secret Cargo” and “Mission to Dantooine” as she leaves the Imperial Senate officially to rally rebel forces and establish the Rebel Alliance. Hera Syndulla and her “Ghost” crew help this entourage refuel and later secure them safe passage.
9. New Indiana Jones Easter egg
In season 1, Luthen’s art gallery in Coruscant had an interesting piece on display that many believed was a direct hat tip to another Lucasfilm franchise, Indiana Jones. In the gallery’s secret backroom was a bullwhip encased in carbonite — a callback to Han Solo, who was frozen in carbonite in The Empire Strikes Back; and to Indiana Jones. Some fans seem to think that a golden cup on display in the gallery in season 2 is a nod to one of the fake Holy Grails from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In general, Luthen's gallery is a treasure trove of Easter eggs.
10. “Unlimited Power…”
This one is hard to miss. While pitching the Ghorman Project (which in reality is an early effort to build the Death Star), Krennic refers to it as an energy initiative and definitely not a weapon of mass destruction. At one point during his speech, Krennic says that the project would give them access to “unlimited power.” It is a direct throwback to Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious’ line from Revenge of the Sith moments before he kills Mace Windu. While the original moment has given life to a million memes, it gets a heavier makeover in the context of Andor’s storyline. The Death Star does indeed become the Empire’s unlimited power — a one-shot planet destroyer that would’ve ended all Rebel efforts if not for the sacrifices of Galen Erso and the Rogue One squad.
11. Legends’ Ghorman Massacre
We knew Andor season 2 was setting up for the canon Ghorman Massacre that takes place in the year 2 BBY. However, the showrunners decided to pay tribute to the other Ghorman massacre in the Legends canon. In Legends, it happens around 18 BBY and is caused by Grand Moff Tarkin landing his warship on the citizens gathered to protest Imperial taxation peacefully. The incident was not only made canon again in Andor, but has been used to justify the rightful paranoia and desperation the Ghormans have about Imperial overreach. The Tarkin-caused Ghorman Massacre is now a prior tragedy in canon. To add fuel to the fire, the Empire is building its alleged armory right beside the memorial for those who died in the tragedy.
12. The Ghorman Front
In season 1, Saw Gerrera mentioned the Ghorman Front in passing while ranting about the different rebel factions to Luthen. He was unhappy with them, just as he was with Anton Kreegyr and Maya Pei. This season, we finally see this group working out of the Ghorman capital city of Palmo, led by politician and businessman Carro Rylanz. After a brief reconnaissance, Cassian marks them up as unprepared for anti-Imperial missions, and they later prove him right by accidentally shooting and killing Cinta right after she and Vel reconcile. It's unforgivable.
13. Saw Gerrera’s D’Qar base
Saw Gerrera’s rebel sect is temporarily based on D’Qar while Wilmon teaches one of his crew how to extract rhydonium. This Outer Rim planet was home to the headquarters of the Resistance, formed by Leia Organa as a fail-safe in response to the growing threats of the First Order. We see D’Qar in The Force Awakens. It is interesting that the planet already had a history of housing rebels.
14. Rhydonium, Onderon, and Saw Gerrera’s fate
Every time Saw Gerrera is on screen in the Rebellion Era of Star Wars, we get a new layer to the already complex personality of this veteran rebel. His latest appearance in Andor season 2 further fleshes out the character's jagged edges and hints at his future.
In episode 5, after Wilmon is done setting up the Rhydonium extraction, Saw shocks the young mechanic by breathing in its fumes. A starship fuel, Rhydonium has been mentioned multiple times in The Clone Wars, Rebels, and even in The Mandalorian. Fans would remember it as the red canisters Sabine and Hera use to kill the fyrnocks on Fort Anaxes. However, Saw’s obsession with the fuel runs deeper.
Saw mentions Onderon, the planet we see in The Clone Wars when Ahsoka helps his team overthrow a fraudulent government. He explains to Wilmon how he embraced the burning pain from rhydonium fumes after a leak poisoned the air at the work camp on Onderon, where he was imprisoned. The speech works perfectly as a sequel to Luthen listing his sacrifices in season 1. It is eerier that Saw refers to Rhydonium as his "sister" when his real sister, Steela, died while leading the rebel cell during the Clone Wars-era coup.
While the reason behind Saw's bionic legs in Rogue One is still a mystery, we now know why Saw was using a mask in Rogue One. Tony Gilroy confirmed with Entertainment Weekly that in three more years, Saw goes from tolerating rhydonium fumes to relying on them.
15. Cameo by Darth Maul’s voice actor Sam Witwer
Where there’s a Star Wars show, there's Sam Witwer. The actor has lent his voice to numerous characters across the universe, most famously to Darth Maul in The Clone Wars, Rebels and Solo. When Cassian leaves for Ghorman in Episode 4, he is given instructions in an earpiece about his fake identity for the covert mission. The offscreen voice is Witwer’s. In season 1, he played the Stormtrooper who arrested Cassian on Niamos, which led to him being sent to Narkina 5. Witwer will star as the titular character in the new animated series, Maul - Shadow Lord.
16. Mas Amedda name-dropped
While arguing with Luthen about bugging Davo Sculdun, Kleya reveals that they at one point caught the banker courting the Grand Vizier, Mas Amedda. We have seen him in the movie prequel trilogy by Palpatine’s side whenever he’s in the Senate Chamber. Kleya also mentions overhearing about a Holo-News buyout in this scene. Interestingly, around this time, Kanan Jarrus and his Spectres hijack the Imperial Communications Center at Jalath in response to Imperial propaganda on HoloNet.
17. Steergard, where it all started
Although mentioned in passing in season 1, Steergard is technically where the chain of events starts that eventually leads to Cassian crossing Luthen’s path. The Imperial N-S9 Starpath Unit he was trying to sell to Luthen was stolen from the Steergard Naval Yard. In Episode 6, we see the location for the first time when Luthen picks Cassian up for a ride back to Coruscant.
18. A different Bail Organa
Bail Organa’s presence can hardly be considered an Easter egg, given how essential he is to this part of the story. I’m not going to lie, hearing Mon Mothma call out ‘Senator Organa’ and not seeing Jimmy Smits’ face was a bit of a shock, but not one I can't overcome. Benjamin Bratt stepped into the shoes of Leia’s adoptive father because of a scheduling conflict.
19. Foreshadowing Director Krennic’s death
After Kleya successfully removes the listening device from the Tinian Codex in Davo Sculdun’s art gallery, Luthen quips about killing Director Orson Krennic while they're at the party. “We should’ve killed Krennic while we were up there,” Luthen says, and Kleya laughs. “That’s the spirit.”
In the grand scheme of things, Krennic’s death may not have been too impactful, as the Empire would’ve found someone else to run the Death Star project. But one wonders...what if?
20. Dr. Gorst gets what he deserves
After suffering for nearly two years following her torture at the hands of Dr. Gorst in the first season, Bix finally gets her payback at the end of Episode 6. At first, the sequence feels like another one of her nightmares where she's haunted by Dr. Gorst, who uses creative torture techniques to extract information at the behest of the Empire; in season 1, he exposed Bix to sounds that drove her near-mad. But soon it becomes clear that he will be on the receiving end this time. Bix quickly ties Grost to a chair and puts on a headset, ready to pump in the same noises he used to torture her years ago. She repeats his words back to him: “It Will Only Feel Like Forever.” She goes outside and meets Cassian, who blows the building up at the press of a button. They do not look back.
The next three episodes of Andor season 2 will be released next Tuesday, May 6, on Disney+.
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