On September 21, Disney+ will be releasing the first three episodes of its new Star Wars show Andor. Andor is a prequel to 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, one of the more popular Star Wars movies Disney has produced thus far.
Diego Luna will reprise his role as the titular character Cassian Andor. The show is set roughly five years before Rogue One, which we know from Star Wars Rebels is roughly when the Rebel Alliance was taking shape. This means that one of the big picture focuses of Andor will probably be the organization and unification of many different groups of future Rebels and sympathizers. Andor also stars Genevieve O’Reilly as Senator and Rebel leader Mon Mothma.
We may get to see other characters who helped build the Rebel Alliance, not to mention those who stood against it. Here’s a few we’re hoping turn up:
1. Hera Syndulla
Hera Syndulla is a Twi’lek pilot, a revolutionary leader, and a lead character on Star Wars Rebels. That show takes place five years before A New Hope, which means it overlaps with Andor. By the beginning of Rebels, Hera Syndulla and her crew are already connected to the future Alliance leaders and carrying out missions for them. We do not know when or how Hera began working with the Rebels, but Andor seems as good an opportunity as any to flesh out this corner of the Star Wars lore.
During Rebels, Hera and her team frequently made their way to the Rebel base on Yavin 4. There was even an easter egg in Rogue One suggesting that Hera was at the base while the attack on Scarif was being planned. Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger, two main characters from Rebels, are already confirmed to be making their live-action debuts in the Ahsoka TV show next year, played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Eman Esfandi respectively. At Disney’s Star Wars Celebration event earlier this year, teaser footage of Hera and her astromech droid Chopper was allegedly shown.
2. Bail Organa
As a show about the formation of the Rebel Alliance, how could it not include one of its main leaders? Since his first appearance in Attack of the Clones, Jimmy Smits has appeared as Princess Leia’s adoptive father in many different Star Wars projects, including Rogue One and the recent Obi-Wan show. Along with Mon Mothma, Organa was close friends with Padme Amidala and remained a faithful servant of democracy after Palpatine’s hostile takeover of the galactic government.
At the time of Andor, Organa is working to unify different Rebel cells while simultaneously representing his home world of Alderaan in the Galactic Senate. We could see what his life was like having to work in secret to overthrow the government he serves.
3. Emperor Palpatine
Frankly, it would be a bit disappointing to not see Emperor Palpatine appear in Andor. After all, his tyrannical rule over the galaxy is the reason the Rebel Alliance exists. While we probably won’t get to see Palpatine fight anyone, he is still the leader of the government and should be included in the show in some capacity. Although the Imperial Senate eventually gets dissolved in A New Hope, we know that it is still in place during the time of Andor and will likely be featured prominently since Mon Mothma is a major character.
We’ve already seen glimpses of the Senate chamber in trailers, as well as Mon Mothma navigating sticky political situations. At the very least, we should see Palpatine presiding over a Senate session and/or delivering one of his signature speeches.
4. Admiral Ackbar
Ackbar is a a fan favorite character most known for his iconic line, “It’s a trap!” from Return of the Jedi. However, Ackbar was also one of the Alliance’s most experienced military commanders, and he deserves more screen time. The most we have seen of him outside Return of the Jedi is his short arc in the animated show The Clone Wars, when we looked in on a civil war on his home planet Mon Calamari. It would be interesting to see how his planet’s ships and resources are pledged to the Rebel Alliance since many of the capital ships used by the Rebellion were built on Mon Calamari.
We know that Ackbar survives until The Last Jedi, when he and his crew are blown up on their ship while other Rebels escape to safety. Even if it’s just a cameo, there is room to explore what Ackbar was doing in the early days of the Rebellion.
5. Quinlan Vos
This one is extremely unlikely but would be really fun. Quinlon Vos is an eccentric Jedi knight who fought in the Clone Wars and has not appeared in the movies. We see him briefly in The Clone Wars when he teams up with Obi-Wan Kenobi, but his most interesting stuff happens offscreen.
The canon novel Dark Disciple tells a story that was cut from The Clone Wars which follows Vos and Asajj Ventress as they attempt to assassinate Count Dooku. The book explores the two characters struggling with their attraction to each other as well as their desires for power and freedom.
We know that Vos survived Order 66 and returned to the Light Side of the Force. He was name-dropped in Obi-Wan Kenobi by Tala Durith; Vos apparently helped smuggle Force-sensitive children to safety to keep them away from Vader’s inquisitors. It would be nice to learn a little more about this criminally underrated Jedi survivor.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels