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How Andor Can Flip Star Wars Prequels’ Oldest Complaint
The first trailer for the upcoming Star Wars series Andor suggests that the show could flip one of the biggest criticisms aimed at the prequels.

How Andor Can Flip Star Wars Prequels’ Oldest Complaint

Andor is yet another Star Wars story placed between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, and it seems like it could retroactively fix one of the prequels’ biggest criticisms. Given how the future of Star Wars post-Skywalker Saga is still not clear, the franchise shifts its focus to filling the gaps between key eras in the saga. For that reason, shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi and the upcoming Andor echo elements of both the Star Wars prequels and the original trilogy and thus can play on the strengths of each of them.

Diego Luna will reprise his role as Cassian Andor in a story set five years before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. That places the show around 14 years after Revenge of the Sith, a time in which the galaxy was ruled by the Emperor through the Imperial Senate. When audiences first met Cassian Andor in Rogue One, it was very clear that the character had a long and wearing history with the Rebellion, something that the Andor show can better explore.

Besides the military storyline, Andor also seems to be exploring the political state of the galaxy in that era. There were shots of the Imperial Senate in Andor‘s first trailer, as well as of an Imperial gathering and what seems to be an important social event on Coruscant. One of the biggest criticisms aimed at the Star Wars prequels, especially Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, were the sometimes boring political gatherings and Senate meetings about trade legislation and votes of no confidence. As much as the political background was crucial to the story of the prequels, going from 16 years of no Star Wars movies to a film that spent so much time with an uninspired storyline about politics ended being a letdown when compared to the audience’s expectations. Andor, on the other hand, is precisely about the political tension of its era, so diving into the galaxy’s politics can be much more well-received this time than it was in the prequels.

The origin story of Anakin Skywalker, the possibility of seeing Jedi like Obi-Wan Kenobi in their prime, and the arrival of a brand new dark side warrior, Darth Maul, were all at the top of the list of what audiences wanted to see the most in the return of Star Wars to the big screen. Those were all present in the film, but George Lucas also had other plans for The Phantom Menace and the rest of the trilogy. Despite the criticism, the prequel trilogy managed to lay down a lot of context for the galaxy’s politics, much of what will serve Andor‘s story. The stormtroopers, Darth Vader, the Inquisitors, and the power of the dark side were only a part of how Palpatine managed to rule the entire galaxy and avoid a rebellion for so long, which is why the political context of the galaxy following the rise of the Galactic Empire is worth exploring.

Star Wars evolved from a simple tale about the underdog rebellion against the mighty power of the Empire to a more morally ambiguous galaxy in which there is a fine line between good and evil – a change that Andor can greatly benefit from. In order for two seasons of a show centered around one of Star Wars‘ most explored eras to work, Andor will have to offer a different perspective on the war against the Empire. Focusing on the galaxy’s politics as the prequels tried to do is a great option.