The fate of Cassian Andor in Star Wars, garnering massive from fans and critics alike. A huge part of Andor's success is the way it develops layered engaging characters, like Cassian Andor and Luthen Rael.
Cassian Andor in particular benefits from his development in Andor, as it follows his journey from Kenari villager to Rebel Captain. Andor takes its protagonist from a secondary character in a one-off movie to one of the most engaging characters on television. Besides his newfound importance to fans and the franchise, Cassian Andor is also transformed in a more specific and symbolic way that hugely enhances his role in Rogue One.
Kenari's Fate Used The Empire's Oldest Excuse
Andor season 1 reveals that the Empire used its oldest excuse to cover up the genocide of Andor's home world of Kenari: an Imperial mining accident. This same excuse is used by the Empire to cover up the Death Star's destruction of Jedha in Rogue One. It has even been suggested that the Empire may have used this excuse after destroying Alderaan in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.
Andor season 1 uses a series of flashbacks to show how Cassian is taken off his home world by scavengers after they arrive to loot a crashed Republic ship. Cassian is taken because the scavengers believe his people are going to be slaughtered for killing an officer who survived the crash. Sure enough, Kenari is revealed to have experienced a mining accident shortly afterward that is almost certainly a coverup for genocide.
Andor Is A Victim Of Genocide, Battling To Destroy The Ultimate Genocidal Weapon
The revelation that Andor is a victim of genocide lends new meaning to the battle that completely changed the Rebellion in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. There is a new level of dark symmetry to Cassian Andor's life, in that he is a victim of genocide who is fighting to destroy the greatest weapon of genocide in existence. Cassian's fate at the Battle of Scarif feels incredibly powerful now that his backstory has been revealed, adding a new level of meaning to his sacrifice.
Andor adds new meaning to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in plenty of ways, but the way it transforms Cassian Andor is perhaps the most impactful aspect. Cassian has become one of the best-written characters in the Star Wars franchise because of the extra layers that Andor adds to his story. The brutal symmetry of his path is a stark reminder of the atrocities the Empire is willing to commit to stay in power.