Cassian Andor. The show’s two seasons take place over the course of five years and lead directly into the events of Rogue One.

While Cassian Andor was the main character, Andor also followed other Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Luthen Rael. The show really highlighted how rebellions were built and how rebels are made of people from every background, not just those disenfranchised by an authoritative government. Andor purposefully avoided showing Jedi or Sith, with only sparing mention of the Force in the show’s second season. It was a true boots-on-the-ground show and really highlighted George Lucas’ original message.

Star Wars Was Always A Metaphor For The Vietnam War

But We Kind Of Forgot That

It’s easy to forget what Star Wars as a franchise was actually about, since it’s grown into this massive franchise. Most people, when thinking of Star Wars, will the fantastical nature of the Force, the Jedi, and the Sith. After all, while growing up, we all wanted to be a Jedi. However, the Jedi were a storytelling device used not only to show audiences who to root for, but also as an example of someone they could strive to be.

Star Wars was always a metaphor for the Vietnam War, which had concluded two years before A New Hope premiered. George Lucas has cited the war as an inspiration many times, with the United States and other world powers standing in the place of the Empire, while the scrappy Rebel Alliance stood in for the Vietcong. George Lucas hoped for audiences to learn the lesson that standing against tyranny is never the wrong move.

Star Wars Has Grown And Has Largely Focused On Jedi And The Force

Especially In Recent Years

Star Wars has exploded in recent years with the development of multiple shows, shorts, and movies. Since Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, audiences have gotten more and more stories. While some of these stories have focused on the “little guy,” like Andor and even Rogue One, nearly every title in the franchise has someone using a lightsaber.

They are constantly present, meaning Jedi, Sith, or their legacies are omnipresent. While shows that focus on Jedi and the Force, like Ahsoka or Obi-Wan Kenobi, are good in their own right, it’s clear that facing tyranny head-on isn’t their focus.

Andor was the first and only Star Wars movie or television show to not feature a lightsaber.

There are so many interesting Star Wars stories out there, and many of them focus on themes other than politics. Whether it be found family, identity, facing your past, or something else, there are no bounds for what kind of story can be told within Star Wars. Because of this, it’s so easy to forget where we started, and why George Lucas dreamt up Star Wars in the first place.

Andor Brought Audiences' Attention Back To Politics

And Back To George Lucas’ Original Point

While Andor focuses on other themes, specifically family and sacrifice, the show really brought the attention back to politics. Audiences get to see why the Empire is bad and why it’s necessary for individuals like Cassian Andor to rally and fight them. We see, though, that individuals within these tyrannical systems, like Dedra Meero and Major Partagaz, are victims of the same system they’ve spent their lives feeding. We see that one system - the Rebellion - favors the individual and aims to lift them up, whereas the Empire will trample anything it can, even its own.

By removing the Force and Jedi from the equation in Andor, we get a character-focused series that forces audiences to confront the political aspects of the galaxy, and therefore our place in our own world.

By removing the Force and Jedi from the equation in Andor, we get a character-focused series that forces audiences to confront the political aspects of the galaxy, and therefore our place in our own world. Tony Gilroy honored George Lucas’ original point about war and tyranny by showing both sides. So, while we all love Jedi, having a show like Andor without them allows audiences to be faced with arguably George Lucas’ most important goal.