The upcoming second season of the hit Disney+ Star Wars series, Andor, is set to premiere on April 22, giving fans a devastating final chapter with the fan-favorite character. Season two will cover a four year time frame (ranging from 4 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin) to 1 BBY) leading Cassian Andor directly to his final mission in the events of Rogue One. The five years preceding the Battle of Yavin were critical to the Rebellion, as the many separate rebel cells began to organize into one cohesive unit strong enough to make a strike against the Empire.
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Andor Season 1 takes place solely in 5 BBY and is an isolated story about Cassian’s adventures (or misadventures) that lead him to join Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgard) rebel cell. However, another notable series, Star Wars Rebels, also starts in 5 BBY and also focuses on a small cell of rebels relying on their scant resources to deal as much damage to the Empire as possible. Episode 6 of Andor goes even further in connecting these two series, and you may have completely missed it.
Kessel Plays a Major Role in Both Shows
In Andor Episode 6, “The Axe Forgets,” the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) is grappling with increased rebel activity. Though other ISB agents believe any thefts or assaults at the hands of rebels are independent and uncoordinated, an assistant to ISB supervisor Dedra Meero puts forth another theory, suggesting that the recent uptick in activity is “too random to be random.” The assistant goes on to list out locations that the rebel cells have been active on recently, including Kessel.
The planet Kessel — known for its spice mines — has appeared in the Star Wars universe multiple times, perhaps most famously with regards to the “Kessel Run” — the smuggling route that Han Solo boasted flying the Millennium Falcon through in 12 parsecs. However, in the exact same time period as Andor, the insurgents in Star Wars Rebels deal a massive blow to Kessel and the workforce in their mines.
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Star Wars Rebels and Andor Happen at the Same Time
In Season 1, Episode 2 of Star Wars Rebels — “Spark of Rebellion: Pt. 2” — the Ghost crew consisting of Hera Syndulla, Kanan Jarrus, Zeb Orrelios, Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, and and droid Chopper are tipped off about a group of Wookiee prisoners being transported on an Imperial ship to Kessel to be pressed into slavery in the spice mines. Upon receiving this information, the crew infiltrates the ship to enact a rescue mission. Another ISB agent — Alexsandr Kallus — is obsessed with catching the rebels and learns of the rescue mission, using the opportunity to spring a trap on his foes and capture them. Ultimately, Kallus is unsuccessful and the Ghost crew liberates the Wookiees, bringing them to safety and depriving the Empire of their workforce in the Kessel mines.
The Ghost crew’s blow against the Empire happens at the same time as the events in Andor, meaning that the reference to some sort of rebel strike affecting Kessel is the same rescue mission led by Kanan Jarrus in “Spark of Rebellion: Pt. 2.” This is not the first time a Rebels Easter egg was dropped in Cassian Andor’s world. In Rogue One, while on Yavin-4, General Hera Syndulla is paged over the speakers and her droid, Chopper, can be seen roaming around the base. Hera’s beloved ship, the Ghost, can also be seen on Yavin-4 and fighting in the Battle of Scarif.
With Andor Season two taking place concurrently with the events in Star Wars: Rebels, it will be interesting to see any characters from Rebels make an appearance.
Andor Season 2 premieres on Disney+ on April 22.
