Summary
TheStar Warstimeline has long been a fluid and versatile thing. Ever since George Lucas opted to release what was ostensibly the fourth chapter in his space opera saga as the first film in 1977, the franchise has made a habit of bouncing around its own timeline to tell stories within the niches between previous entries. For example, its superb quality notwithstanding,Andormay be the most ludicrous instance of this, as it is a prequel to a prequel.Rogue Onecovers the days leading up to the opening scene ofA New Hope,andAndorcovers the five years leading up to those days.
To this end,Andoris very much the tale of how the Rebellion was formed in the years leading up to the Galactic Civil War, whose content is what the original trilogy consists of. However, in its most recent batch of episodes,Andoralso revealed an even larger game plan: thematically and narratively laying the groundwork for the Resistance.
What is the Difference Between the Rebellion and the Resistance?
The Rebel Alliance is whatAndoris primarily concerned with. They are the semi-organized group of freedom fighters who stand up against the Empire during the original trilogy. Led by key figures like Mon Mothma, the Rebel Alliance is formed in direct opposition to Emperor Palpatine,his dismantling of the Galactic Senate, and the introduction of the Death Star, all of which is covered in passing inA New Hope. The Rebel Alliance would go on to gain powerful allies such as Han Solo and Luke Skywalker by that film’s end, who would each play integral roles in the destruction of the Death Star.
Over the course of the ensuing films in the original trilogy,The Empire Strikes Backand Return of the Jedi, the Rebellion would take increasingly bolder stands against the Empire and ultimately succeed in liberating the galaxy from its oppression with the destruction of the second Death Star in the Battle of Endor.Return of the Jediends its story there, on a frame full of central characters like Leia Organa, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Lando Calrissian, happy and fulfilled. However,Star Warsstories across other forms of media have made it clear that the years following the Empire’s seeming defeat were anything but easy.
Books such asLost Stars, theAftermathtrilogy,Bloodlines, and the comic seriesShattered Empire, dive intothe struggles of the characters during this time period, as the Rebel Alliance becomes the New Republic and attempts to avoid the pitfalls that allowed the original Republic to become the Empire (as seen in the prequel trilogy). Ultimately, several decades later, the New Republic would fall victim to the same kinds of stagnation and partisan gridlock. Growing increasingly dissatisfied with the New Republic’s lack of a response to the formation of the First Order, a newly reformed iteration of the Empire, Leia Organa decided to create the Resistance, as partially chronicled in the animated seriesStar Wars: ResistanceandThe Force Awakens.
How isAndorSetting Up the Resistance?
In the fourth episode ofAndor’s second season, “Ever Been to Ghorman?”, audiences are reintroduced to the radical rebel leader Saw Gerrera in the year 3 BBY. Here, Saw has set up base camp on the planet of D’Qar, which is a namefans of the sequel trilogy may recognize. Not only is this the same planet where the Resistance sets up base upon inThe Force Awakensand is actively fleeing in the opening setpiece ofThe Last Jedi, but Saw is even utilizing the exact same hangar on the planet as his base.
Although Leia Organa has not physically appeared inAndor, her presence has still been felt. Her adopted father,Bail Organa, made an appearance in episode sixof the new season, and is sure to be more prominently featured moving forward. Additionally,Rogue Oneconcludes with the realization of Cassian Andor’s ultimate mission: getting the Death Star schematics into the hands of Leia herself. To this end,Andoris both narratively and thematically giving context to Leia as a character in meaningful form. The show allows audiences to more palpably and powerfully understand the Rebellion and its struggles.
In setting up this connection and establishing that there already was a Rebel base of sorts on D’Qar,Andorfurther adds to Leia’s ultimate arc across the series. Founding the Resistance is a radical act of bravery on Leia’s part. It puts her very much in the shoes of Mon Mothma, a senator who finds herself at odds with everything around her, searching for a way to make a difference. While Andor may not be explicitly telling Leia’s version of that story, it is providing fans with greater insight into her as a character and how the Resistance’s foundation echoed the Rebellion’s own.
