After 24 episodes spanning 2 seasons,Andorhas concluded on Disney+. While fans are going to have to say goodbye toAndorand its complex characters and situations, they can always go back and reminisce on the intense episodes that are available on Disney+ to showcase the pinnacle ofStar Warsstorytelling and to understand which ofAndor’s episodes were the best.
Ripe with tension, action, and of course, writing and acting,Andorexcels in so many ways that it’s impossible to provide enough praise to the 24 episodes. However, there are a few notable standouts forAndorSeason 1 andAndorSeason 2 that are worth discussing.
8Nobody’s Listening!
Cassian Sees Firsthand the Unjust Nature of the Empire’s Prison System
Placed into an Imperial prison for a crime he did not commit,Cassian Andorsees the urgency of rebellion and why his escape is imperative. Day by day, Cassian and his allies are forced to construct strange machinery, unknowingly contributing to the Death Star’s design. While Nobody’s Listening is more of a torturous episode that shows the tyranny of the Empire through those imprisoned by them, it’s a fan-favorite for its overwhelming scope and mystery surrounding the prison and the complex characters within these inescapable walls.
7The Eye
Cassian’s First Taste of Rebellion Involves a Celestial Spectacle
The Eye is where many ofAndor’s viewers realized the potential in what they had just witnessed. WhileAndoralready impressed with its rich writing, The Eye showcased the show’s ability to hold on to tension and provide immense satisfaction. The Eye is a point of no return, both for the characters involved in this heist on the Empire’s payroll, and those watching, as it’s impossible to go back and not want to pushforward to future episodes. The Eye is a slow-burn that pays off in wonderful ways, from visuals to character arcs and action.
6Who Else Knows?
Cassian Andor Makes a Daring Rescue for Luthen
The penultimate episode ofAndorshowcases Cassian’s loyalty to Luthen, as he assembles a small band of rebellious fighters within the Rebel Alliance who won’t mind disobeying orders by venturing to Coruscant to save a man responsible for creating the ripple effects that have sent the pendulumswinging against the Empire. An episode that showcases the friendship between Cassian, Melshi, and K-2SO, Who Else Knows refuses to halt the pace of the final three episodes ofAndorwith an intense race to the finish line, and a hallway shootout that will be remembered as one of the finest action scenes of the series.
5Welcome to the Rebellion
Mon Mothma Sacrifices Her Senate Seat for Truth
The aftermath of the Ghorman Massacre has Mon Mothma saddened and terrified for what planet will next face the wrath of the Empire and their reaping of resources. To dispel the narrative of the Empire’s lies on Ghorman, Mon Mothma uses her platform as a Senator to call out the genocide and the evil of Emperor Palpatine, at the cost of her own freedom. Luckily, Luthen sends Cassian Andor to rescue Mon and help her escape in an episode that continues to drive home the tension, leaving no breaks for a thumping heartbeat for those terrified of the next move ahead. From Mon Mothma’s rich speech to the daring escape off-world, Welcome to the Rebellion puts audiences deep into thefinal phases ofAndor’s story.
4Make It Stop
Luthen Rael’s Rebellion Network Comes Crashing Down
As if things couldn’t get any more tense, Make It Stop comes in with an electrifying finish, roaring through Coruscant to showcase Luthen’s drive to never leave loose ends or have an unresolved half-measure. With the discovery of the Death Star bringing an entirely new urgency to the Rebel Alliance and the walls closing in on Luthen as the ISB discovers his treacherous involvement, Luthen must show his unwavering sacrifice to the cause by taking his own life. While Cassian doesn’t have an active involvement in the plot of Make It Stop, the tension among Luthen’s wavering life, thediscovery of the Death Star, and Kleya’s infiltration of an Imperial hospital to ensure Luthen’s secrets die with him creates a symphony of emotion that cannot be topped. It’s intense, raw, and unwavering in every scene.
3Rix Road
The Season One Finale That Sparks a Rebellion
WithCassian’s freedomfrom the Imperial prison in episodes prior, he returns home to Ferrix for his mother’s funeral, but as the masses gather to celebrate the life of his mother, a fuse is lit that sparks a planet-wide rebellion to fight the Empire. Rix Road is an epic finish to a first Season that puts Cassian on a path to which there is no coming back from, and showcases the little people that makeStar Warswork by providing jeopardy, union, and resolve to overthrow tyranny and push back against the Empire that will have fans pumping their fists in a demand to fight.
2Who Are You?
The Heartbreaking Ghorman Massacre
Tension overflows in Ghorman, as the innocent people assemble at Palmo Plaza to protest the Imperials’ occupation of their great and respectful city. Who Are You is an episode of Season 2 that showcases the raw emotion inAndor’s design and refuses to shy away from the devastating terror of the Empire as they stage an insurrection in order to kill the masses. The building tension elevates the episode, but it’s the raw emotion in Syril and the desperate plea from the innocent Ghorman that lives as Cassian is forced to leave that shows how desperate and necessary the Rebellion is to stop this wave of tyranny that will haunt viewers until the Empire’s last days.
1One Way Out
Cassian Andor Stages a Prison Break
The prison arc ofAndor’s first season is intense, but episode 10 is where it reaches the boiling point. The entire episode centers around thespark of rebellionwithin the unjust imprisonment of the victims of the Empire, who all band together and work as one to find the one way out. The sheer emotion and level of cheer found in One Way Out is bar to none, as the rousing speech from Andy Serkis’ Kino Loy repeats throughout the facility, instilling hope among the prisoners and fear among the Empire for an adrenaline-fueled escape that will have audiences rooting for the characters, and crying for the fates of those who didn’t make it.
