The writer for theAndorseason 2 finale recently explained what setsAndorapart from other recentStar Warstitles. Despite originally being billed as a prequel spinoff of a prequel movie,Andoris undoubtedly one of the most intricate and rewardingStar Warsproductions. Not only does it provide additional context forthe formation of the Rebel Alliance, but it digs deeper into the evils of the Empire and the oppressive regimes it emulates than the franchise ever has before.
ThoughAndoris set during one of the most crucial periods in the galaxy’s history,one of the show’s most notable – and commendable – traits is the lack of overt referencestoother majorStar Warsstories set during the same timeframe.Andor’s writers were seemingly very selective about what parts ofStar Wars’ lore they needed to draw from, whether to keep canon consistent (enough) or to move the story forward, and one of season 2’s writers recently explained why.
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Andor’s Writer Explains The Philosophy That Makes This Show So Good
The trouble with writing for an existing IP, especially one as widely and sometimes fanatically beloved asStar Wars, is the lure of the franchise’s existing mythology.Star Warsis chock-full of iconic characters, locations, species, set designs, weapons, and more.How do you differentiate between the pieces of lore that will elevate your story and the previously established world-building that will burden it unnecessarily?
Backstory Magazine’sJeff Goldsmith recently interviewedveteran IP writer Tom Bissell. Bissell joinedAndor’s writers’ room for the second season and penned the show’s final three episodes, whichbringAndor’s narrative straight intoRogue One: A Star Wars Storyas Cassian Andor leaves for Kafrene, where one of the movie’s opening scenes takes place. During the Q&A, Bissell revealed the most important advice he learned fromAndor’s showrunner, Tony Gilroy.
“I’ll just bring it to something that Tony said to me when we were starting on this, on season 2. I can’t say it was anything I’d ever put into words as well as he did. But it was kind of a principle that I’d maybe been subconsciously aware of, going through my time writing for Uncharted, Gears of War, Battlefield, or any of these games.
Tony said something I thought was really great. He said, ‘A lot of times when you’re working on IP storytelling, your impulse is to open the toybox and start playing with all the toys.’ And he said, ‘But you should attempt to resist that, and what you should do is leave more toys in the toybox than were there when you got there.’ And resisting the impulse to be a child and instead think more like a storyteller who’s adding to the world rather than taking from it.'
When I think of just the collage of new ideas and materials and planets and concepts that these two seasons have injected into Star Wars, I can’t think of a stronger endorsement for that approach to working on IP storytelling.”
“If your primary goal is to make fans happy, you’re gonna be in trouble real quick.”
With thefinal three episodes ofAndorseason 2so closely connected toRogue Oneand thus, by extension, the originalStar Warsmovie (later retitledA New Hope), there were plenty of opportunities to include references to other Rebellion-era stories – but they didn’t. That final montage, focusing primarily on characters introduced withinAndoror directly related to Cassian’s story, was a conscious choice, and it makes these episodes and the overall show much stronger.
Star Wars Normally Takes The Opposite Approach
Disney’sStar Warshas been continuously accused of overreliance on nostalgia.Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ most basic plot was a retread ofA New Hope. What was the point of a Han Solo origin story? Why is Tatooine constantly forced into the narrative? These are questions many fans have asked themselves over the years. Some decisions work well, others don’t.Andor’s approach offers an interesting contrast to other recentStar Warsstories. It’s a balancing act, and that balance can be difficult to find.
Gilroy and Bissell’s toybox analogy is particularly intriguing, as two other majorStar Warscreators, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni,have been known to use that same analogyin the past, though in very different contexts. Rather than actively avoiding the existing toybox as much as possible, as Gilroy and Co. seem to have done,Filoni and Favreau have combined theirStar Warstoybox, pulled out the characters, scenes, and ideas they love the most, and created new stories around those so-called “toys.”
There’s nothing inherently wrong with that kind of writing process, so long as the right balance can be found. We know both Filoni and Favreau are talented storytellers. Filoni worked wonders withStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar Wars Rebels, providing necessary and beautiful context to theStar Warsprequel trilogy, the Rebel Alliance’s history, and the Empire’s reign, long beforeAndorcame along.
At what point does the timeline become overly convoluted because there are simply too many toys involved?
I also wholeheartedly believe the first season ofThe Mandalorianbecame so wonderfully popular because it genuinely hit that perfect balance of “pureStar Wars” and new, original ideas.The Mandaloriantook the previously established lore of Mandalorian culture fromStar WarsLegends andThe Clone Warsand gave it a fresh, exciting twist, one that was accessible to both old and new fans alike.
None of the other well-knownStar Warselements involved inThe Mandalorianseason 1, and even most of season 2, overwhelmed the series’ core relationship. Those elements added to Din Djarin and Grogu’s story, but didn’t overshadow them. However, once legacy characters like Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, Bo-Katan Kryze, and Luke Skywalker became involved, could we still honestly say thatThe Mandalorianand the overarching “Mandoverse” franchise kept that all-important narrative balance? IsThe Mandalorianstill Din and Grogu’s story? At what point does the timeline become overly convoluted because there are simply too many toys involved?
Star Wars Needs To Learn An Important Lesson From Andor
Star Warsis beloved for a reason, and nostalgia remains a powerful narrative tool because people love to sink back into what is familiar and comforting. Bringing animated characters to live-action is perfectly valid if there’s a purpose in the story for them, and there’s nothing wrong with occasionally returning to well-known settings, either. Even so, every choice should be made in service of the story and the characters of that particular narrative.It doesn’t always have to be about the bigger picture, even in a franchise as sprawling asStar Wars.
Andoris the perfect example of an impactfulStar Warsstory that still managed to remain small. We know, for instance, that Emperor Palpatine is out there; we know Darth Vader is terrorizing the galaxy. We don’t need to see or hear about them constantly, and theAndorwriters understood that. It was so much more powerful to hear Mon Mothma call out Emperor Palpatine forthe Ghorman Massacrewithout seeing his reaction, because, in that moment, his reaction didn’t matter. What mattered was the impact her words had on the galaxy at large.
If the franchise wants to survive, it has to introduce new lore. Star Wars can only continue to thrive if it continues to build.
WithStar Warsreturning to the cinema, I hope the franchise learns fromAndor’s approach. Yes, theStar Warsgalaxy is already vast, and there’s so much existing lore to play around with. However, if the franchise wants to survive, it has to introduce new lore.Star Warscan only continue to thrive if it continues to build.Andor’s use of new planets, new cultures, new tech, and new characters delicately mixed with the old is the way forward.
2026
