Warning! This article contains spoilers for Andor season 2, episodes 1-3.
Thanks to the returningRogue Onecharacters inAndorseason 2, a meaningful, albeit dark, parallel comes to light.Andorseason 2’s storyhas long been expected to tie toRogue Oneheavily, with the former’s creator, Tony Gilroy, confirming as such. Gilroy played a hand in the production ofRogueOnetoo, later formulating the prequel story of Cassian Andor that blossomed into thebest-rankedStar WarsTV showwe know and love today.
Not only did Gilroy confirm thatAndorseason 2’s timelinewould lead directly into the opening scenes ofRogue One,but other elements of the latter will be involved in the events of the show. One such element ties toAndorseason 2’s cast, which has been confirmed to include certainRogue Onecharacters like Saw Gerrera, K-2S0, and Director Orson Krennic. InAndorseason 2’s first three episodes, one of these characters makes theirAndordebut, with the scene holding deeper, darker meanings than is immediately evident.
Krennic’s Power Play In Andor Shows His Rise Through The Empire
Krennic’s Andor Introduction Highlights The Cutthroat World Of Imperials
The character in question is Orson Krennic, who first appears at an Imperial meeting inAndorseason 2, episode 1. As alluded to, this scene has several layers of complexity to it, with the first tying to a rivalry Krennic had inRogue Onewith another popularStar Warscharacter: Wilhuff Tarkin.InAndor, Krennic’s rise through the ranks of the Imperial hierarchy is outlineddue to the nature of his secret meeting. The meeting is to discuss the Imperial occupation of the planet Ghorman so that a mineral can be obtained to further the Emperor’s energy project.
What is interesting to note is that we have seen secret Imperial meetings inStar Warsbefore, even one involving both Krennic and Tarkin inStar Wars: The Bad Batch. However, inAndorseason 2, Krennic’s meeting does not include Tarkin. Krennic notes this and states that Emperor will involve Tarkin when he deems it necessary. Given the context of Krennic and Tarkin’s rivalry fromRogue One, it is clear that this is simply an Imperial power play from the former. Krennic is trying to rise in the ranks of the Empire’s hierarchy, doing so by excluding Tarkin from the Ghorman meeting.
Krennic’s Meeting Parallels One Of The Darkest Nazi Moments
The Empire’s Fascistic Methods Are Underlined
Moving beyond the surface level depiction ofAndor’s Imperial meeting and how it links to Krennic’s personal aspirations, it holds a deeper, darker meaning regarding the Empire at large. Of course, the Empire has always been depicted as a fascist, tyrannical organization inStar Wars, butAndorseason 2 is proving to lean into parallels to real-world regimes of the same ilk, such as Nazis. Krennic’s meeting is a direct link to this, stemming from a real-world Nazi event known as the Wannsee meeting. The Wannsee meeting was a gathering of top Nazi officials held in 1942.
The purpose of Krennic’s meeting is to discuss how best to subjugate an entire race of people, the Ghormans, just as the Nazis did for the Jewish community…
This meeting aimed to complete the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.” The meeting was held in secret, with any and all records of it destroyed afterward, save from one. InAndorseason 2, Krennic’s secret Imperial meeting is held in a secluded mountaintop location - emulating Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest from WWII - with no records of the event taking place. To further drive home the Nazi parallels ofAndorseason 2, the purpose of Krennic’s meeting is to discuss how best to subjugate an entire race of people, the Ghormans, just as the Nazis did for the Jewish community.
Andor Has Made Rogue One’s Villain So Much Darker
Krennic’s Rogue One Role Is Much More Brutal Now
As I have alluded to, the fascistic parallels between the Empire and the real-world meant that the former was always dark inStar Wars. That said,Star Wars’movies and TV showshave mostly always kept its exploration of the Empire firmly in the camp of sci-fi adventure stories. Conversely,Andorhas often been notable for its mature and complex exploration of theStar Warsfranchise, with the scenes involving Krennic in season 2’s opening episodes proving this.
Andorseason 2 has Krennic seeking out ways to oppress an entire planet of people, which aligns with the Nazi history of prejudice against Jewish people. With confirmation that the Ghorman Massacre, a big event inStar Wars’timeline, will be part ofAndorseason 2, Krennic’s meeting takes on an even darker light. Now, when the character appears inRogue One, he will undoubtedly be seen as a more dangerous, tyrannical, fascistic threat than he already was.
