Andor, despite its issues with viewership, is not only one of the best Star Wars adjacent shows on Disney Plus but maybe the best one of all (sorry, Mandalorian fans). This is in no small part to the meticulous detail spent on creating a whole world in the Star Wars universe that we’ve never seen before.
One of the best parts of the show is that it’s seemingly untethered to the Star Wars that came before it (key word here being seemingly). There are no Jedis, no lightsaber battles, and no Chewbacca or Han Solo to add some levity to the proceedings. According to showrunner Tony Gilroy, all of this was by design.
In a new interview with Collider, Gilroy was asked whether the inhabitants of Ferrix are even aware of Jedi and lightsabers. He said they weren’t.
“That’s one of the first things I asked. And you know what? Most people don’t know. I don’t think anybody on Ferrix knows anything about it. I don’t think so.”
Before Andor, pretty much every show or movie in the universe dealt in some way with the Jedi and their struggle. In Andor, it’s just people trying to survive and simply live their lives. Basically, like most people, they’re worried about themselves and their community.
“I don’t think they know about the royal family. I don’t think they pay much mind to that. I mean, how many beings are in that gigantic galaxy? I think the vast majority of all of the creatures and beings and sentient things that are in the galaxy, I think the knowledge of the Jedi and the lightsaber is a pretty small number.”
We do know that the second season of the show will head to Yavin, so the no lightsaber thing is probably going to change. In the meantime, it’s just fun to watch a Star Wars show about someone other than laser sword-wielding zealots.
The season finale of Andor airs Wednesday on Disney Plus.