Wow. I mean, wow. What a season. I know a lot of Star Wars “fans” will tell you that “Andor isn’t Star Wars,” (which might be why non-Star Wars fans should check it out) because it doesn’t have traditional Star Wars-y stuff, like the force, or lightsabers. But, after watching Andor Season 1, I can tell you that all I want now is to see what’s next in store for Cassian and the future of the Rebel Alliance.
And, it’s going to be a hard wait, since I’m already starting to miss these characters. Which is strange, since I already know things aren’t going to end well for any of them. I’ve seen Rogue One, my favorite Star Wars movie, and I know how that ends, but still! I love all of these characters. That said, which one is the very best from the series so far? Well, you’re about to find out.
Oh, and major spoilers up ahead if you haven’t finished the first season of Andor yet.
8. Karis Nemik
The cool thing about Andor was that there seemed to be mini-arcs within the season. The first three episodes covered Cassian’s escape and meeting of Luthen Rael (more on him later), and the next three episodes contained an arc where the seeds of the Rebellion were being planted. One of those “seeds” was Karis Nemik, played by Alex Lawther from the suspenseful black comedy series, The End of the F**ing World.
Karis was a revolutionary, always talking about his manifesto, and why the rebels would one day rise up and take down the Empire. What’s interesting about him, though, is that to Cassian, he sounded like a bit of a kook, what with his almost “extreme” outlooks on the Empire. But, since the show takes place before A New Hope, we’re well aware of how prescient Karis actually is. In fact, his voice is heard again in the final episode of the first season as an inspiration to Cassian, who turns from being a survivalist to a contributor to the Rebel Alliance. Karis’s death was a stark reminder of the many casualties of war.
7. Syril Karn
It’s kind of insane to see Syril Karn, played by Kyle Soller, with a beard, but he had one in our Andor’ video interviews. And, I only say it’s insane since the bootlicker employee from the Imperial Bureau of Standards of the Galactic Empire seems like the last person you would ever see with a beard. Syril is the definition of a clean-shaven, lifer employee who finds utmost purpose in his job, making him an interesting character study in the Star Wars universe.
In the past, we’ve seen the faceless Storm Troopers getting blasted to kingdom come, but we very rarely see the employees doing the busy work. You know, the number crunchers; the sycophantic brown nosers, and that’s who Syril Karn is. You almost feel bad for him and his intense crush for his superior, Dedra Meero (more on her later). Almost, I say.
6. Bix Caleen
Mechanic and tough cookie, Bix Caleen went through hell this season. From watching her lover get shot to death, to being tortured by the Galactic Empire, Bix Caleen is just another example of the people on the ground who had to suffer in order for Luke Skywalker, Chewie, and Han Solo to get their medals at the end of Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope.
In a lot of ways, Bix could have felt like a throwaway character, or more like a plot device. But, Adria Arjona made her super sympathetic with her performance, especially after we saw the ramifications of her not ratting out Cassian. Arjona is extremely talented, and now I want to watch other projects from the Andor actor.
5. Mon Mothma
Mon Mothma, played by Tin Star’s Genevieve O’Reilly, is an interesting character in Andor because we’ve seen her before in the movies. She made her first appearance in 1983's Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (as played by Caroline Blakiston), but has also made subsequent appearances in movies like Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and Rogue One, both played by O’Reilly. Here, we see her in a pivotal time in her life as a politician who is secretly on the Rebel Alliance’s side.
What’s great about her character in Andor, though, is that she’s always on thin ice, living a double life as she’s sending money to the cause. We see her negotiating deals with rogues, and even fooling her own husband. All in the name of the Rebellion. In the movies, we’ve kind of just seen what Mon Mothma is capable of, but the series fleshed out her character, giving us more insight into who she really is. Great stuff.
4. Kino Loy
From Supreme Leader Snoke, to a floor manager in an Empire prison, Andy Serkis has once again disappeared into a role. You can learn more about Andy Serkis’s performance in our Andor interview with him, but let’s just say that he has one of the most tragic outcomes in the entire first season when he stands on the brink of escape, only to admit that he can’t swim.
Kino Loy was fascinating because you could see his burning desire to get out, but you also saw that he felt hopeless because of the Empire. He provided a nice counterpoint to Cassian, who knew the Empire was vast and ostensibly omnipotent, but would still rather fight than just play by their rules. Ultimately, it was when Kino Loy finally took a stand that the true embers of the Rebellion started to ignite, which are all the more heartbreaking since he can’t fully participate. Swimming is a requirement for the Rebellion, apparently.
3. Cassian Andor
Well, this is awkward. The lead character of the series—the one who the show’s named after—at number three? How’d that happen? Well, unlike Jess on New Girl, who's the least funny character on her own show, it kind of makes sense with Cassian not being the best character, since the movie he was introduced in, Rogue One, doesn’t really have a central character. So, perhaps it’s only fitting that Cassian is yet another small player in his own series.
It’s definitely not the acting holding him back though, as Diego Luna does a phenomenal job as the character. We see all the nuances of his development, as he goes from a man who looks out for himself and the ones closest to him, to a man who is willing to die for strangers. Not bad for someone we’ve only really gotten to know over the course of 12 episodes.
2. Dedra Meero
The all-work, no-nonsense lieutenant in the Imperial Security Bureau, played by Denise Gough, is probably the most terrifying character in the entire series, mostly because of the lengths she’ll go through to get what she wants. She’s not above challenging her superiors in front of even higher superiors, and knows she’s the smartest person in the room. This makes her shrewd decisions even more resonant when you realize that she could probably destroy the Rebel Alliance if she didn’t have so much bureaucratic red tape to get through.
In fact, Denise Gough does such a good job with the character’s stern demeanor that it’s almost unbelievable to see the actress smile in interviews, since you would never know the character is capable of actual happiness. Honestly, if everybody stopped listening to Palpatine and instead listened to Dedra Meero, there probably wouldn’t even be a rebellion. She’d end it right away. Well, maybe not. But, only because of one other character…
1. Luthen Rael
By far the best character on Andor is art dealer/rebel leader, Luthen Rael, played deftly by Stellan Skarsgård. He is the absolute best, because you never know which version you’re getting of him, and just how far his grip reaches. He has the coolest ship this side of the Millennium Falcon, but also the calm demeanor of a man who will shoot first, and won’t even bother to ask questions later.
That said, as we saw in his brilliant sacrifice monologue, he’s also haunted by everything he’s done, and the fact that he’ll have to live with it for the rest of his life. Plus, Skarsgård is just perfect. He brings the kind of gravitas that is necessary for a story set in this more on-the-ground world that Andor and Rogue One present in the Star Wars universe. It’s for that reason that I deem him the very best character in Andor.
Who’s your favorite character on Andor? For more news on everything Star Wars, make sure to swing by here often.
