Disney+’s latest series Andor explores a new story from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s rise up the ranks of the Rebel Alliance.
The show follows the burgeoning uprising against the Empire, tracking Cassian’s transformation from a petty thief into an unlikely rebel hero.
Diego Luna first appeared as Cassian in Rogue One as an intelligence agent for the Rebel Alliance, planning their assault on the Death Star.
Here’s what you need to know.
How many episodes of Andor are there?
The first three episodes of the 12-part series were made available on Disney+ on Thursday 22 September.
The remaining episodes are being released on a weekly basis, every Tuesday, with the finale airing on Wednesday 23 November.
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When is Andor set?
Andor is a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the 2016 reboot of the franchise, itself a direct prologue to Episode IV: A New Hope, the original 1977 release which gave rise to a cultural phenomenon.
The new series is set in the year 5 BBY, meaning Before Battle of Yavin – the mission to blow up the Death Star which forms the climax of A New Hope.
Andor is set five years earlier than Rogue One, when Cassian is a petty thief more concerned with stealing Galactic Empire spaceship parts. The 12-part series follows his transformation into an unlikely rebel hero.
The chronological order of the major Star Wars franchise releases is as follows:
- Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
- Andor (2022)
- Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
- Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- The Mandalorian (2019-present)
- The Book of Boba Fett (2021-present)
- Star Wars: Resistance (2018-2020)
- Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
- Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
- Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
How has it been received?
i‘s TV Editor has lavished praise upon Andor, awarding it a five-star rating and crediting the series for its originality and willingness to take on gritty plotlines.
Emily Baker wrote: “Andor is more mature than its peers. It’s closest in tone to The Mandalorian, but without the gimmicks akin to Baby Yoda, and it has none of the unnecessary fan service that dragged down the otherwise brilliant Obi-Wan Kenobi.
“Here, the Galactic Empire is an oppressive force, giving the series political overtones that have been either buried or outright denied by some sections of the fandom for a long time. It’s darker, it’s more sincere and it’s more compulsive. There’s even talk of swear words down the line.”
She continued: “Star Wars isn’t a franchise screaming out for more attention, and with its seemingly endless pit of spin-offs Disney could be accused of flogging an already knackered horse. But if future instalments are up to the standard of Andor, who cares?”
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