Some of Andor has made Rogue One very different. So many Rogue One moments, scenes, character interactions, and broader plot points feel immensely different, majoritively for the better, due to the context and history that has been provided by Andor.
Thanks to Andor cast of characters on the sides of both the Rebellion and the Empire have been fleshed out, I find this particular scene difficult to get my head around.
The Best Scenes In Andor Shine A Harsh Light On The ISB
The Imperials Have Never Been Explored Deeper Than In Andor
The scenes from Andor in question relate to the Imperial Security Bureau. The ISB has never been explored with as much depth as Andor provides, with characters like Dedra Meero, Partagaz, and Rogue One's Orson Krennic taking the spotlight across both seasons of the show. While Andor made it clear to continue portraying the Imperials in a harsh light, there is no denying that the intricacies of the politics explored made for some of the show's most engrossing, engaging, and compelling scenes.
Andor's ISB Focus Means Darth Vader's First Rogue One Cameo Makes Less Sense
Vader Being In Charge Of The Death Star Seems Strange After Andor
With these Andor scenes being so good at fleshing out the ISB and exploring just how much of the Empire's business they handle, Rogue One's first Darth Vader scene suffers slightly. Midway through the film, Krennic travels to Mustafar to appeal to Lord Vader about the finalization of the Death Star and Tarkin's attempts to supersede him. In some ways, it makes sense that Krennic would want to go to someone above Tarkin to see if the former could be reinstated as the head of Project Stardust.
Rogue One's depiction of Vader as someone to whom Krennic has always answered on this matter feels a little strange...
However, in of Vader knowing the ins and outs of the Death Star's construction, Rogue One's scene makes less sense because of Andor. After all, for years before Rogue One, it had been made clear that the heads of the ISB are those who have dealt with the Death Star, with Vader being nowhere to be seen. Although the death of Partagaz and the potential disbanding of the ISB could explain this, Rogue One's depiction of Vader as someone to whom Krennic has always answered on this matter feels a little strange.
Rogue One's Second Darth Vader Cameo Makes More Sense For The Character
The 2016 Film Still Has An Excellent Vader Scene
Despite this observation I made when I rewatched Rogue One, Andor has no effect on the fantastic second cameo from Darth Vader. In the final moments of the film, Vader appears to retrieve the Death Star plans from the soldiers of Star Wars' Rebel Alliance, cutting down anyone in his path. He falls short, leading into A New Hope, but this scene makes a lot more sense within the wider context of the franchise.
After all, Vader is somewhat of an enforcer for the Empire. This is not to say Vader is not involved in the Empire's politics at all, but he is much more effective as an immensely powerful person who is sent to kill Jedi and other rebels against the Empire. Therefore, the second Vader cameo makes a lot more sense for the character, but I still cannot shake the feeling that the first does not land quite as well after Andor's exploration of galactic politics in the Imperial era.
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