The Old Guard explores the supernatural world of immortality and follows the comic book-based imagination of super-heroism. It’s full of special characters that fill the engrossing space of the film and it manages to establish its relevancy through the timeless points of morality and close relationships.
Among those memorable characters are Andy and Nile, who both struggle with their own battles, but stand out as two of the best characters in the story. From Andy rescuing Nile to Nile rescuing Andy and the rest of the team, these two characters developed a bond that is only going to be strengthened over time. Here is a look at some of the times that they were the best characters in The Old Guard.
Andy: When She Was Right On Time
Andy, played by versatile actress Charlize Theron, wasn’t the only one who thought it was a good idea to pick up Nile from her military base before things got even more out of hand, but she was the only one who actually went to get her. It was her idea to go alone while the team went on to . If the whole team went, they probably would have drawn more attention to themselves and Andy wouldn’t have been able to retrieve Nile right when things were about to go south.
Nile: When She Tried To Escape
Nile was the most relatable character in the film. When confronted with something as outlandish as a team of immortal warriors who went around the world doing things for the greater good, she reacted in the most realistic way. After Andy retrieved her from her military base, she jumped out of the truck. When they boarded a plane to go to Paris, she waited for Andy to fall asleep before restraining her in an attempt to regain control over the situation. Too many characters in her position of being exposed to some kind of impossible thing have accepted it all too gracefully.
Andy: When She Was A Team Of One
When Chiwetel Ejiofor's character,Copley, sent people after them and Nicky and Joe were missing, Andy went in alone and took down several soldiers in a matter of minutes. This made it clear that she could most likely handle a lot of missions on her own and that she was extremely capable of getting the job done.
Nile was the only other character possibly able to act similarly, as Booker was healing (and too busy being a noble traitor), but she was still too much of a novice in immortality. Andy handled things quickly and efficiently.
Nile: When She Noticed That They Were Empty
After Andy told her that she could leave if she really didn’t want to be with the team, Nile had the option to let them fend for themselves or to help them out. This was made especially critical after she found the empty weapons in the trunk of the car she was driving. Quickly realizing that something was amiss, she went back to make sure things were alright. She could have stopped after realizing that they weren’t where she left them, but she kept going to find them at Merrick’s facility and helped them escape.
Andy: When She Demanded Copley’s Help
Although Copley’s actions led to their capture, Andy knew that they would need him sooner or later. Whether it was to kill him in the beginning for setting them up or just to gather more information, he was annoyingly useful. In the end, she informed him that he would help them take on any jobs and that he really didn’t have a choice in the matter. Andy understood that Copley had done tons of research and had connections that could aid them in the future.
Nile: When She Stepped In
When Nile found out that Andy wasn’t healing at the normal speed (normal for them), she made sure that Andy didn’t have any excessive injuries. While they were at Merrick’s facility and Andy was about to receive a possibly fatal blow, Nile stepped in front of her just in case. It was a mark of character development for Nile, and of the respect that he had for Andy, whether she understood things fully or not. They didn’t always see eye to eye, but Nile was able to put aside her confusion and anger for the team’s benefit.
Andy: When She Was Doubtful
Andy seemed to be the only one to be hesitant in taking the job from Copley. It seemed like she was the sole immortal warrior who ed that they “don’t do repeats,” and how much of an unnecessary gamble it was to receive jobs from the same person more than once.
Perhaps it was because of her leadership position on the team that her worries appeared to be larger than everyone else’s, but the lack of suspicion suggested a lot about the rest of the team. Either that they had their own plans like Booker, or that they were a lot more trusting than Andy.
Nile: When She Killed Merrick
Nile was often able to think and act quickly, most likely due to her military background, and in this case, it was a great triumph for both the audience and the team. Merrick’s character didn’t have much depth, so it was quite tiring to listen to him ramble on about the same things over and over. When Nile dived out of the open window and took Merrick with her, she did everyone a favor. She proved herself to be an advantageous player on the team. It signified that she was starting to see the advantages of being immortal and what she could do with it.
Andy: When She Let Nile Go
When Nile was having a hard time accepting the kind of work that the team did, Andy gave her an out. That action gave Andy’s character more depth, in that it made the audience wonder whether this type of thing had happened before. Andy could have easily made her stay and finish out the job, but she gave Nile the chance to make her own path. This signified both the importance of Nile’s character and the possibility of impermanence for Andy. If Nile had stayed, then the whole team would have been in trouble. But because she left, she was able to take the lead in rescuing the team.
Nile: When She Showed The Receipts
When Nile went back to check on the team after she found empty weapons in the trunk of the car that Andy loaned her, she had a chance to see a lot of the research that Copley had done concerning the team. It showed all of the positive outcomes of the immortal soldiers' hard work over many years. It was a good idea for them to see the fundamental results of all the things they’d done, and it was a morale boost for the team.