Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Andor episode 11
While droids are the characters most at risk of dying in the Andor flips the script with a compelling reversal. In Andor episode 11, B2EMO struggles to reconcile with the death of Cassian's mother Maarva. Rather than dying himself like so many droids before him, Bee is put in a rare situation of grief, a unique scenario for droids in the galaxy far, far away.
Droid deaths in Star Wars typically come soon after viewers have just started to care about them. K2-SO, L3-37, and NED-8 are all perfect examples of this trend, and it wouldn't have been surprising if B2EMO had followed suit trying to somehow help or protect Maarva Andor. Instead, the expected scenario is flipped where Bee is left to grieve for Cassian's mother, an equally devastating moment that certainly hits differently.
Why Star Wars Kills Off So Many Droids
Compared to other sci-fi franchises with robots and advanced AI bordering on sentience, Star Wars has rarely focused on droid emotions and their varying levels of autonomy. Instead, they're usually seen as property, considered to be a lesser class in the galaxy and built only to serve. Not only is this true in-universe, but also in the writing. Droids are similarly viewed as easier characters to sacrifice for the sake of creating emotional weight over humans.
Lando Calrissian's droid companion L3-37 is a notable exception given her status as an advocate for droids' rights. As seen in Solo: A Star War Story, she was bold enough to lead a droid revolution before she was killed, her mind being installed into the Millennium Falcon as a means to partially save her life. Likewise, she was Lando's partner rather than Calrissian ever claiming he owned her. A similar dynamic is also seen with Cassian's future droid companion K2-SO who gave his life in Rogue One to save his friend and the Rebel Alliance.
Andor's B2EMO Further Highlights Its Star Wars Difference
Although Andor isn't some massive deviation from Star Wars projects that have come before, the series shows how much it can succeed when a focus is held on the people and themes at the core (rather than the expected archetypes and clichés). B2EMO is a perfect example of this idea by flipping the script, showing how a droid can mourn for someone they truly care for. Visibly shaking and not wanting to be left alone in Andor episode 11, B2EMO's struggle with Maarva being gone is truly heartbreaking to witness.
Emotions such as loss and heartbreak are rare things to see from any droid in the Star Wars galaxy, but it's not because they're incapable of expressing them. Killing Bee would have arguably been the easier method to get a similar emotional response, though killing off Maarva and showing B2EMO's grief achieves a deeper result. It matters so much more to Andor's story overall.
New episodes of Andor release on Wednesdays on Disney+.
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