26 years ago, in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, George Lucas completely broke the rules of the Force he established in the original Star Wars movies and TV shows will no doubt be felt for years to come. In part, that is because it was so innovative and changed Star Wars in myriad ways.
Among the additions to Star Wars that Andor provided are (finally) the depiction of the first lesbian kiss between featured characters. However, Andor didn't just add brand-new concepts and events to Star Wars; it was also a brilliant return to form. Specifically, 26 years after George Lucas completely changed the rules of the Force, Andor season 2 has restored it to what it once was.
The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Broke The "Everyman Hero" Part Of The Force
Anakin's Phantom Menace Story Changed Everything
When Star Wars began with A New Hope (then just called Star Wars), Luke Skywalker was introduced as an 'everyman hero,' who was able to rise to prominence and help save the galaxy despite his humble beginnings as essentially a farm boy from a desert planet in the Outer Rim. What's more, Luke was more or less the audience's reference point for the Force. Yes, Obi-Wan was the full-fledged Jedi in A New Hope, but it was all really focused on Luke's Jedi training.
The Empire Strikes Back altered this somewhat by revealing that Star Wars' most powerful Sith; in fact, he didn't even know his father had once been a Jedi Knight.
That made Luke part of a legacy, but it didn't change the fact that Luke began as a 'nobody' (or everyman) who learned of the Force late in life and was still able to master it and become one of the most powerful and most important Jedi in Star Wars. What truly blew the Force wide open were George Lucas' decisions about Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace. Yes, we already knew Anakin grew up to be one of the galaxy's biggest villains, but The Phantom Menace introduced the concept of the Chosen One.
This revelation not only completely changed the Force via Anakin's story, but also undercut Luke's everyman hero status even more than The Empire Strikes Back. This Chosen One plotline established Anakin as a Messianic figure, and it meant Luke wasn't just the son of a powerful Jedi (and Sith) but rather was a key component of fulfilling one of the most important prophecies in the galaxy. I don't want to add the prequel trilogy hate—I happen to love the prequels, and I think Jake Lloyd was brilliant as Anakin—but this did break the Force as we knew it.
Luke wasn't just the son of a powerful Jedi (and Sith) but rather was a key component of fulfilling one of the most important prophecies in the galaxy.
Andor Grounds The Force In The Ordinary Again
Cassian's Story Is The Perfect Example
Image via Disney+
Part of what made Luke Skywalker and the entire original trilogy so popular was the fact that anyone could imagine they had the ability to become Luke Skywalker, because he truly felt like an average person who fell into incredible circumstances. Again, The Empire Strikes Back had already changed that a bit, but The Phantom Menace fully blew that wide open by establishing a Star Wars dynasty that Luke Skywalker was now inheriting. Thankfully, Andor season 2 has restored the original nature of the Force in a rather unexpected way.
The Phantom Menace fully blew that wide open by establishing a Star Wars dynasty that Luke Skywalker was now inheriting.
Cassian Andor was an ordinary person, just as Luke Skywalker had once been. In fact, while it's clear that his adoptive mother had a radical anti-Imperial ideology, that didn't change that both she and Cassian had no massive galactic connections. In many ways, especially in Andor season 1, it felt like Cassian fell into ing the Rebellion. As we know from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, though, Cassian ends up becoming more important than anyone could possibly imagine, as, without him, the Death Star would never have been destroyed.
Andor season 2 gave that influence and impact a direct connection to the Force with the Force healer's revelation that Cassian was destined for something great, and it was the will of the Force. In fact, as soon as Cassian arrived, she could sense that he was someone important. This storyline reinforced that one doesn't have to be one of the most powerful Force-s or part of the Star Wars royal family to have a critically important destiny and role to play.
10 Biggest Star Wars Questions We Have After Andor Season 2
Many storylines from Andor’s series finale feed right into Rogue One, but there are still some thrilling questions that remain unanswered.
Andor Has Brought The Force Back To What Lucas MEANT It To Be
Andor Was The Perfect Return To Form
Image via Disney+
This storyline with Cassian didn't just act as a response to the prequel trilogy's introduction of the Chosen One prophecy, though. This actually restored the Force to what George Lucas originally intended in Star Wars. This original intention was clearly articulated when Dave Filoni explained balance in the Force:
"Ultimately, the Force is an ability that can be used selflessly or selfishly and how one chooses to wield it determines whether you stand on the dark side or light. The dark side of the Force is manifested in our greed, desire for power, and fears. And the light side of the Force is propagated by selfless action, by living in balance, by overcoming our fears. The Force naturally exists in balance; that balance is thrown out when someone chooses to give in to their fears and then spirals out of control making selfish choice after selfish choice. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.
"Our own ambitions can make the Force into something terrible even when our intentions might have been good. We do not always realize we are acting out of fear, or selfishness. Anakin believes he is trying to save his wife, he is afraid to lose her, he chooses to act out of his fears and try to control the situation. That moment of choice, how we act and react is so important. The choice between dark and light is often subtle and not limited to the Jedi and Sith. Everyone struggles with the balance between light and dark. The Mandalorian has a choice: do his job, find the Child and hand him over to the Empire, or take this lost child in and protect it, become its guardian. It is a critical choice and one that greatly impacts both their lives."
As Filoni makes clear, the Force is something that is tied to everyone, and all beings, no matter whether they are Force-sensitive or not, have a role to play.
Again, this isn't to disparage the prequel trilogy. I firmly believe that Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader is one of Star Wars' best characters, and his prequel trilogy arc is absolutely a part of that. Even so, it was wonderful to see this original intention behind the Force return to Star Wars through Cassian Andor's Andor story (especially in Andor season 2).
Hopefully, this is a version of the Force that continues beyond Andor. That doesn't mean that Star Wars has to entirely turn away from the Force or the Jedi, nor do I think it should. In fact, some of the Star Wars projects I'm most excited about are the movies and shows that will bring the Jedi back to the screen, such as Ahsoka season 2 and Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi. Yet, I remain hopeful that Andor season 2 has served as a reminder of what the Force is really meant to be in Star Wars.
All episodes of Andor season 2 are now streaming on Disney+.
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Andor
8/10- Release Date
- 2022 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Disney+
- Showrunner
- Tony Gilroy
Cast
Cassian Andor
Luthen Rael
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingAndor is a Star Wars prequel series set before the events of Rogue One, following Cassian Andor as he navigates a world of danger and deception. The series delves into his transformation into a pivotal figure in the struggle against the Galactic Empire.
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Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
5/10- Release Date
- May 19, 1999
- Runtime
- 136 minutes
- Director
- George Lucas
Cast
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Qui-Gon Jinn
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is set in a galaxy facing political turmoil, as Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi seek peace while encountering Anakin Skywalker, a slave with great potential in the Force. Meanwhile, the Sith begin their resurgence, threatening the stability of the Republic.
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