Warning! This article contains spoilers for Andor season 2, episode 7.

Thanks to an unlikely story, Star Wars' Rebel Alliance were founded without the aid of the Jedi Order and the Force, making Andor the least likely project to include the otherworldly concepts of a galaxy far, far away.

Nonetheless, this unlikelihood has spawned a very surprising scene in Andor season 2, episode 7. This episode takes place in the third block of Andor's cast of characters is shown living a life of rebellion on Yavin IV as the alliance slowly builds into what it is known to become. The titular hero, though, suffers from a blaster wound to the shoulder, leading to a Force concept that first debuted six years ago being changed forever.

The Rise Of Skywalker Introduced Force Healing As A New Power

Thanks To Daisy Ridley's Rey

Firstly, it is worth exploring the Force concept in question and how it was introduced: Force Healing. Force Healing was introduced to canon in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, despite being a part of several Legends stories before that point. The Rise of Skywalker depicted this ability for the first time in a major Star Wars movie, however, when Rey used her abilities to heal an injured desert worm known as a vexis. Rey simply placed her hand above the wound and ed her life force into the creature, healing its injuries and allowing the group to .

The Mandalorian season 1, episode 7 initially introduced Force Healing two days before the release of The Rise of Skywalker, yet the former was confirmed as a tie-in to set up the latter's full theatrical debut of the power.

The concept of Force Healing was then included in an even bigger way in The Rise of Skywalker's finale. Emperor Palpatine wished to utilize the power of the Force Dyad to heal his injured clone body, before Ben Solo used Force Healing to transfer his entire life force into the deceased Rey, resurrecting her. All of this allowed Force Healing to become a major, confirmed part of Star Wars canon in a way that was only hinted at beforehand. Now, six years later, the concept has been fleshed out and changed.

Now We Know There Are Dedicated Force Healers

One Is Based On Yavin IV

This brings us to Andor season 2, episode 7, released on Disney+ six years after The Rise of Skywalker yet set decades before it on the Star Wars timeline. In this episode, Andor is pushed into visiting a Force Healer stationed on Yavin IV to see if his blaster burn can be treated. Naturally, Cassian is initially skeptical of doing so due to his lack of belief in the Force, before the Force Healer senses him from across the yard, walks towards him, notices his wound without being shown it, and insists Cassian is a messenger who renewed her faith.

What makes this scene something that changed the concept of Force Healing is the reveal that there are dedicated people committed to using their powers for this sole reason. Before, it was simply an incredibly rare ability that some Jedi possessed. Andor season 2 has introduced the idea that Force Healers may not have been trained by the Jedi, instead being people with a great attunement to the mystical energy field who have this ability.

Previously, there have been theories that Force Healing is rare among Jedi as it is an ability linked to balance in the Force. Theorists have claimed that only those dedicated to that balance - or younglings like Grogu who have not yet cemented their commitment to the Jedi - can use Force Healing. This is somewhat ed by Andor. While the woman who Force Heals Cassian could have been a former Jedi, her mysterious introduction implies there is a separate group of Force wielders who use their abilities for this purpose.

Did These Force Healers Exist In The Prequel Era?

This Raises Interesting Prequel Questions

What makes Andor's reveal of a Force Healer even more compelling is the wider Star Wars questions it creates. For instance, Anakin Skywalker's primary motivation for turning to the dark side of the Force in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith was to save his wife, Pé, from death during childbirth. The introduction of Force Healing led many to question if this created a plot hole, as Anakin could have simply taken Pé to a Force Healer during labor to ensure she survived.

That said, Andor season 2 could also have proposed an explanation for this. Cassian insists that the Force Healer is a scammer, with his and Bix's conversation confirming that many people lie about having the ability throughout the galaxy. During the era of the Jedi, who were more dedicated to the light side of the Force than true balance, Force Healers could have had a bad reputation for exactly this reason. This could explain why Andor season 2's debut of a Force Healer is not a plot hole, but instead an interesting way of developing and changing a prior Star Wars concept.