Summary

• Andor explores the Dark Times and the evil of the Empire, establishing the latter sections of the Rebel Alliance's formation.
• The new "Reign of the Empire" novels will delve into the origins of Rebellion, detailing Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa's efforts shortly after Revenge of the Sith.
• George Lucas originally cut scenes hinting at Rebellion's origins from Revenge of the Sith, meaning Reign of the Empire will tell this story.

The pseudo-prequel to chronological Star Wars movie in order - as he navigates the early days of the Rebel Alliance and becomes someone dedicated to fighting against the Empire.

As alluded to, Andor's story makes it one of the most compelling Star Wars stories ever told. The reason for this is its exploration of the Dark Times and its depiction of how evil the Empire can be, which makes the formation of the Rebel Alliance all the more exciting. This is expected to continue in Andor season 2's story, though it is worth noting the Rebel Alliance's building blocks are already formed at the beginning of the show. For this reason, the newly announced prequel to Andor is even more intriguing.

Star Wars' Andor Prequel Will Show The Origins Of The Rebel Alliance

Three Books Will Flesh Out The Rebellion Directly After Revenge Of The Sith

Three new novels, titled Star Wars: Reign of the Empire, will flesh out the origins of the Rebellion. The books were announced shortly after SDCC 2024, with the first in the series titled The Mask of Fear. These three books will take place directly after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and focus on three characters vital to the Rebel Alliance: Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa.

Where Andor shows the Rebel Alliance escalating from a covert group to a fully-fledged army in open war, Reign of the Empire will explore exactly how it formed in the first place...

Given that Mon Mothma and Saw Gerrera are two important characters to Andor, the books are essentially a prequel to the series. Beginning five years before Andor, The Mask of Fear will detail Mon, Saw, and Bail's attempts at forming a rebellion against the Empire in the latter organization's earliest days. Where Andor shows the Rebel Alliance escalating from a covert group to a fully-fledged army in open war, Reign of the Empire will explore exactly how it formed in the first place.

Star Wars Is Telling The Story George Lucas Cut

Lucas Almost Detailed The Rebellion's Origins In The Prequel Trilogy

What makes Reign of the Empire even more interesting is that the books will tell a story George Lucas originally wanted to. When Lucas was in the process of crafting Revenge of the Sith, the early cut of the film was much longer than the theatrical release. This led to several scenes being removed from the film, including several that hinted at the origins of the Rebel Alliance involving Pé, Bail, and Mon Mothma.

The scenes were included in the DVD release of Revenge of the Sith. Each one involved the trio raising their concerns about Palpatine and deciding to move against him, building the foundations of what would become the Rebellion. However, Lucas decided to cut these scenes, giving shows like Andor and book series' like Reign of the Empire to delve into a story straight from the mind of Star Wars' creator.