Orson Krennic's return in Andor season 2's timeline feeds into the 2016 film.

One of these characters was Director Orson Krennic who was integral to events like Andor season 2's ending wrapped up the show, Krennic's appearances had only improved it and retroactively bolstered his role in Rogue One, all due to one condition Mendelsohn had when returning to the Star Wars galaxy.

Ben Mendelsohn Would Only Return If Star Wars "Pumped Up The Volume"

Mendelsohn Wanted More To Chew On

Mendelsohn confirmed this condition he had on Late Night With Seth Meyers. The actor was asked if he was excited upon getting the call to return in Andor, to which Mendelsohn replied he certainly was. However, Mendelsohn also pointed out that he did make the request to "pump up the volume" with the character's Andor scenes after Rogue One's more subdued appearance.

Given that Andor offers much more screentime to its ing characters than a movie with a tight runtime like Rogue One, this request certainly makes sense. Not only that but the request was easily granted by showrunner Tony Gilroy. Although Krennic only appears in a select few episodes of Andor season 2, there is no denying that Mendelsohn's performance is much larger and more domineering than it was in Rogue One, proving that the volume was, indeed, pumped up.

Why Krennic Is So Much Bigger In Andor

Krennic's Circumstances Are Much Different Between The Two Stories

The volume being cranked up for Mendelsohn naturally gives audiences a much more engrossing villain who is larger than life in Andor, but it also improves his character in Rogue One simultaneously. The reason for this is the expert blending between Andor and Rogue One, how their stories intersect, but also how they are slightly different despite taking place only days apart in Star Wars' vast timeline. In Andor, for example, Krennic has a much more arrogant presence, partly due to Mendelsohn's condition for returning, and partly due to the character's role in the story.

In Andor, Krennic is not the middle manager that he was in Rogue One. Krennic sits almost at the top of the ISB pecking order, answering only to a few other Imperial officials who do not play a role in the show. Therefore, Mendelsohn could act much more intimidatingly as Krennic is constantly dealing with underlings he considers beneath him. Krennic loves to lord his power above these people, which is exactly what we see in Andor season 2.

Krennic is much more subdued and inferior in Rogue One than he is in Andor season 2 but for perfect story reasons...

In contrast, Rogue One shows Krennic as an underling himself. That film has him dealing with the few aforementioned people who hold power over him, be it Grand Moff Tarkin or even Darth Vader. As a result, Krennic is much more subdued and inferior in Rogue One than he is in Andor season 2 but for perfect story reasons, meaning his appearance in the latter only improves that of the former.

Andor Made Us Hate Orson Krennic So Much More

By Showing Us Another Side Of Him

Thanks to Andor season 2, Krennic became a character that audiences love to hate, even more so than he was in Rogue One. Due to the aforementioned way Krennic was presented in Rogue One, the character was almost humorous in how he was humiliated, used, and pushed around by those above him. Andor showed us a different side to that though.

In Andor season 2, Krennic's more threatening side comes out. He is no longer dealing with the likes of Vader or Tarkin, so Krennic can press his worst aspects onto others, such as Dedra Meero. This, combined with his lack of empathy for the Ghorman people in orchestrating their near extinction, made Krennic a much more hated character than the somewhat laughingstock he was in Rogue One. Thanks to this development in Andor season 2, his appearance in Rogue One is recontextualized and made all the better.