Andor season 2 promises to give a fresh glimpse at one of the most exciting times in Star Wars history, and here are the top ten theories we find thrilling. Tony Gilroy's Andor was something of a sleeper hit among the Star Wars fandom, but it received instant critical acclaim. Since then, the show's reputation has only increased with the age of time; it currently has a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 97% and an impressive 87% audience score.

The end of Andor season 1 saw Diego Luna's Cassian Andor finally choose to the nascent Rebel Alliance, recruited by Stellan Skarsgård's Luthen Rael. Meanwhile, Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma was forced to make compromises that would shake her family to the core so she could cover up her rebellion against the Empire. The cost of opposing Palpatine's Empire is building, and now Andor season 2 will show the political plays of Mothma erupt into galactic war. Here are our ten most exciting theories for how things will play out...

10 We Have A Really Bad Feeling About Ferrix

The Empire Isn't Going To Leave Ferrix Alone

SItuated in the Corporate Zone, the planet Ferrix has long felt like a powder keg. The Empire used Cassian as an excuse to occupy Ferrix, and their regime became increasingly oppressive. Leia's warning to Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope proved so very true; the more the Empire tightened its grip, the more popular rebellion would become. The funeral of Maarva Andor turned into a violent uprising, which was swiftly crushed.

We have a very bad feeling about Ferrix's future. Andor is set in the Dark Times of the Empire's reign, when the crushing might of the Empire was brought to bear against even rumors of rebellion, when entire worlds were snuffed out if they became too much trouble. Given that's the case, it really wouldn't be a surprise to see Ferric become site of a terrible atrocity.

9 It Looks Like Andor Season 2 Will Show One Of The Empire's Worst Atrocities

The Ghorman Massacre

Speaking of Grand Moff Tarkin, I can't help suspecting that Andor season 2 will show another Imperial atrocity he was personally connected to. Created in Star Wars Legends but incorporated into canon, the Ghorman Massacre was a key event in galactic history, where Tarkin ordered the slaughter of peaceful protesters. It led senator Mon Mothma to step up her opposition to the Empire, choosing to move away from political processes and commit herself to rebellion.

Ghorman was already name-dropped in Andor season 1, with Mon Mothma setting herself up as the champion of an oppressed planet. Footage for Andor season 2 seemed to hint at the Ghorman Massacre, with Cassian on the run during some sort of massive Imperial attack. Perhaps he's on the ground during the Ghorman Massacre, bringing evidence of the Empire's actions to Mon Mothma, and triggering her rebellion?

8 Mon Mothma's Marriage & Family Life Will Collapse

There's No Way Mon Mothma Gets A Happily Ever After

Andor is all about the cost of rebellion, and there's absolutely no way Mon Mothma is getting a happily ever after. Andor season 1 hinted at the terrible price she is paying for opposing Palpatine, as she risked sacrificing her unhappy marriage and even her daughter's happiness. Desperate to cover up her secret funding of the rebellion, Mon accepted a political proposal for her daughter. Meanwhile, she routinely tossed her husband Perrin under the bus, pretending he'd been gambling as an explanation for financial irregularities she feared the Empire would uncover.

In Legends, Mon Mothma's family life pretty much fell apart. One thing's for sure; neither Perrin nor their daughter Leida are with the Rebel Alliance in the original trilogy era, nor have they been mentioned in post-Return of the Jedi stories. That suggests Mon is in for a traumatic collapse of her family, one that sees her lead the rebellion at the cost of those she loves.

7 Luthen's Simply Got To Die, Right?

This One Seems Pretty Obvious...

Mon Mothma looks set to sacrifice her family. But Luthen Rael has already sacrificed almost everything, as he explained in one of the most memorable monologues in Star Wars history; "I burn my decency for someone else's future," Luthen declared. "I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see." Skarsgård's performance was absolutely electric, but those words are sure to be prophetic.

Luthen Rael isn't around in the Star Wars original trilogy. That leads to one inevitable conclusion; that he will ultimately give his life in the fight against the Empire. He'll either choose to go out in a blaze of glory, or he'll be exposed by the Empire, killed for his role in the Rebel Alliance. Andor season 2 looks set to have some pretty grim subplots.

6 Luthen Is Responsible For Finding Yavin 4

We Know Yavin 4 Appears In Andor Season 2

Andor season 2 will run right up to the start of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which viewers took as meaning the show would head to the jungle moon of Yavin 4 - the rebel base settled roughly a year before A New Hope. That was confirmed in first footage, which showed the familiar Massassi temples, but how did the rebels discover this unlikely base? The most likely answer lies in Luthen Rael.

Luthen's cover on Coruscant is a simple one; he's an antiques' dealer, and he appears to have something of a focus on Sith artifacts. Yavin 4 is an ancient Sith stronghold; those famous Massassi temples, so perfect for concealing a fleet, were actually created by slaves of the Sith. It's easy to imagine Luthen being the one who takes the rebels to Yavin 4, giving him a lasting legacy.

5 Why A Younger Princess Leia Will Make A Cameo (Or At Least Be Referenced)

This Is During Leia's Time In The Senate

One rebel leader was conspicuously absent from Andor season 1: Bail Organa, the adopted father of Princess Leia, and a key player in establishing the Rebel Alliance. Bail knew rather more about Palpatine than Mon Mothma; he was with the Jedi after Order 66, and learned the Emperor was a Sith. But he also has rather more to lose than Mon, because he doesn't want too much scrutiny to fall on his daughter just yet. Bail presumably kept his distance during Andor season 1.

All that will inevitably change in Andor season 2, though, not least because Leia will herself become a member of the Imperial Senate. She's known to be a close ally of Mon Mothma, who she saw as a mentor, so the idea of telling this story without Leia seems ridiculous. Will we get a Princess Leia cameo - perhaps played again by Carrie Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd - or will she at least be name-dropped?

4 Will We Get Some Live-Action Star Wars Rebels Characters?

Leia Isn't The Only Character Who Could Appear Here

Leia isn't the only Star Wars cameo we're hoping to see in Andor season 2, though. We've seen the aftermath of the Ghorman Massacre in Star Wars Rebels, which revealed the Ghost crew helped Mon escape the Empire. She subsequently gave a stirring speech calling for rebellion against the Empire - one generally seen as the birth of the Rebel Alliance.

This moment is far too important for Andor to ignore. That raises the possibility we'll see some live-action characters from Rebels again, with this key event in Mon Mothma's life playing out in another medium. We can only hope this particular theory holds true.

3 B2EMO Will Become K-2SO

One Of The Most Popular Andor Season 2 Theories

Now let's move to one of the most popular theories about Andor season 2; that Cassian's beloved droid B2EMO will somehow become K-2SO, the reprogrammed Imperial Security Droid who had become his companion by the time of Rogue One. According to this theory, Cassian will B2EMO circuits into K-2SO's body. This would make the security droid's final moments in Rogue One even more tragic.

As theories go, this one seems very likely indeed. Tony Gilroy has promised scenes that will reinterpret Rogue One, and this would do a great job. It would even mirror established stories, because Solo: A Star Wars Story revealed something similar happened to the Millennium Falcon after the mind of L3-37 was ed into it.

2 Will Syril Defect To The Rebel Alliance?

One Of The Strangest, & Most Exciting, Theories Of All

Let's move to Kyle Soller's Syril Karn, the man who seemed to fancy himself as Cassian Andor's nemesis. Oddly enough, there's a sense in which Syril is the greatest threat to the Rebel Alliance; not only does he know about Cassian, he's also come closer than most to discovering Luthen.But we've been promised twists and turns in Andor season 2, leading many to speculate Syril will change sides in the end.

Here's the thing; Syril has sided with the Empire because he believes in it. Palpatine and his highest-level Imperials truly see the Empire only as a means to the end, the end being their rule, and their own corruption is destroying it. If Syril sees this, then he could so easily switch sides - becoming a rebel operative, perhaps even a Fulcrum spy.

1 Surely We're Going To Get A Palpatine Cameo

We've Just Got To See The Empire's Ruler

Finally, we've just got to get a Palpatine cameo in Andor season 2. It's true that season 1 was more grounded, showing the evils of fascism on the ground level, but Palpatine is the man behind it all. The Emperor has deliberately created this system, and he harvests its power, boosted by the dominance of the dark side as the galaxy tips towards selfishness and greed. Andor would feel incomplete without him.

As we saw in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Palpatine tends to leave his enemies in the Senate to their own devices. They focus on political opposition, which he scorns because he knows how powerless they really are. But Andor season 2 is the story of how Palpatine lost control of the Senate, with senators becoming active rebellions - and it would be simply wonderful to see Palpatine fail on such a spectacular scale, rewriting his decision to shut the Senate down in A New Hope.