Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Andor season 2, episodes 1-3.
48 years after Andor season 2's place in the Star Wars timeline means that plenty of new details about the Empire and the early days of the Rebellion are about to be revealed. Already, the first three episodes of Andor have done some of that work.
Among those reveals is a brand-new insight into the Empire's approach to creating and concealing the Death Star. While that superweapon has of course been a staple in the franchise since the beginning of Star Wars movies and TV shows, questions remained regarding how something as massive as the Death Star could have been kept secret for years. Now, Andor season 2 has revealed exactly how the Empire managed to keep the truth about the Death Star under wraps, even among its own people.
Orson Krennic Officially Led A "Secret" Energy Project
Andor Season 2's Premiere Showed How This Secret Worked
In the Andor season 2 premiere, which included episodes 1-3, Orson Krennic was revealed to be leading a secret "energy project" during a summit he held with other Imperials. Of course, there was never any energy project at all—this was only a cover for the Death Star. Even in that scene, in fact, one of the Andor season 2 premiere's Easter eggs was the Project Stardust insignia on one Imperial officer's uniform, signaling what Krennic's true intentions were.
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In the meeting, Krennic told the other Imperials that these orders were coming down from Emperor Palpatine himself, and that Palpatine had been very careful and particular in choosing who could be involved in this secret. That was undoubtedly true, not only because Rogue One: A Star Wars Story showed Krennic speaking directly with Darth Vader about this project, but also because Palpatine was seemingly hoping for a legacy. This plan ensured that, even if other Imperials went digging, all that would be found was this energy project, which would have seemed inconsequential.
This plan ensured that, even if other Imperials went digging, all that would be found was this energy project, which would have seemed inconsequential.
Even Imperial Scientists Believed The Lie
Imperials Believing This Lie Was Surprising At First, But It Makes Sense
Initially, the reveal in the Andor premiere that even Imperial higher-ups were being duped by this project was a bit surprising. In fact, Governor Tarkin's absence during Krennic's summit was particularly notable, which reinforced just how secret and insular the Death Star plans really were. This also serves as a reminder that many Imperials (including high-ranking Imperials, like Tarkin) were constantly being manipulated by Palpatine throughout this era.
This also suggests Palpatine was aware that, for some Imperials, this superweapon would be a step too far. While that certainly wasn't true of Tarkin, who was happy to use the Death Star to blow up Alderaan in A New Hope, it's conceivable that many would have drawn the line at a weapon able to blow up planets in mere moments. After all, we've seen several defecting Imperials over the years, Tala from Obi-Wan Kenobi being just one example.
Star Wars has also previously confirmed that Imperial scientists were being fed lies about the work they were doing as well. James Luceno's canon book, Star Wars Catalyst: A Rouge One Novel, revealed that even Galen Erso himself had believed the lies he was being told about the real intention behind the Death Star, for years. Of course, there's more to it than just Imperials believing anything Palpatine said; this lie worked for a reason.
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Superweapons Would've Seemed Like A Fantasy Until The Death Star
This Would Have Seemed Hard To Believe, Even For The Imperials
Palpatine may be a master manipulator, but this lie about the Death Star worked in large part because it would have been difficult to believe the reality. The Empire was powerful, though few could have guessed that they actually wielded enough power to create a superweapon that could destroy planets with little more than the press of a button. Given this, it would simply have been easier to accept that there was some alternate, less significant project being worked on.
Imperials also wouldn't be strangers to being blocked from accessing certain information. In fact, Andor season 1 had already shown just how limited Imperials, throughout the Empire's hierarchy, were when it came to acquiring information (Dedra being a great example). With several more episodes to go in Andor season 2, we're already getting access to so many new details about the Empire and the Rebellion in Star Wars.
New episodes of Andor season 2 release weekly on Tuesdays at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.
Release Date |
Episode Drop |
|---|---|
April 22, 2025 |
Andor season 2, episodes 1-3 |
April 29, 2025 |
Andor season 2, episodes 4-6 |
May 6, 2025 |
Andor season 2, episodes 7-9 |
May 13, 2025 |
Andor season 2, episodes 10-12 |
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