When Andor actually takes place, based on the Star Wars timeline

Andorthe new live-action limited series, which premiered on Disney Plus on Wednesday, is pitched as a gritty adult spy drama, a rare mass-market to the canon to frame Star Wars as a tale of political revolution on a galactic scale. The 24-episode, two-season series follows the life of rebel operative Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), who first appeared in a 2016 feature film. Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryThrough the perspective of both the title character and Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), Andor How an isolated cell of resistance to the Empire became the Rebel Alliance, rogue one and the original Star Wars.

During this period, just before the Galactic Civil War broke out, which Obi-Wan Kenobi calls “the Dark Ages,” the Star Wars galaxy is a true dystopia, with citizens ignorant of its atrocities. or hopelessly outmatched them. This fascinating era has become the subject of the current canon’s most interesting ephemera. But for those who don’t want to spend weeks unraveling the intricacies of the first Galactic Empire, there’s a quick guided tour to set the stage for the franchise’s next big thing.

Scratches or deformation

The Galactic Republic officially becomes the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY (before the Battle of Yavin at the end of the 20th century). new hope) At the end of the Clone Wars, a totalitarian regime will not emerge overnight. The fall of Republic to Empire took place over a period of nearly four years of war, and its roots go much deeper than that.

As seen in the prequel film trilogy, clone wars In the animated series, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine spends years orchestrating conflicts that destabilize the Republic and allow him to seize power. At the time, few people were aware that Palpatine controlled both sides of the Clone Wars, but the Separatist leader, Count Dooku, had a puppet via his alter-ego Darth Sidious. Manipulating, the Senate eagerly content to usurp him in the name of galactic security. Personal gains from the war effort. With the entire Republic clone army under his command (along with the entire Separatist droid army, through back channels), he could take power from Palpatine if the Senate tried to do so. The only agency that could dethrone him is the Jedi Order, most of whom will be executed by clone forces on the final day of the war.

After Palpatine proclaimed himself Emperor and baptized the first Galactic Empire ( Revenge of the Sith), the fascist power structure he has reinforced through the war will soon be set in motion. In a matter of days, the Empire will be phasing out Republic currency, and citizens will have to enroll in a new “chain code” identification system in order to exchange Republic credits for Empire fiat currency. Planets fortified by Republic forces during the war remain occupied, and local governments opposed to their survival are sometimes violently eliminated. to train a new generation of soldiers recruited in the old fashioned way of exploiting poverty and fostering the paranoia of jingoism and xenophobia.

Image: Lucasfilm/Disney

These early changes are explored in the anime series’ first season. bad batchWhile never officially adopting human supremacy as a platform, the Imperial government and military have made it clear that nearly all “aliens” have been eliminated and the enslavement of various sentient species such as Wookiees has officially become “non-sensing.” is justified by reclassifying it as The military wields eminent domain at will across the galaxy, withdraws environmental protections from “legacy worlds”, and exiles or exterminates populations and wildlife in the name of industrial and military expansion. The most pernicious excesses of authority occur far from the wealthy core systems of the galaxy, where public perceptions are skewed in favor of the Empire through the manipulation of their propaganda machine. (Their exploits, like those of their enemies, are detailed in a fascinating cosmic reference book. Star Wars Propaganda: A Compelling History of Art in the Galaxy by Pablo Hidalgo)

During all of this, the Galactic Senate continues to exist, though mostly named. Elections have been held and he still has 2,000 seats filled, but their resolutions on Palpatine’s fascist agenda have no real impact. Real power over a star system is exercised by regional governors appointed by the Emperor. Given the Senate’s already reputation for being aloof and impotent, it may take some time before the public, or at least the general public, realizes that the government has made meaningful changes. I have. The military power that swelled during the Clone Wars never shrinks, and you are tasked with defending your nascent empire against crime and agitation.novel Catalyst: Rogue One novels When Takinboth by James Luceno, provide a detailed picture of the expansion of the Empire’s military might.

In the background is Cassian Andor, who has been fighting the Empire since he was six years old. The rebels he helped build still look a lot different than what we saw in the hidden base. empire strikes back Also the last jediThese rebels have yet to win any significant victories or unite under one banner. At this point, their greatest weapon is anonymity.

sparks to light fire

Andor begins in 5 BBY and tracks the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic (better known as the Rebel Alliance), although fragments of this story have been portrayed in other media over the years. The first embers of resistance predate the official founding of the empire.

with subplots removed from Revenge of the Sith, Padmé Amidala, Mon Mothma, and Senators Bail Organa establish a 2,000-man delegation, a political rally demanding Palpatine relinquish his wartime powers after the Separatists are defeated. . (I wouldn’t be surprised if these scenes were re-incorporated. Andor As a flashback, especially given that Genevieve O’Reilly portrays Mon Mothma.

The first and most notorious early rebellion to revolt against the Empire after the fall of the Republic was the Partisans, a mobile terrorist group led by Onderonian Clone Wars veteran Thor Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). Partisans are relentlessly violent, willing to tolerate shocking collateral damage, and employ child soldiers like Jyn Erso. rogue one prequel novel level rising By Claudia Gray. Mon Mothma and Bail Organa have withdrawn their support from the Partisans, but continue to secretly support many other Cells. But Mon Mothma and Organa are the principal architects of Rebellion, tying isolated pockets of resistance into one formidable whole.

Image: Lucasfilm

Image: Disney XD

Another detail of the birth of the Rebel Alliance can be found in the animated series traitorwhose timelines overlap significantly Andor. traitor It follows the ill-fated hero Spector as he gradually integrates his power into the organized rebellion we see. new hopeand features familiar faces from the original trilogy. rogue oneIt is also revealed that the Rebel’s secret intercellular neural center — agents mostly known only as Fulcrum — is actually the delocked Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano. clone war person who appeared after mandalorian She will soon be appearing in her own event series. Ahsoka wasn’t the only Jedi to survive the Purge (in fact, Star Wars’ expanded canon is littered with them), but the remaining Jedi were forced into hiding by Darth Vader and the Inquisitorius. It’s been… hunting false Jedi and educating Force-sensitive children. Some of the Jedi and Inquisitor activity during this period traitorTV mini-series obi wan kenobi,video game Jedi: Fallen Ordernovel Ahsoka By EK Johnston, and volume 2017 Darth Vader Manga.

While Ahsoka traitorKanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger, and Fallen Order‘s Cal Kestis and Thea Junda both emerge from their lairs to fight the Empire (not to mention Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker). The Jedi who made the earliest and most violent contribution to the nascent rebellion was Feren Burr. Within a year of the Empire’s birth, he secretly orchestrates a war between the Imperial Navy and the planet Moncala. Mon Cala’s refusal to pay the Empire protection money, coupled with the apparent assassination of an Imperial envoy (who was actually killed by Burr), causes the Empire to shatter the planet. Darth Vader Comic arc “Burning Sea” by writer Charles Soule and artists Giuseppe Camuncoli, Daniele Orlandini and David Curiel.An example of dissent results.The Mon Calamari Refugee Fleet, led by one Gial Ackbar, It eventually becomes the center of the Rebel Alliance Fleet. traitor, empire strikes backWhen Return of the JediMeanwhile, the empire understandably begins to deploy military operations against its own subjects, sometimes under the guise of expelling “alien invaders.” Solo: A Star Wars Story.

By the beginning of 5 BBY AndorIn the first season of , imperial oppression is just a reality, and resistance is seen as a dangerous idea.a more similar environment 1984 than flash gordona departure from both the epic warfare and “Wild West” atmosphere of the core film mandalorian. Andor It delves deep into the nuances of Star Wars’ dystopia, perhaps its most interesting and relevant aspect, and offers an opportunity to flesh it out for its massive audience.

Frankly, it’s easy to dismiss Star Wars as being for kids because so much of it is for kids. One might publicly lament that his conceptually inspired cinematic universe is best known for its near-endless merchandising possibilities. Disney, which purchased the rights from him, is as much responsible for the corporateization of his vision. A dictatorship packed with transparent, toy-like characters and concepts. Yet beneath the fun but easy “good vs. evil” drama of the original and sequel film trilogy and the complex but lifeless plot of the prequel was explored in hundreds of novels, comics and video games. A complex political ecosystem with a rich history lives on. and TV series.

A 24-part series about espionage and rebellion within an established totalitarian regime, with the usual gods and monsters relegated to the background, could be a new addition to the very exciting canon. Star Wars is a story of good and evil, but as so many comics, novels, and even cartoons demonstrate, even fighting for justice is a messy business.

the first three episodes of Andor is streaming on Disney Plus. New episodes drop every Wednesday.