Right off the bat, I’ve finally reached the conclusion that the best way to watch Andor is to make it the starting point of a longer journey. Follow its story into Rogue One, then into A New Hope, and you eventually find yourself back where Star Wars began for audiences in 1977.
It’s been a while since I watched Andor, and writing a little something about it has been in the back of my mind ever since. I enjoyed it immensely, and I truly appreciate what they did with it. Andor is a unique story, one you don’t necessarily expect to encounter among the many Star Wars stories we’ve seen over the years. At times, you could almost imagine you’re watching some other franchise, possibly adapted from a series of books that has absolutely nothing to do with Star Wars. And this is a good thing.
As a series, it is surprisingly intelligent and deeply human. It trades much of the traditional Star Wars spectacle for substance, drawing us into a world where freedom is fragile and hope is dangerous. It explores what it means to survive under an unforgiving regime, and how revolution grows not from a single act, but from countless quiet acts of defiance.
What truly elevates Andor is how it treats its characters with intelligence and care. These are not simply archetypes or comic book heroes; they are layered, flawed, and profoundly compelling. From idealists to cynics to survivors, each has a voice that feels authentic. Even those who serve the Empire are complex: people struggling with ambition, loyalty, or fear. We may not root for them, but we understand them. Stellan Skarsgård, as Luthen Rael, is worth mentioning here. There is a restraint to his performance that makes the moments when it slips all the more powerful. Sometimes, a pause or a look tells you as much as the dialogue about what rebellion demands of a person.
Andor is also a story about the making of a movement. Across both seasons, we witness the slow and painful construction of what will become the Rebel Alliance we recognise in the original trilogy. For much of that journey, however, the rebellion is scattered, fragile, and often in conflict with itself.
The series excels at showing why anger alone isn’t enough. Oppression may provoke resistance, but building a rebellion takes planning, sacrifice, and a belief that even the smallest acts can make a difference. Every protest, every stolen whisper of truth, every small act of courage pushes the galaxy closer to revolution, often at a very personal cost.
So, my recommendation is to begin with Andor’s two seasons, which span roughly five years leading up to Rogue One. By the final moments of Season 2, you’re ready to move straight into that film, followed by Episode IV: A New Hope. From there, continue through the original trilogy with The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
This is the route I would recommend for someone coming to Star Wars for the first time. It brings you to the film that started it all, with a deeper appreciation of what it took to reach that point. You arrive where those of us who watched Star Wars back in 1977 began, having seen what came before. And for those of us who have seen it all, it’s a fresh way to revisit something special.