How an orphan of Kenari became an unstoppable force for galactic good.
Cassian Andor was a survivor, a spy, and a fighter. Willing to do whatever the Rebel Alliance needed, he often made unthinkable decisions at a moment’s notice. His determined efforts in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story made every subsequent victory of the Rebellion possible. But who was Cassian Andor before his path crossed with Jyn Erso?
Andor A Star Wars Story, returning to Disney+ on April 22, 2025, promises to uncover more of his story. But as we mark the anniversary of the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, let’s catch up with Cassian before learning how his arc unfolds between the events of Season 1 and the film.
Warning! Spoilers for the first season of Andor and Rogue One follow.
Behind the Scenes
Cassian Andor, created for 2016’s Rogue One, wasn’t a Jedi with Force powers — but rather an ordinary person who fought for what he thought was right. “[It was] just conviction and honesty and passion,” Diego Luna said of his character Cassian Andor in a Rogue One behind-the-scenes featurette, which can be found in the film’s Extras section on Disney+. “That can drive you really far.”
More recently, Luna talked about the rebel’s journey doing the first season of Andor. “Cassian finds himself in the wrong place, the wrong moment,” he says in a “Behind the Frame” featurette. “[Narkina 5] is the first moment where he understands what Luthen saw in Cassian. That he’s capable of putting a team together. That he’s willing to sacrifice to feel part of something bigger.”
Early Struggles
Cassian Andor was born as Kassa on the Mid Rim jungle world of Kenari. Orphaned along with his little sister, Kerri, the children lived in a small camp in the forest until Kassa encountered Clem and Maarva Andor, scavengers visiting Kenari. Kassa became their adopted son, renamed Cassian Andor, and started a new life on Ferrix. (The Andors even cleverly forged official documentation to declare his birth planet as Fest.) But Cassian never forgot the sister he left behind.
On Ferrix, Cassian and his adopted family were faced with Imperial occupation, as clone troopers marched along Rix Road. During a period of unrest that involved some rock-throwing protestors, Clem was caught up in the capture and execution of those rebellious denizens, a formative moment for his young son.
Throughout his unruly teen years, Cassian spent time in juvenile detention centers. At 16, he was conscripted by the Empire to serve as a cook during the conflict on Mimban, but he deserted when the opportunity presented itself.
Fight for Real
As an adult, Cassian continued to search for his lost sister, and he followed a dubious lead to Morlana One. On the seedy planet Cassian killed two members of the Corporate Authority, gaining him the attention of both the local law enforcement and Luthen Rael, a rebel. Luthen recognized Cassian’s talents and recruited him to take real actions against the Empire that meant more than a quick payout.
Luthen sent Cassian to Aldhani for an undercover mission to infiltrate and rob the planet’s Imperial vault with an expert crew. The job went wrong, but ultimately succeeded in dealing a meaningful blow to the Empire. Cassian cared only about getting his share of credits, and laid low on the planet Niamos afterward. He left briefly to encourage Maarva to join him far away from Ferrix and the Empire. She refused, and Cassian returned to Niamos, where he was arrested — not for the Aldhani job, but for loitering. Charged with civil disruption, he was sentenced to six years of prison on Narkina 5, and the experience forever changed him.
One Way Out
Inside Narkina 5, a water-bound Imperial detention facility, Cassian immediately began working on an escape plan. The incarcerated men inside were used for manual labor, assembling machinery under harsh quotas and the ever-looming threat of punishment for failing to meet them.
Cassian met Kino Loy, a charismatic yet no-nonsense floor leader, and attempted to sway him into helping the men escape, but Loy still clung to the hope of completing his sentence. When the truth was revealed — that they were secretly serving life sentences — Cassian, Loy, Ruescott Melshi, and the rest of the men organized their escape. After this experience, Cassian vowed he would rather die fighting than live giving the Empire what they wanted.
Maarva passed away a short time later and Cassian risked returning to Ferrix. His mother’s stirring last words in her recorded eulogy, which inspired the people’s uprising against the Empire's authoritarian presence, further strengthened his newfound resolve. Cassian was now truly a rebel.
Alliance Intelligence
Cassian worked as an operative in Alliance Intelligence for most of his time in the Rebellion. Unlike most heroes of the Alliance, his work was done in the shadows and often went unrecognized. Sabotage, reconnaissance, and even assassinations were a part of his duties, and he was willing to risk his life for the sake of any mission.
Perhaps his most significant assignment, however, was to retrieve Jyn Erso and investigate the rumors of her father’s involvement with the development of an Imperial superweapon. He followed his intuition to not assassinate her father, Galen Erso, despite his orders; Andor violated command again by following Jyn to Scarif, ultimately stealing the Death Star plans on an unsanctioned, but galaxy-changing, suicide mission.
Andor was a vital part of Rogue One, the team who ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Death Star plans from the Imperial facility and getting them in the hands of the Rebel Alliance. He and every member of Rogue One gave their lives to save billions of others.
Where Will Season 2 Take Andor?
The next part of Cassian Andor’s tale takes place over four years, after the first season of the series and leading up to the events of Rogue One. Cassian has found his purpose fighting against the Empire and his place in the Rebellion. And this season he’ll finally come face-to-face with K-2SO!
“The stakes are greater, the enemies more organized, and the clock is ticking,” Diego Luna said of Andor’s second season at 2024’s D23 event.
Find out what happens next when Andor A Star Wars Story returns to Disney+ in 2025.
