Exclusive Andor Clip Features Rogue One’s Returning Villain As He Leads The Empire’s Death Star Project

A new clip from Andor season 2 showcases the return of one of Star Wars’ greatest Imperial villains. Andor season 2 is almost upon us. As the Rebellion grows bolder by the episode, the Empire becomes more obsessed with exerting its control, and no Imperial project demonstrates the Empire’s authoritarian nature better than the Death Star. As Andor is a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which chronicled how the Rebels acquired the Death Star’s blueprints, it’s only natural that this superweapon plays a pivotal role in Andor season 2’s overarching narrative.

Screen Rant is proud to present this exclusive clip from Andor season 2, which sees Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) lead a closed-door meeting of the Empire’s top officials, about to brief them on what will become the most destructive weapon the galaxy has ever seen. Krennic led this all-important Imperial project in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, so his return in Andor season 2 isn’t a surprise – it’s a necessary part of the story. Watch the full clip below:

Orson Krennic Is Clearly Returning As Andor Season 2’s Main Villain

Whereas Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) was arguably the primary villain of Andor season 1, Orson Krennic is undoubtedly returning as the main villain in Andor season 2. Given how closely Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) story is linked to the Death Star, not just because of the events of Rogue One, but also because of what he was forced to build during his prison stint on Narkina 5 in Andor season 1, bringing Krennic back into the story makes sense both narratively and thematically.

The next (and sadly last) four years of Cassian’s life, explored in four three-episode blocks in Andor season 2, represent a turning point for the Rebellion and the Empire. The Galactic Civil War will slowly climb towards its peak, as the fledgling Rebel Alliance chips away at the Empire’s power and the Empire does everything it can to destroy them in return. Krennic is at the very heart of it all, directly responsible for the eventual destruction of Alderaan and the slaughtering of billions. I can think of no better villain for Andor season 2.

Andor Has Become The Perfect Rogue One Prequel

Creating the perfect prequel is no easy task. How do you keep an audience interested in a character’s story when they already know the inevitable, tragic end? Cassian Andor and his new allies gave up their lives for the Rebellion in Rogue One – they were heroes, and that was, arguably, all we needed to know about them. What Andor has done so brilliantly, however, in a way reminiscent of what George Lucas did with the Star Wars prequel trilogy, is use an already-known character to explore the consequences of a much wider conflict.

Cassian has a major role in the series, but it is not solely his story. This is the story of the Rebellion at large, and Cassian is, in the grand scheme of things, just a minor part of it. Through his experiences, Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgård), Mon Mothma’s (Genevieve O’Reilly), Saw Gerrera’s (Forest Whitaker), and others, we see what it truly takes to topple a dictatorial Empire. That’s what makes a prequel great: when it uses a character or storyline we already know, and it changes how we view the fictional world, and even our own.

Cassian Andor isn’t a “Chosen One” – he isn’t a Jedi, royalty, or a senator with political sway. He’s just a man who, despite his original hesitation and lack of meaningful power, became who he was always meant to be with the help of those surrounding him. Orson Krennic may be Andor’s newest villain, and the Death Star may loom over everything the Rebellion does, but we know it will, eventually, end well. The question is, how much will our (anti)heroes give up in Andor season 2 to get there?

Andor season 2 premieres with three episodes on April 22, only on Disney+.

Andor

8/10

Release Date

2022 – 2025-00-00

Network

Disney+

Showrunner

Tony Gilroy

Directors

Susanna White

Writers

Dan Gilroy