With the sophomore season of Tony Gilroy’s Andor fast approaching, Disney has released new footage of the show—and in it, teased what could be the most horrific massacre in onscreen Star Wars history.
Oh, Andor. You know you’re living in the worst timeline when a Star Wars TV show makes more sense than Fox News. Andor, a razor-sharp political commentary and prequel to 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, debuted on Disney+ in 2022 and follows its title character, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), in the years leading up to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
Season 1 explored Cassian’s backstory and his reluctance to fight against the Galactic Empire. But through his lived experiences and his relationships with Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), his adopted mother, Maarva Andor (Fiona Shaw), and his mentor figure, Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), he’s essentially radicalized into taking political action—something he’ll end up making the ultimate sacrifice for.
Now, Andor season 2 is on the not-so-distant horizon, and based on what we’ve seen so far, it’ll see pockets of rebels banding together to form what will eventually become the Rebel Alliance. But what will it take to get us to that point?
The Ghorman Massacre sets the Rebel Alliance into motion, but at a massive cost
Cassian may be the focal point of Andor, but I’d argue that, at some points, it’s Senator Mon Mothma’s (Genevieve O’Reilly) story—more on that later. According to a newly released season 2 featurette, the new episodes will see a key event in Star Wars history play out that, until now, has only been mentioned.
There are different Legends and canon interpretations of the Ghorman Massacre. All you need to know is that this atrocity was essential to laying the foundation of the Rebel Alliance. In canon, the incident took place in 2BBY (before the Battle of Yavin when the first Death Star was destroyed) and ended with Imperial troops slaughtering peaceful protestors. The Ghorman people were demonstrating in response to Palpatine’s “super-hyperroute,” as the Empire deemed the planet valuable to its trade. However, anti-Imperial sentiments proved tricky for Palpatine’s plans, and when he’s not happy, he’ll send his attack dogs to “finish the job.”
Meanwhile, in Legends, then-Captain Tarkin carries out the Ghorman Massacre circa 18BBY in a far more gruesome way: landing his Imperial Star Destroyer on top of thousands of peaceful protestors, effectively smushing them to death. In both scenarios, word of the Ghorman Massacre reaches far across the galaxy, igniting the spark for rebels to join and eventually form the Rebel Alliance shortly after.
So, what does the Ghorman Massacre have to do with Andor season 2? Well, not only does the show’s place on the Star Wars timeline coincide with the incident, but you can see demonstrators on the planet Ghorman in the Disney+ special look. If you look closely at the subtitles, you’ll see that the language these people speak is Ghor.
Andor season 2 shares some connective tissue with Star Wars Rebels, and a cameo feels imminent
As mentioned, Mon Mothma is a prominent figure in Andor and Rogue One. When the Battle of Yavin rolls around, we know she’s left her seat in the Senate to join the Rebellion. Spoiler alert: the Ghorman Massacre is the glue to getting her there. You see, prior to the Ghorman Massacre, Mon Mothma had not publicly criticized Palpatine, despite not exactly being his #1 fan. That all changes when she uses her position to speak out against the Empire’s actions on Ghorman.
After stepping down from the Senate, Mon Mothma lands on the Empire’s most-wanted list. She needs an extraction and quick in the wake of her infamous anti-Palpatine speech, and who better to come to her aid than the Ghost crew? I’ve been wondering for a while if Andor will ever tie in to the events of Star Wars Rebels—this could be our chance to see them collide in live-action.
The Rebels season 3 episode “Secret Cargo” follows Hera (Vanessa Marshall), Zeb (Steve Blum), and Ezra (Taylor Gray) as they transport Mon Mothma—also voiced by O’Reilly in animation—off world in the immediate aftermath of her speech. Now, I’m not saying that Andor season 2 strictly needs to feed us with a Rebels cameo, but considering we already have our live-action Hera (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Ezra (Eman Esfandi), and a gloriously CGI-ified Zeb, why not?
Fan service or not, I’m excited to see our live-action Rebels potentially cross paths with Cassian & Co. But in any case, the Ghorman Massacre is bound to be a difficult watch. Andor season 2’s 3-episode premiere arrives on Disney+ on April 22, 2025.
Published: Mar 9, 2025 09:35 am