Who Is Cassian Andor?
The character Cassian Andor first appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), a blockbuster movie in which he was played by actor Diego Luna. Near the beginning of the narrative, which predominantly focuses on Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Cassian is acting as an intelligence officer for the Rebel Alliance. As with his fellow insurgents, his intent is to bring about the fall of the Galactic Empire, the fascist dictatorship that rose to power at the end of the Clone Wars, ruled by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) and his apprentice, Darth Vader (James Earl Jones / Spencer Wilding / Daniel Naprous).
Given Cassian’s age, he has been fighting against the Empire since he was only six, and this means that by the time audiences meet him, he is already a hardened individual. As such, the rebel is assigned tasks for which others don’t have the stomach. One such task is preventing the completion of a dangerous superweapon known as the Death Star, the existence of which he discovers from an informant, whom he murders to avoid being captured by stormtroopers. Despite his willingness to do what needs to be done, Cassian is not devoid of morality, and he shows himself capable of restraint when presented with the opportunity to assassinate the non-complicit designer of the Death Star, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen). This is largely due to his growing romantic feelings towards Jyn, which lead him to consider an alternative course of action — that is, stealing the Death Star plans.
To accomplish this feat, Cassian becomes the leader of Rogue One, a rebel squad, and infiltrates the planet Scarif, where the plans are housed. Ultimately, the Rebel Alliance is successful, but this accomplishment comes at a cost; Cassian and his entire unit, which also comprises Jyn and the reprogrammed Imperial security droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), lose their lives.
When Is Andor Set?
It’s true that Cassian meets his demise at the end of Rogue One, but this is not the totality of his story. Five years prior to the events of director Gareth Edwards’s critically acclaimed film, he was involved in the founding of the Rebel Alliance, choosing to abandon his life as a thief and save the galaxy from the tyranny of the Empire, the ones responsible for the destruction of his planet.
This plot is explored as a TV series titled Andor, which was made available to watch on the Disney+ streaming service, following in the footsteps of previous Star Wars shows, such as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The release date of Andor was the 21st of September 2022, and the debut season lasted for a total of 12 episodes.
Cassian Andor Clothing & Collectables
Since the release of Rogue One, Cassian has become one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe, and the TV series Andor has only served to bolster his appeal. Disney, recognising the potential of the character, have licensed a wide variety of merchandise to satisfy fans. These products include collectables (such as action figures and bobble heads) and clothing (such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets).
