Disney Plus Andor Series Makes the Empire the Scariest Yet

BY Arvyn Braich October 22, 2022

Through its long history as a multi-million franchise, the writers of Star Wars have never shied away from making the Galactic Empire the villains. During the opening scenes of A New Hope, we see just how fearsome the Empire can be. Darth Vader kills several humans, and we learn that the Empire is entirely ruthless in its ambitions. However, with the recent spinoffs, including the Disney Plus Andor series, the studio has made it clear just how terrifying the Empire really is.When George Lucas originally created Star Wars, he always intended for the Empire to be an utterly horrifying group. They are fascist individuals powered purely by hatred and selfishness.

However, in later adaptations and series, it felt like the Empire had some realistic nature. After all, being able to destroy an entire planet with the press of a button is not something many of us can even think of! Later, Lucas developed on this idea by showing Emperor Sheev Palpatine and Darth Vader’s positions within the Galactic Empire. So, the evil of the Empire became something more fantastical than realistic. However, with the Disney Plus Andor series, it seems they’ve gone back to the basics. This show’s writers have shown the Imperials’ real effects on ordinary citizens living in Star Wars.Instead of just being a battle between the evil Sith and the righteous Jedi, Andor changes things up. We get to see the real effects of trying to survive under the Empire’s thumb. We see that it’s not necessarily the leaders like this who are the enemy but also their followers. Such individuals get a sense of authority and try to use this on others – with disastrous consequences.

What is the Disney Plus Andor series about?

Disney Plus Andor Series Image: StarWars.com

Unlike other shows set in the Star Wars universe, the Disney Plus Andor series tries to focus on the hierarchy inside the Empire. By this, we don’t mean seeing Darth Vader in Kenobi or anything similar. Instead, we get to see the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) and how they are trying to eliminate the Rebel Alliance.

We see the ISB members coldly discuss how to manipulate normal citizens while trying to survive the Empire’s tyranny. Instead of showing sympathy, each ISB member tries to one-up the other. They act so evilly to impress the higher-ups. Democracy is meaningless; individuals like Palpatine have free reign over the galaxy. If that wasn’t enough, the Disney Plus Andor series also shows how the rich get to profit from the suffering while ordinary people can barely survive.

In essence, the show depicts how evil, selfish, and cruel the Empire truly is. It’s not the Sith that makes the Empire so cruel, nor is it just the leaders like Palpatine or Vader. Instead, it’s the cruelty of selfish individuals who cause such pain and devastation. Sadly, these people don’t care for those whose lives they’re about to destroy. In the Disney Plus Andor series, the bottom line is what counts, and Imperial individuals will stop at nothing to get it. Power is essential, and lives are meaningless. If that isn’t terrifying, then we don’t know what is!

Star Wars Galactic Empire

Disney Plus Andor Series Image: StarWars.com

When George Lucas first created the Star Wars franchise, he always aimed to show how horrifying the Empire could be. Naturally, as the story developed, some of the fascist ideals of the Empire became a bit too unbelievable. Many of the later stories focused on the fight between the Jedi and the Sith. Indeed, Disney looked at aspects of this with Kenobi.

However, it’s great to see that they’ve returned to basics with the Disney Plus Andor series. The show depicts the true tyranny of this dictatorship in a way that we’ve never seen before in the Legends or Disney canon of Star Wars. This also helps to lay the seeds for the Empire’s later destruction.

You can catch new episodes of the Disney Plus Andor series exclusively on Disney+ every Wednesday.

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Hi! I'm Arvyn, and I'm an English teacher from the UK. I've been teaching English online for over 4 years to students from all across the world and all ages. Outside of work, I'm a huge fan of reading, video games, and playing with my adorable kitties. See ya!