Does Luthen Rael Change Our Understanding Of The Rebel's Moral Standing?
Image Source: The Digital Fix
As presented in the original Star Wars trilogy, the story of rebellion is one of the ragtag rebels waging an underdog struggle against the Empire. Viewers join Luke, Han, and Leia on the front lines as they score unlikely victories against their oppressors. They cheer as pilots take on the Death Star, Ewoks take a stand on Endor, and hope lives on.
Andor complicates the straightforward, good-versus-evil narrative in Star Wars. The show shifts the series' focus away from epic battles and shines a light on the inner workings of the rebellion. The minds behind the rebellion turn out to be more cold and calculating than one might expect.
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No figure complicates the rebellion's legacy more than Luthen Rael. Luthen, who plots against the Empire from within an antique store on Coruscant, raises serious doubts about the rebellion's moral standing with his ruthless tactics.
Luthen and the rebel forces share an unshakeable opposition against the authoritarian nature of the Empire. What makes Luthen stand out is his willingness to forgo moral integrity and accept the loss of countless lives to bring an end to Imperial rule.
During a tense exchange, double agent Lonni Jung accuses Luthen of failing to make personal sacrifices for the cause. Rael responds by saying that he has sacrificed everything: happiness, recognition, and ethical standards. However, no price is too steep to pay for freedom.
The ramifications of this chilling philosophy become apparent during the raid on Aldhani. A small rebel band steals an Imperial payload, although all but three of them die in the process. The former leader Vel Sartha receives orders to eliminate her fellow survivor and possible loose end, Cassian Andor.
The financial gain of the raid on Aldhani proves to be relatively insignificant. The true victory comes when the incident catches the attention of the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB). When Senator Mon Mothma points out that ISB's tighter security measures will harm innocent people, Luthen argues violence is necessary to jolt the public out of complacency.
Luthen, who considers both rebels and civilians expendable, continues his destructive path forward when he abandons Anto Kreegyr. Kreegyr, a former militant Separatist, plans an attack on an Imperial power station on Spellhaus. Despite being aware of an impending ISB ambush on Spellhaus, Luthen allows Kreegyr and fifty men to move forward with their doomed plan to avoid raising ISB suspicion of an intelligence leak.
By the time he arrives at the climactic uprising on Ferrix, Luthen has racked up a significant body count. Following Maarva's post-mortem call to arms, the residents of Ferrix begin to fight, causing chaos in the streets. The soaring rhetoric of Maarva's inspiring recorded speech rings hollow in Luthen's ears.
Image Source: The Digital Fix
Although the hardliner view would consider the lives lost leading up to Ferrix as a necessary evil, it remains unclear how much of an impact those losses made. Moreover, with open conflict looming, the benefit of maintaining the rebellion's secrecy and protecting intelligence sources seems limited.
As Andor moves into Season Two, it will be worth observing what other tough choices the rebellion must make. Does Andor Season One show the scrappy origins of an increasingly professional, organized movement or the consistent reality of a dubious cause? Are internal assassination attempts, manipulative power plays, and significant casualty tolls an anomaly of the early years of the rebellion or an escalating problem?
The relationship between Luthen and Senator Mon Mothma matters as well. In Andor Season One, Luthen works behind the scenes while Mon Mothma secures funding and political support for the rebellion as the public face. Do the pair eventually part ways, or does Mon Mothma take Luthen's perspective into her leadership style?
In any case, Andor clearly shows the rebellion's beginning was anything but heroic. Luthen casts a vast shadow over the entire operation, and the once plucky upstarts seem less heroic when positioned within Luthen's sphere of influence.
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Source(s): Wookiepeedia
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