Here Is Why The Post Credits Scene From 'Star Wars: Andor' Is So Important

Star Wars

Nov 29

For a series with little to no overt references to previously established Star Wars content, Andor’s season finale dropped the biggest bomb (pun intended) in its final moments. In the post-credits scene of season 1, it is revealed that the parts Cassian and his fellow prisoners were forced to manufacture on Narkina 5 were, in fact, used to build the Death Star.

Fans have been speculating that Cassian might have had a hand in building the Death Star since his arrival to Kino Loy’s work floor in episode 8. When it was announced that episode 12 would feature a post-credits scene, many were assured that their suspicions would be correct. But even that speculation does not mitigate the dread as the camera pans backward from a group of spider-like machines and the terrible shape of the Death Star becomes clear.

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The bombshell reveal of the Death Star is massively important to the story of Andor for many reasons. The Death Star is the weapon that ultimately kills Cassian; that he was forced to work long hours in prison to assemble it reflects the almost satirical cruelty of the Empire. It has also been pointed out that the specific pieces of the Death Star that Cassian manufactured make up the dish of the weapon’s laser, the very thing that ends Cassian’s life.

There is also the fact that so much of Rogue One revolves around Cassian and his allies attempting to convince the Rebellion that a weapon as unthinkable as the Death Star could even exist. Knowing that Cassian actually touched parts of the weapon most of the rebels were quick to dismiss as impossible adds another layer of pathos to his desperate attempts at convincing them. The Rebellion’s lack of faith is what pushes him and the crew of Rogue One to make a break for Scariff—where they face the full force of the Death Star’s destruction.

But perhaps the most important fact the post-credits scene of Andor makes clear is this: Cassian never knew what he was building. It is cruel enough that his wrongful imprisonment led to months of hard labor. For Cassian to have been forced to build something he had no knowledge of, which led to the destruction of a planet and millions of lives, shows the utter callousness of the Empire’s reign.

It also shows, however, the strength of Cassian’s resolve. He fought for the destruction of the Death Star without ever knowing he had anything to do with its construction. It is one thing to destroy something you feel responsible for creating, but for Cassian to die fighting simply because he knew fighting was the right thing to do is the mark of a true hero. The reveal of the Death Star in Andor’s season finale is a revelation of the story’s incredible stakes, and reaffirmation of its incredible protagonist.

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