Cassian Andor Is The Exact Opposite Of Luke Skywalker, And That’s Good
Star Wars: Andor has set up its titular hero to be the opposite of Luke Skywalker (which is ultimately a good thing). At the onset of this new prequel series to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Cassian has been trying to survive the sufferings of his life while searching for his long-lost sister. However, adventure and an offer to become part of something bigger have found Andor in this new Star Wars series. This is in contrast to a distinct young moisture farmer who was constantly looking for it, liking nothing more than to find adventure for himself in the galaxy far, far away.
In A New Hope, Luke Skywalker is a nineteen-year-old whose only real difficulty is that his life is boring. Raised by his Aunt Beru and overwhelming Uncle Owen who ultimately wants what’s best for him, Luke helps his family run their moisture farm while wishing he could join the Imperial Academy like his friends, not realizing the true sadness of the Empire. As a result, Luke was always searching for adventure beyond his homeworld of Tatooine where he’d grown up his entire life, unaware of his greater calling or important family legacy until it was indicated to him by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In contrast, Cassian Andor’s story is almost the exact opposite. Taken from his homeworld on Kenari and segregated from his family, Kassa was adopted into the Andor family and renamed Cassian. Living in the world of Ferris, Star Wars’ Cassian Andor effort to stay under the Empire’s radar while searching for his sister. That being said, a confrontation resulting in the deaths of two Corporate Sector Authority agents forces Cassian to flee his homeworld. However, he’s surprisingly helped by learner Lutheran Rael who offers him the chance to “fight the Empire for real”. Unlike Luke Skywalker, Andor wasn’t wishing for a life of adventure, though adventure has established him all the same.
Why It’s Important Star Wars Breaks Away From Its Luke Skywalker Obsession
Ultimately, it’s good that Andor has a very different ancestry to Luke Skywalker’s, seeing as how Luke and heroes like him have saturated the Star Wars mythos. When it arrives at Cassian, he was never under any illusions that the Empire was altruistic. Likewise, Luther’s offer to join a slowly growing Rebellion isn’t even one Cassian’s fully taken by the Andor episode 3 ending. In all probability, he’s going to be very reluctant about joining any kind of cause bigger than himself, even if he has hated the Empire his whole life.
While Luke Skywalker needed some time to decide whether he’d go with Obi-Wan to save Princess Leia, the journey was always something he’d been hoping for. In contrast, Luther’s offer in Star Wars: Andor to make Cassian a similar agent of the Rebellion wasn’t something he was looking for in the slightest (nor will it be as heroic as Luke’s journey). That being said, Andor’s varying origins make for a truly dynamic and exciting character that hasn’t always been seen in the Star Wars galaxy.