A new behind-the-scenes video now has a bit of insight into the rather fanatical mind of Syril Karn on the hit new seriesStar Wars: Andoron Disney Plus. The show has offered plenty of new perspectives on theStar Warsformula, one of which is a look inside the Empire’s more mundane divisions through the lens of characters like Syril.
But even among this scarcely-explored realm ofStar Wars,the blue cereal-loving Syrilhimself is a bit of a unique one. His dogmatic devotion to the Galactic Empire has elevated his character among fans, many of whom now watch with morbid fascination to see what he’ll screw up this week. But nobody knows that side of Syril more than Kyle Soller, the talented actor behind theStar Warscharacter himself.
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In the video fromSlashFilm, Soller explains Syril’s motivations and how he sees the Empire as more than just a regular government job. “Syril wants to be of great service to the Empire,” Soller says, “and he thinks that there is no aggression too extreme.” The fascism enacted by the Empire resonates with him, whether through its strict focus on rules and order or because he genuinely believes in what it stands for.
In the beginning, Syril may not realize his motivations well either, and his use of his little powerin the Empiremay have turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “He had to kind of go home to figure out who he really is,” Soller continues, referring to how he fell down to his lowest point after failing in what he thought would be seen as a valuable show of initiative. After tracking Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in connection to a recent murder and attempting to apprehend him, Syril instead got several of his own men killed.
But even after losing his job, as a result, he came out the other end with stronger convictions than ever and even more of an obsessive focus on Andor. He even shows up at the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) to creepily speak with fellow complex antagonist Dedra Meero (played by Denise Gough). “Cassian just becomes a complete obsession,” Soller adds. “The ISB represents this pinnacle of everything that he’s striving for. It’s this strength of his commitment and his vision. That is a really powerful mix. It’s dangerous.”
Star Wars: Andorsports fresh new influencesin its remarkably nuanced depiction of how fascism can quickly gather followers through the promise of order and clarity. It’s a phenomenon that happens all too often in modern society, giving Syril’s story a rather poignantly pathetic overarching vibe. But as morbid as it might be, it’s hard to look away when the show and performances are this good.
