Though it’s only three episodes deep at the time of writing,Star Wars: Andorhas done quite a lot to differentiate itself from the other Disney+Star Warsshows. In some ways, this is rather small, such as the style of dialogue being a little more mature. However, there are other areas in which the difference is much more noticeable, like how the series seems to be entirely self-contained in a way thatThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fettsometimes weren’t.
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Either way,Andoris shaping up to be one of the more uniqueStar Warsprojects to appear on Disney Plus. It’s rather fitting considering thatRogue Oneis itself often touted by fans as being one of the standout movies in the franchise for one reason or another. Here are a few of the things that makeAndorstand out from otherStar Warsshows.
6Zero Use of The Volume
Unlike every other Disney PlusStar Warsshow thus far,Andordoes not make use of the famous Volume stage. For those that are still (amazingly) unaware, the volume is a large LED screen that shows the environment of whatever scene is being filmed, using the Unreal Engine. ForStar Wars, this is important because it’s set on alien planets much of the time.
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So, for example, if aStar Warsshow had a scene set on Mustafar, rather than have the actors work in front of a blank green or blue screen, the actors would instead be working in front of a screen showing the planet Mustafar on it. Series creator Tony Gilroy, however, has intentionally opted out of using this technology. This means that the show instead relies on mostly practical sets and a bit of green screen.
5Gritty Direction
Andor is looking like a much dirtier show than the otherStar Warsseries on Disney Plus. Not just inits set design(which is positively filthy in all the right ways), the shot composition, performances, and action sequences are arguably at their most down-to-earth as they’ve ever been inStar Wars.
The Mandalorianis the closest comparison, but even it had the occasional crazy stunt or CGI action sequence (not that these are bad things). However,Andoris extremely no-nonsense by comparison. The fighting has weight, blasters and explosions are impactful, and performances aren’t particularly over the top. All of this contributes toward making the show feel more unique.
4Lack of Fan Service
While all three of the previousStar Warsshows were somewhat heavy on fan service, the makers ofAndorhave decided to tone things back. In fact,Cassian himselfis the only returning character. Everyone else is a new character made specifically for the show. Even many (if not all) of the aliens are new. Ironically this has the effect of making the universe feel bigger, by not tying the show into something that people have seen before.
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Seeing Luke Skywalker orAshoka Tanois certainly cool, although, at a certain point it makes the universe feel smaller than it should. Seeing the same group of characters over and over again wastes the potential that such a wide universe has. Thankfully,Star Wars: Andoris choosing to embrace this wider universe rather than attempt to emulate its predecessors.
3The Language Filter
Star Warsis not known for having a lot of swearing from its characters. In fact, between the nine movies only two real swear words can be heard, and they’re both uttered inStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Now to be fair, there are tons of made-up swear words in the shows and movies that function as substitutes for real-world profanity. However, they obviously don’t carry the same weight.
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Andorflips the script on this and introduces some pretty heavy swearing from some of its characters. It isn’t quiteThe Boyslevel of profanity, but it’s definitely significant for aStar Warsshow. It’s possible this was done in order to help ground the characters and the show to make it feel a little more adult-oriented than the franchise normally leans.
2Musical Score
Star Wars: Andornoticeably lacks that classic musical style that is associated with the franchise. Granted,The Mandalorianwas the first to deviate from this style with its own western-infused score, butAndortakes a different approach. This time the music is more somber but with an underlying tension that fits the espionage angle.
It lacks the bombast thatStar Warsis known for even during its most action-heavy moments and instead builds toward emotional crescendos to give key scenes that extra punch. Even when compared toRogue One,Andor’smusic goes the extra mile in differentiating itself fromStar Wars’traditional sound.
1No Skywalker Connection
Pretty much everyStar Warsshow thus far has been connected to the Skywalker family in some way. NotStar Wars: Andor, though. BothThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba FettsawLuke Skywalker himselfmake an appearance as a Jedi master, whileKenobifeatured both him and his twin sister, Leia, as children.
Andor, on the other hand, has not and is not anticipated to include any references to these characters at all. While some fans may be lamenting this, many have cited their “Skywalker fatigue,” arguing thatStar Warsinstead ought to move on from their story and expand the scope of the universe. It seems extremely likely thatStar Wars: Andorwill be taking this feedback to heart.
