Will Andor once again prove Padmé’s legacy didn’t die with her?

Padmé Amidala’s death was not the end of her dreams.

You know this in the context of stories such as Star Wars: Rebels, where cells of fighters, spies, and other rebels eventually came together to form the foundation of an alliance built to remove the Galactic Empire from power.

You’re even more familiar with this idea if you’ve read through E.K. Johnston’s Queen’s trilogy or have been following the current Darth Vader comic run. Padmé’s former handmaidens deliberately organize a movement to avenge the fallen senator. They may not have the kind of power needed to make major waves among their enemies, but that doesn’t stop them from trying.

Whom we don’t talk about much — or, rather, as much as we perhaps should — is Mon Mothma’s particular method of carrying on the hopes her former fellow senator and friend could not. And we’re about to really see this in action when Andor premieres in September 2022.

Though not heavily emphasized on-screen in the prequel trilogy, Mothma, Bail Organa, and Amidala were in the very early stages of discussing some form of resistance against what the Galactic Republic and its leadership had become. Amidala would have been significantly impactful in the efforts that would later become the Rebel Alliance. But she left behind powerful, influential leaders like Mothma. People who understood what she would have fought for and had been lucky enough to survive the Clone Wars.

Much of the upcoming Disney+ series will focus on Mothma’s efforts to maintain an “all is well” presence in the Imperial Senate while also using her influence and connections to establish a formal resistance against the very government she appears loyal to. Perhaps Amidala wouldn’t have done it that way — or perhaps she would have, in her own way. But Mothma and those who quietly stand with her are fighting a different kind of war. Both because they believe the galaxy can be better, but also because they know Amidala wouldn’t have stood for the Empire’s regime.

It really is Mon Mothma’s (Genevieve O’Reilly’s) turn in the spotlight. Alongside Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, this show’s leads are going to show us a kind of small-screen Star Wars story we haven’t seen yet — and in subtle yet powerful ways, Amidala’s presence will be all over it, even without Natalie Portman’s iconic character alive to see the Empire (eventually) burn.

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