Why Andor doesn’t feature any Jedi (yet)

Something that makes Andor unique when compared to the Star Wars series that have come before it is that it does not feature Jedi. It does not mention Jedi. “The Force” isn’t mentioned. Lightsabers? What are those?

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the lack of Jedi in the latest live-action Star Wars series may actually be purposeful.

Based on where Andor takes place in the Star Wars timeline, the reason Jedi are nowhere to be found is because that’s where most of the galaxy has been led to believe they are. Nowhere. They were wiped out. We know that’s not true. But at this time, the galaxy, for the most part, does not.

There are stories featuring Jedi set in this time period (see: Star Wars Rebels). But it’s been done before. At this point in the timeline, the very few Jedi that remain after Order 66 are in hiding — and for good reason.

Andor‘s purpose is to focus on the rapidly growing rebellion from a different angle, similar to how Rogue One: A Star Wars Story captured the group’s first major offence against the Galactic Empire from the perspective of “ordinary” unnoticeable people fighting a war they never asked to be a part of.

There are plenty of Star Wars stories about Jedi. This one is about a nihilistic refugee, an Imperial senator secretly building a formal resistance against her government, and all the people they meet and interact with along the way.

It’s unique. It’s refreshing. It may not be loved by every Star Wars fan, but that’s not the point. The more Star Wars grows, the more audiences will need to learn to seek out the stories that most speak to them, rather than expecting every new story to cater to their every fictional need and desire.

In this regard, Andor is really only the beginning of a new era of small-screen Star Wars storytelling.

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