Andor episode seven has been released and it shows the reaction to the heist that happened on Aldhani in the previous episode. The Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) is called for a meeting that isn’t led by Major Partagaz, but by a familiar face.
Colonel Wullf Yularen (formerly Admiral) makes an appearance as the head of the ISB in Andor. He isn’t named in dialogue, however the subtitles confirm that it is indeed the old admiral. The credits later confirm this, with Malcolm Sinclair playing the character.
Yularen is a major character in animation and books. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, he is the Admiral for Anakin Skywalker onboard the Venator Star Destroyer Resolute. In Star Wars: Rebels, he is introduced as the head of the ISB, having personally trained Agent Kallus. Tom Kane voices the character in both The Clone Wars and Rebels.
He also makes an appearance in the canon Thrawn trilogy, where he makes friends with Thrawn. Yularen helps Thrawn get through the political area of the Empire, as Thrawn struggles to master this.
Yularen has technically appeared in live action before. In A New Hope, when Tarkin holds the meeting of high ranking Imperials, an Imperial wearing a white uniform can be spotted. This was retroactively confirmed to be Yularen, along with the fact that he died aboard the Death Star.
The appearance of the Colonel in Andor solidifies his presence in live-action however, and he joins the ever growing list of characters that have made the jump from animation. His appearance however is done in a more subtle way than prior adaptations, who have made a huge statement when they appeared.
His use in the show is also perfect. Major Partagaz is a high ranking officer of the ISB, however he isn’t high ranking enough to meet with Emperor Palpatine. Yularen, as Colonel and head of the ISB, fits much better, especially when delivering an important speech about the Empire’s response to the Aldhani raid. Major is also ranked lower than Colonel.
Though if audiences aren’t aware of the character’s backstory, they’ll just see an evil guy who is above Major Partagaz. The cameo is purposeful for the story, not there simply for nostalgia. It’s a great moment.