Andy Serkis makes a surprise return to Star Wars in Andor

Supreme Leader Snoke may be gone, but that doesn’t mean Andy Serkis is done with Star Wars.

In a genuinely well-hidden secret, Serkis dominated the latest episode of Andor. Not as Snoke, of course, but in introducing us to a new character, Kino Loy. And, from what it looks like, he will end up being more than just a cameo.

Episode 8 picks up right where its predecessor left off, with Cassian falling into the Empire’s hands and receiving an excessive, six-year sentence for it. As one of a select few deemed “labor worthy,” Cassian — better known by his pseudonym, Keef Girgo — is shipped away to work in an Imperial factory facility on the planet, Narkina Five.

There, he is assigned to Unit Five. Its manager is a grizzly prisoner 249 days from completing his sentence, Kino Loy, played by Andy Serkis.

Loy is given free rein over the forty nine men under his command — each assigned to one of seven tables on one of seven floors. His goal is simple: Produce, produce, produce. Because not only is each table and floor’s production measured against each other, so is each unit’s. Loy expects to be the best and will not allow any one of his men to fall short of that standard.

As a result, he comes off as a ruthless servant of the Empire. That being said, there seems to be another side to this character. Because as we’ve seen time and time again, there are no heroes and villains in the world of Andor.

Andy Serkis provided the motion capture and voiceover work for Supreme Leader Snoke, who met his end in The Last Jedi.

That is one of the many things that made the character appeal to Serkis in the first place. Earlier today, Vanity Fair released a feature interview with the actor that dives into just who Kino Loy is and what led to Serkis’ unexpected return to the Star Wars universe.

Firstly, speaking about the mere shock factor of the role, Serkis sounds as surprised as the rest of us that it was possible. His love of Rogue One ultimately led him to do it. “I truly loved the grounding of that film in a world which felt both real and yet still felt epic…”

As for Loy, we know little about him beyond the sentence he serves. That has not stopped Serkis from envisioning a backstory for himself. And it speaks to the good that seems to shelter within him.

"I wanted him to come from a place where he was put in prison for, perhaps, standing up for workers’ rights, and then put into a position of authority because that’s what he does. He is a natural leader. But he really just wants to serve his time. He’s got a family. He wants to get out and get back, and assumes that that’s going to happen after his incarceration."

Ultimately, Serkis likens Episode 8’s story to those of the real world, another example of the themes that Tony Gilroy has embedded into Andor from the beginning.

He draws parallels to circumstances of forced labor that eliminate a sense of hope and lead people to act in service of the enemy they are trying to defeat. “They’re teeny-weenie cogs. They’re making parts for something, and they don’t even know what it is. But it can only be something that is going to enhance and build up the power of the Empire,” Serkis says. “They’re just drones.”

While Cassian may remain a prisoner at the episode’s end, we know what lies in his future. And the understanding of all he has been through to get there, especially on Narkina Five, is part of what makes him such an inspiring character in Serkis’ eyes.

"It’s not like he’s a swashbuckling hero. He’s someone who understands that you have to stand up for what is right. The individual can make the difference and [this prison] is an environment that makes you think the individual has no chance of changing."

A prison break is coming, but here’s hoping that doesn’t mark Kino Loy’s end as it did for Snoke, and that he gets to return home to the family Serkis believes is waiting for him.

Ultimately, in light of the many fallouts that we have seen with Star Wars actors, it’s such a nice surprise to see a friendly face again. Especially in Andy Serkis, who didn’t receive as much of a spotlight as he arguably should’ve seen in the sequels. And he shows us every reason why in Andor.

Fortunately, we’ll get to spend at least one more episode with him.