Andor: Brasso is the embodiment of the Rebellion

Andor gave us so many memorable characters over the course of its first season. Bix, Marva, Kino Loy, the list goes on and on when it comes to standout after standout. But there is one character, in particular, that’s truly risen in the ranks as a fan favorite and that’s Cassian’s friend Brasso. He’s become the king of side characters for many fans, and I believe one of the many reasons is that he perfectly embodies the people who make up the Rebellion.

When we first meet Brasso, he’s just some guy working his 9-5 job on Ferrix. There is nothing really spectacular about him other than being a friend of Cassian’s. We’re quick to learn that he has the biggest heart. Despite being annoyed by Cassian telling him to lie for him, Brasso cares for Marva and Cassian so he agrees.

Brasso also loves his community. In most of the Ferrix storylines, Brasso is at the center of things or just off to the side. As Marva’s health declines, it’s Brasso that cares for her and B2EMO in Cassian’s stead. He works with the Daughters of Ferrix to handle the arrangements for Marva’s funeral. It’s clear that everyone in the city knows and trusts Brasso.

In turn, he’s ruthlessly protective of his home. In episode 3 “Reckoning,” the Morlana Corpos come to Ferrix to search for Cassian. To defend Ferrix, it’s Brasso that hooks the tow line to the Corpo ship to sabotage it leading to the death of one officer. But what makes Brasso such a good character is his reaction. There’s no victory or celebration. He’s not happy about it. It’s a choice that weighs heavily on his heart. He drinks the night away looking haunted. It’s not a moment to be savored. It’s bitter and real.

We see Brasso’s rise on Ferrix up until the finale. Cassian trusts him with the honor of presenting Marva’s brick made with her remains at her funeral since he can’t be there. It’s the ultimate form of responsibility for Brasso. Leading the march on Rix Road, Brasso walks with B2EMO before presenting Marva’s message to the people of his community. They might be normal people, but it’s time to stop sleeping and fight back. Fight the Empire, fight for each other, and stop this tyranny from continuing.

Then, Brasso has his greatest moment of the show: he slaps a fascist in the face with Marva’s brick. This is peak Star Wars right here. Bricks over and over throughout history are a symbol of revolution. Tony Gilroy talked a bit about this too in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. Bricks were used in the Russian Revolution. They were thrown at Stonewall. We saw them used more recently during the summer of 2020 with the Black Lives Matter movement. This is Brasso’s step into becoming a revolutionary as he uses the first brick to fight.

But it all goes back to him embodying what it means to be in the Rebellion. In Star Wars Rebels, Yoda tells Ezra Bridger that it’s not about beating your opponent. It’s about how you fight. In The Last Jedi, Rose tells Finn it’s not about beating what you hate but about saving what you love. All of this is 100% who Brasso is. He’s not fighting out of anger or revenge like Arvel Skeen. He is fighting to save what he loves without losing his soul like Luthen Rael or Saw Gerrera. He wouldn’t mourn the Corpo he killed and drink the night away if that action didn’t haunt him. He would have fled Rix Road the moment fighting broke out if he didn’t care about his people. It’s his actions that save Wilmon Paak’s life. Brasso represents all the lessons taught to us in Star Wars about how and why the Rebellion wins.

And again, he’s just some guy. He’s not a trained fighter or warrior. He works in the scrap yard. He’s part of his community’s honor guard, but that’s not a fighting position. But when he sees his home and the people in it continue to be threatened, he stands up to evil. He puts himself front and center. He leads the march to the Empire’s front lines. And when everything boils over, he’s the one to throw the first brick.

The Rebellion has all sorts of people in it. There are Jedi, trained pilots, military leaders, and more. But the majority of the Rebellion are people, normal people who want to be safe again. They want to push out the tyranny that has corrupted their homes. They’re everyday people who want to protect the people they love. They’re not expert fighters or anything.

They’re just like Brasso who encompasses everything that the Rebellion is.

Stay up to date with all things Andor on Dork Side of the Force.