What future Star Wars shows can learn from Andor

A lot of people liked Andor. People liked Andor so much that, one year later, it’s not uncommon to still see discussions sprouting up online about it — and deep, thoughtful ones at that.

What was it, exactly, that made this Star Wars show so popular? We’ve outlined many of those on Dork Side of the Force over the past year. Some of its best qualities could actually be applied to future Star Wars stories to make them just as good as Andor — if not better. Here’s what future Star Wars shows can learn from this one.

Shorter TV seasons are not the way

There can be many benefits to a shorter TV season. Obi-Wan Kenobi was only six episodes, but it filled every single minute of each chapter with just enough to make the whole thing feel complete. Ahsoka, on the other hand, felt like a 16-episode story watered down to fit an eight-episode Disney+ order. It could have been so much more, but it was for whatever reason forced to squeeze itself into a time constraint in which it did not belong. In general, Star Wars shows on Disney+ are too short — but Andor is one of the exceptions.

Andor‘s 12-episode first season proved to be just the right length for the story to play out almost perfectly paced. It had multiple, full arcs that gave its characters the room to grow and develop into relatable beings. Every episode, therefore, was carefully constructed to flow seamlessly from one to the next without having to rush through plot points to get there.

Over time, the eight-episode streaming model has proved more and more ineffective. It’s not enough time for most of these shows to tell a good character-driven story.

It’s time for Star Wars ‘cameos’ to end

At least, in the way most people talk about ‘cameos” now. There’s nothing wrong with a traditional cameo — such as Temuera Morrison playing a retired clone trooper for three seconds in Obi-Wan Kenobi. But many Star Wars shows feel the need to bring familiar characters into the story for no true purpose — dedicating entire episodes to them. It doesn’t serve the story, and that time could be better used for better storytelling.

Andor brings in Saw Garrera briefly, but there’s a big difference between that and Hera Syndulla showing up in The Bad Batch. One drives the story forward and raises the stakes for its main characters. The other is fun, but otherwise underwhelming. Without Saw, the entire story would have had to be reworked to turn out exactly right. Without Hera, nothing about The Bad Batch really changes.

The Jedi and the Force aren’t what make Star Wars great

Time and again, viewers point to the reliability of Andor and its characters to explain why it works so well. There are many reasons outside of this that factor into the show’s success, but it being a story about “regular people” who accidentally become heroes is a standout reason that this show resonates with audiences so well.

Star Wars is not about Jedi or the Force. It’s about rising up against oppression, the sacrifices people make to improve the lives of those around them. It’s about what it means to be a hero, and the choices people have to make to save those they love. If we keep limiting these stories to a select faction or mysticism, we’re not going to have anything new to engage us. Andor is a great example of how hungry audiences are for different types of Star Wars stories, no matter how loud the minority may try to convince you otherwise.

All episodes of Star Wars: Andor are available to stream exclusively on Disney+.

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