One cannot accuse Tony Gilroy of being a hardcore Star Wars fan, but fortunately for us, his son is. Sam Gilroy, who plays Gerdis of the Maya Pei Brigade in Andor Season 2, is why a major Rogue One reference made it to the script.
While Andor has been one of the franchise's grittiest, most ambitiously real projects, the showrunners haven't forgotten to connect Cassian's (Diego Luna) story to the overarching lore of Star Wars. From paying tribute to Star Wars Legends events like the Rakatan Invasion or the Tarkin Massacre on Ghorman, to tying Mon Mothma's Senate speech to Star Wars Rebels, fans have been treated to Easter eggs well.
One such was the phrase: "Rebellions are built on hope."
We first hear Cassian say it to Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) in Rogue One when they are in Jedha City on their way to Saw Gerrera's (Forest Whitaker) hideout, looking for the Imperial pilot carrying her father's message. Jyn later repeats the phrase to the Allied High Command, trying to convince them, in vain, to go on the mission to Scarif to retrieve the Death Star plans.
The concept of hope is intrinsically connected to Star Wars, and almost every piece of media drives it home. Therefore, this short but simple phrase sat perfectly in the movie, where the entire Rogue One squad sacrifices themselves with the hope that someone would make their deaths worth it.
In Andor season 2, we finally find out where Cassian heard the words.
In episode 8, "Who Are You?", Cassian travels back to Ghorman disguised as a journalist. His mission is to assassinate Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), which goes awry when the Empire opens fire on a plaza full of peaceful protestors and commits the Ghorman Massacre.
Before the chaos, Cassian encounters Thela (Stefon Crepon), the bellboy he met last time he was on Ghorman. He was a witness to the Palmo Plaza massacre caused by Moff Tarkin in 19 BBY, which killed his father. During Cassian's second visit, Thela helps him out by not entering his name into the hotel records, which are turned over to the Empire every day, thus protecting his cover.
Before leaving the hotel, Cassian tells Thela he hopes things work out for him. Thela replies, "Rebellions are built on hope," revealing that he was also part of the Rebellion in his own capacity. As seamless as the reference seems, this was not part of Gilroy's original plan. It got added to the script after his son teased him about it.
"My son is a big Star Wars fan, and he often comes to the house and busts my balls at the computer about how little I know," Gilroy told Entertainment Weekly. "One day he's there at the house and he's goofballing on me, and he's like, 'Well, who's going to introduce 'rebellions are built on hope'?"
"And I go, 'What do you mean?' He goes, 'Well, in Rogue One, Diego says it and Jyn repeats it.' And I go, 'Well, isn't that from somewhere?' He goes, 'No, man, what are you talking about? You better figure that out.'"
At this point, not a lot of writing was left to give the line to a major character, so Thela got to be the one to say it. However, doing so possibly added even more depth to the phrase than initially intended.
Cassian's rebellion, like everyone else's, is built on the relationships he has had, starting all the way back to meeting Maarva in Kenari. Several people—dead or alive—have contributed to making him who he becomes and how his journey ends in Rogue One. Thela may be just a hotel employee fighting for his home and people, but his pursuit of freedom occurred spontaneously and without instruction, just like Nemik said in his manifesto:
"Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere, and even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward."