Andor Series Finale Review: The best Star Wars prequel story comes to masterful, rebellious end

With a small spark of hope, the Andor Series Finale brings the best Star Wars story since Empire Strikes Back to a poignant end.

Andor Series Finale Overview

Andor’s signature three-episode structure has consistently built tension toward major payoffs, with each climax earned through strong character development and storytelling. However, the series’ final two arcs change the rhythm. The Ghorman massacre, for instance, lands mid-arc, with the aftermath explored in episode nine.

The finale brings Luthen back to the forefront. Though often offscreen, his presence looms large thanks to the work of showrunner Tony Gilroy, writer Tom Bissell, and director Alonso Ruizpalacios, who never let us forget the cost of rebellion.

These closing episodes portray the Rebellion’s rapid formation and the Empire’s slow unraveling. The story centers on Luthen’s capture, Cassian’s daring Coruscant rescue, and the seeds of Rogue One. Elizabeth Dulau and Diego Luna deliver their strongest performances yet. Luna, especially, shines in a stirring monologue before the Rebel council.

On the Empire’s side, Dedra Meero, Partagaz, and Krennic scramble to suppress Luthen’s secret. The chaos reveals how fragile the Empire’s rigid structure truly is. Ben Mendelsohn’s chilling performance as Krennic is a highlight.

One flaw is the unresolved storyline of Cassian’s sister, which sparked his journey in season one but is never addressed again—a surprising omission for a show that otherwise ties its threads so well.

Still, the emotional payoff with Bix compensates. While Cassian’s fate is sealed in Rogue One, Bix’s survival underscores that his actions spark more than one “new hope.”

With its mature storytelling, rich character arcs, and thematic depth, Andor stands alongside The Empire Strikes Back and may be the best TV series of 2025.

Andor is streaming on Disney Plus.

A Secret Worth Dying For

Episode 10 opens with Luthen meeting Lonnie, who reveals the existence of the Death Star. Knowing the intel compromises them, Luthen kills Lonnie and passes the information to Kleya.

The intel demands immediate action. However, before Luthen can act, Dedra confronts him at his shop. To protect the rebellion, he attempts suicide, but the Empire saves him and places him under tight security in a hospital.

Kleya embarks on a solo stealth mission to rescue him. Andor excels at heightening tension through small, grounded moments—like Kleya searching for a disguise in a locker room, only to find the first locker empty. It’s a minor delay that raises stakes and adds realism.

Flashbacks intercut the mission, revealing Kleya and Luthen’s history. The casting of young Kleya is spot-on, and Stellan Skarsgård subtly conveys Luthen’s quiet pride in her, particularly during a scene where she successfully negotiates a deal.

Kleya reaches Luthen just in time but, realizing escape is impossible, gently takes him off life support. The soft kiss she gives him is a powerful, heartbreaking farewell.

Episode 10 is masterful—tightly written, resonant, and filled with genuine suspense. The end could come for anyone: Luthen, Kleya, Dedra—even the rebellion or the Empire itself.

Siege Break

“And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empires’s authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege.”

Nemik

Nemik’s manifesto predicted the Empire’s collapse—not through a grand battle, but through accumulating cracks. While the Empire still stands at Andor‘s series finale, the leak of the Death Star’s existence sends shockwaves through its intelligence network.

Dedra finally achieves her goal: capturing Axis (Luthen). But it’s a hollow victory. Lonnie set her up as the scapegoat. In interrogations, Krennic quickly dismantles her credibility, arguing she overstepped so far in her rebel investigation that she essentially became one. Her decision to confront Luthen alone seals her fate—she ends up imprisoned in Narkina 5-like confines.

The next casualty is Partagaz. Attempting to intercept Kleya, he initiates a plan to root her out. Unfortunately, Cassian and K2SO rescue Kleya. With his failure exposed and facing either disgrace or a prison sentence, he takes his own life.

The revelation of the Death Star isn’t just a breach—it’s a rupture. It breaks the illusion of the Empire’s invincibility, exposing a truth too big to contain. It’s the beginning of a downfall Nemik envisioned: slow, inevitable, and unyielding.

Cassian Brings New Hope to Rebellion in Andor Series Finale

Despite the urgency of the Death Star intel, the Rebel Alliance is slow to act. The council—featuring Mon Mothma and Bail Organa—is divided. Most distrust the information, primarily due to Luthen’s shadowy methods.

Cassian delivers a powerful speech in Luthen’s defense. He doesn’t argue that Luthen was a good man, but that his mission—the foundation of the Rebellion—was worth preserving. Cassian ends his plea by revealing his final task from Luthen: rescuing Mothma at Luthen’s request.

Still uncertain, Mothma sends Vel to question Cassian. Vel skips the spycraft and asks him directly. Once more, Cassian stands by Luthen—not for who he was, but for what he built. He reminds Vel that the Rebellion, as it exists now, is shaped by Luthen’s sacrifices and vision.

The episode seems to end with Cassian preparing for his mission to Kafrene, which connects directly to the opening of Rogue One. But Andor closes on a more intimate note: Bix, now on Mina-Rau, is raising Cassian’s child in hiding.

Cassian doesn’t know it yet, but his sacrifice will ignite hope across the galaxy and secure a future for his family.

Andor Series Finale Final Thoughts

The Andor series finale delivers a masterclass in storytelling, tension, and emotional payoff, cementing its place as the most compelling Star Wars tale since The Empire Strikes Back.

It’s a show about personal and galactic revolutions and how the smallest acts of defiance can ripple into galaxy-changing events. If Rogue One shows us the fall of the Empire, Andor shows us the spark—and it burns brilliantly.

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