By
Tom Russell
Published 28 minutes ago
Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering all things Classic TV from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi.
Initially he was an Updates writer, though before long he found his way to the Classic TV team. He now spends his days keeping Screen Rant readers informed about the TV shows of yesteryear, whether it's recommending hidden gems that may have been missed by genre fans or deep diving into ways your favorite shows have (or haven't) stood the test of time.
Tom is based in the UK and when he's not writing about TV shows, he's watching them. He's also an avid horror fiction writer, gamer, and has a Dungeons and Dragons habit that he tries (and fails) to keep in check.
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Disney’s expansion of Star Wars on Disney+ has pushed the franchise to new heights, delivering ambitious stories across eras and corners of the galaxy. Yet one series has created a massive problem for the IP moving forward. Cassian Andor's (Diego Luna) journey across seasons 1 and 2 of Andor isn’t just the best Star Wars show so far; it’s so good that it’s almost too good.
Andor isn’t simply great for a Star Wars series, it’s great by any standard. The franchise’s Disney+ era has produced both hits and misses, from the solid work of Ahsoka to the divisive experiments of The Book of Boba Fett. Yet nothing, not even The Mandalorian and its breakout hero Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), matches Andor’s overall mastery today either.
As thrilling as it is for fans that Andor exists, the series has also created an unavoidable challenge. The moment Andor season 2 concluded, every future Star Wars show became destined for direct comparison. Because the bar Andor set is so high, whatever comes next, no matter its premise, scale, or cast, must overcome near-impossible expectations just to be considered worthy.
Andor Has Made Other Star Wars Shows Look Worse In Comparison
Andor’s Quality Casts A Long Shadow Over Every Star Wars Show That Came Before Or After
Diego Luna in a scene from Andor season 2
Andor has redefined what audiences can expect from Star Wars storytelling, and its impact becomes clearer when comparing it to Disney’s other live-action efforts. The Mandalorian revolutionized the franchise’s TV ambitions, proving that smaller-scale adventures could match cinematic scope. Yet even at its strongest, the series never approached Andor’s layered writing, grounded tension, or thematically rich worldbuilding.
While shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka delivered entertaining nostalgia and crowd-pleasing character returns, they still leaned heavily on familiar beats. Andor, meanwhile, avoided legacy crutches entirely. It embraced political complexity, moral ambiguity, and character-driven drama with a confidence that felt foreign to modern Star Wars. The result was storytelling that stood firmly on its own.
Even The Mandalorian, with its standout practical effects and the compelling dynamic between Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu, couldn’t escape a formulaic structure. Andor elevated tension through slow-burn arcs, intricate ensemble work, and deliberate pacing that rewarded patience rather than fan service.
Other live-action Star Wars shows, like The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, delivered enjoyable moments but struggled with tonal consistency and narrative focus. Andor maintained unwavering precision across its entire run, making those inconsistencies look more obvious in hindsight. It proved the franchise can operate at a prestige level, but that very accomplishment highlights how rarely it has reached that standard.
The contrast becomes even sharper when examining character depth. Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) received some of the most nuanced political storytelling in franchise history. Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) embodied a chilling portrait of authoritarian obsession. Even supporting figures like Kino Loy (Andy Serkis) left lasting impressions. Few other Star Wars shows offer character arcs as layered or emotionally impactful.
In elevating the Star Wars franchise, Andor also exposed its weaknesses. Older shows weren’t inherently bad, they simply weren’t designed with the same ambition. Now that Andor exists, the gap is impossible to ignore. Its quality reframes everything around it, making past and future series appear smaller, safer, and far less daring.
Andor Should Be The Benchmark For All Future Star Wars Shows And Movies
Andor Sets The Storytelling Standard That Every Future Star Wars Project Must Learn From
A bloody Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Although not every Star Wars project needs to mirror Andor’s tone or setting, the series has established foundational storytelling principles for the franchise that Disney can’t ignore. Its commitment to grounded tension, meaningful stakes, and character-driven drama offers a template for future creators. Whether exploring Jedi myths or criminal underworlds, Star Wars benefits from deeper thematic substance.
Andor demonstrated the power of deliberate pacing. Instead of rushing from set piece to set piece, it allowed moments to grow, letting characters drive plot rather than reacting to it. Future films and shows can maintain spectacle while adopting a similar focus on emotional clarity and narrative momentum.
It also proved that Star Wars can thrive without leaning on cameos or legacy characters. Its original ensemble, Cassian Andor, Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), and others, held the story with ease. This should embolden creators to craft fresh protagonists rather than depending on nostalgia.
Production design is another benchmark. Andor’s grounded sets, tactile environments, and practical builds enriched its realism. Future projects don’t need identical aesthetics, but they should prioritize authenticity over digital shortcuts whenever possible. The result is immersion that feels lived-in rather than manufactured.
Most importantly, Andor treated its audience with respect. It trusted viewers to handle complex political ideas, moral nuance, and slow-burn revelations. Star Wars thrives when it challenges rather than comforts. Upcoming films and series should pursue thematic ambition, even in lighter or more fantastical stories.
In the end, Andor didn’t ruin Star Wars in a literal sense. It ruined it by proving how extraordinary the franchise can be when executed at its highest level. Now that fans know what’s possible, nothing less will satisfy - nor should it.
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10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Action & Adventure Drama Thriller Sci-Fi Release Date 2022 - 2025-00-00 Network Disney+ Showrunner Tony Gilroy Directors Susanna White Writers Dan GilroyCast
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Diego Luna
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