An Andor season 1 Easter egg meant a Star Wars superweapon from the Expanded Universe came closer to becoming official canon. Andor was justifiably praised for exploring tones, characters, and settings previously untouched in Star Wars. Still, there were a few subtle call-backs, made all the more brilliant for how rare and elegantly executed they were. Among those was a reference to the 2003 game Knights of the Old Republic, which was not only surprising but essentially confirms the introduction of the Rakata, an ancient Star Wars species, into the canon.
In Andor season 1, episode four, “Aldhani,” Luthen wanted to convince Cassian to take the heist job by offering him a down payment in the form of a necklace adorned with a kyber crystal, the resource most famous for helping power lightsabers. Luthen explained the necklace’s backstory as, “Blue kyber. Sky stone. The ancient world celebrates the uprising against the Rakatan invaders.” The Rakata featured prominently in Knights of the Old Republic, but that game series fell under Star Wars Legends and not in Disney’s official canon. Andor was not only the first canonical media to acknowledge the Rakata, but it also suggested by extension that the spectacular Rakatan Star Forge could be canonical too.
Andor’s KotOR References Make The Rakata Canon
The Rakata were an ancient race believed to have been the first to develop hyperspace travel in Star Wars lore. They were even considered ancient by the era of Knights of the Old Republic, which was set around 4,000 years before Star Wars‘ Skywalker Saga. They were far more technologically advanced than any other species at the time, while simultaneously being attuned to the Force, specifically the dark side, and their fusion of technology and the Force was what made them so powerful. Luthen’s explicit reference to the Rakata and their conquering of the galaxy in Andor solidified this terrifying and fascinating civilization into the canon, including, potentially, their Star Forge secret weapon.
Just because Andor featured the first clear-cut introduction of the Rakata into the canon, doesn’t mean there hadn’t been earlier hints. Star Wars Rebels season 2, episode 21, “Twilight of the Apprentice,” briefly featured an image that looked strikingly like the Rakatan Star Forge on a Sith Temple pillar. It was a relatively minor reference compared to Andor‘s major Star Wars Easter egg, but it also suggested the intimidating power of the Star Forge could become canonical as part of the Rakata’s cruel, galaxy-spanning Infinite Empire.
What Could The Star Forge Do?
The Star Forge was an automated shipyard constructed by the Rakata to ceaselessly produce ships, equipment, and droid soldiers so that they could assert their cruel regime over the galaxy forever. It drew its power both from a nearby star and from the Rakata’s connection with the dark side of the Force. The Star Forge was so powerful and evil that it began corrupting the Rakata themselves, triggering a civil war that brought an end to their Infinite Empire, making it a dark-side weapon unlike anything else in Star Wars canon prior to its implied addition in Andor. The weapon was also essential to the plot of Knights of the Old Republic, as Darth Revan sought to use the weapon for himself.
