Andor episode 4’s parallels to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hiave fans emotional. Serving as a prequel to the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the latest entry in the long-running science-fiction fantasy franchise centers on Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), chronicling his journey from smuggler into a Rebel spy who so fiercely becomes determined to take down the Galactic Empire. Set five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the series sees the return of familiar faces from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story such as Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), an Imperial senator who is key to the formation of the Rebellion, and Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), a Clone Wars veteran who leads a militant resistance group against the Empire.
Following Cassian and Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgård) daring escape from Ferrix, Andor episode 4 finds the titular character transported to Aldhani where he is tasked to join a rag-tag group of resistance fighters in a mission against the Imperials stationed there. Although Cassian believes his mission will simply be to steal the quarterly payroll report, he soon learns that the small cell will be taking on a garrison of hundreds of troops with TIE Fighters. With the budding Rebel spy on a near impossible mission, fans have noticed similarities to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Following the release of Andor episode 4, fans have taken to social media with their emotional reactions to the episode’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story parallels. The main storyline of the episode features Cassian preparing for a suicide mission with a small group of loyal fighters. This is the entire plot of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s third act. Prior to joining the group on Aldhani, Cassian is given a blue kyber crystal as collateral from Rael. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) also had a kyber crystal with her in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the last thing she was given to her by her mother before she was murdered. Check out some of the fan reactions below.
Will Andor Repeat Rogue One’s Outcome?
The parallels between Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the new episode of Andor are stark. However, several differences separate the two significantly. Cassian and Erso’s kyber crystal pendants carry separate meanings to their wearers. Whereas Erso’s pendant is a constant reminder of the loss the Empire has caused to her family, Cassian’s pendant represents payment for a job if things go south and has monetary worth to Rael. This shows that Cassian has yet to commit to the cause and is still swayed by money.
The results of the mission may also differ from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In the film, Cassian and Erso lead a mission to the planet Scarif to steal the Death Star plans from a heavily fortified base. Although they are successful, their entire team gives the ultimate sacrifice, dying on the sands of the tropical planet. With the film’s plot already weighing on the coming events of Andor episode 5, the show may subvert those expectations leading to a successful mission with minimal casualties. The result of the mission may give Cassian the courage to boldly attack Scarif years later. With Andor episode 4 setting up an exciting mission for next week, fans may yet again find more parallels to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
