Star Wars series Andor raises the bar for its star Diego Luna

When it debuted in 2022, sci-fi drama Andor did not get huge viewership numbers compared with other Star Wars series such as The Mandalorian (2019 to 2023) or Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022).

- Alison de Souza

LOS ANGELES — When it debuted in 2022, sci-fi drama Andor did not get huge viewership numbers compared with other Star Wars series such as The Mandalorian (2019 to 2023) or Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022).

But it became one of the best-reviewed titles in the franchise, praised for offering a more mature, grounded take on the Star Wars universe, with slow-simmering character drama and dark political intrigue.

As its second and final season returns to Disney+ on April 23, stars Diego Luna and Adria Arjona tell The Straits Times the show will continue to stand apart from other Star Wars tales.

A prequel to the film Rogue One (2016) that also sets up the events of the original 1977 Star Wars movie A New Hope, Andor chronicles the transformation of Rogue One hero Cassian Andor (Luna) from self-serving smuggler to committed rebel officer.

And as war looms in Season 2, his relationship with close ally Bix (Arjona) grows increasingly complicated as the pair become more involved in the rebellion.

In a conversation over Zoom, Luna, 45, and Arjona, 32, point to several reasons Andor is distinct from the rest of the Star Wars universe.