Andor season 2's third arc brought action, intensity, high stakes, and closure to some major characters. Among the many amazing things within these episodes, however, they hammer home one of the show’s most important messages. The seeds of this message have been planted from the first season, but these latest episodes bring it to a head: the point of rebellion, of living, is empathy.

Andor makes it clear that one of the most crucial tools to fight against evil is empathy. It’s a defining factor in the fight against the Empire and a key trait in those who ultimately brought it down. What’s interesting, however, is how the show emphasizes that empathy must also extend to the enemies.

Andor Treats Its Villains With As Much Care As Its Heroes

From the beginning, Andor has excellently balanced the story between the good guys and bad guys. By and large, the antagonists throughout both seasons are treated equally; and I’m not talking about just screentime. They’re given complete story arcs, making them feel like real, oftentimes messy, people. This results in multidimensional villains who not only make us root for the heroes harder, but are compelling on their own.

This can be an incredibly tough subject to convey on the screen; it’s easy to fall into the “both-sides” territory. Andor manages to deftly thread that needle, however, through its sharp writing.

Look at the “family dinner” scene in this season’s first arc. Syril Karn and Dedra Meero are terrible people. We’re talking actual Nazis. Their actions throughout the entire first season make it clear they don’t deserve an ounce of happiness. And yet, when we watch them suffer through this awkward dinner with Syril’s mother, it’s all too relatable. We feel second-hand embarrassment and sympathize with Syril’s overall discomfiture. Moreso, it’s almost impossible not to cheer when Dedra lays down the law with Eedy and establishes firm ground rules.

By engaging us with these characters from the outset, Andor humanizes its villains. Forcing us to confront the reality that even people we can relate to/understand are capable of terrible things. Perhaps more importantly, it opens us to the possibility of them changing.

There’s always a chance for them to choose to be better despite what’s come before. This doesn’t absolve them of the wrongs they’ve committed, but in empathizing with them we can hope for a better future. Ultimately, it’s that hope which keeps the light shining through the darkness, which is Star Wars’ most core theme.

The Death Of Syril Gives Him The End He So Deserves

Syril’s role in episodes seven, eight, and nine serves as a prime example. We can empathize with him as he realizes the extent of how the Empire has used him. We feel for him as he finally understands Cassian — the man who completely reshaped Syril’s life and dominated his thoughts — never even knew who he was. This doesn’t erase his willingness to go along with the Empire when it suited him, nor is the show seeking to gloss these things over either; it ultimately gives him the only ending he deserves.

Even here, however, it’s possible to feel sadness in his death at the Ghorman Massacre (especially as we witness Eedy’s heartbroken reaction to the news). Not for the person Syril was, but the person he could have been. The choices he could have made to be better.

By framing their stories in such a way, Andor gives us villains who aren’t the archetypal “evil” we’re accustomed to in the franchise. We’re made to reckon with the idea that the majority of terrible things being perpetrated in the world/galaxy are done by regular people, with lives not dissimilar to ours. In watching, we see how they make the choice to do awful things not because they are innately evil (though some are), but because they lack empathy.

In this way, Andor holds a mirror to audiences, forcing us to see these villains for who they really are. All while asking if we’re capable of the one thing they aren’t.

Mon Mothma's Speech Brings The Theme Of Empathy To A Climax

Empathy is a defining trait in fiction and the real world. Understanding the suffering of others can give us the endurance to keep moving forward when things seem darkest. Moreso, empathy grants us the capacity for mercy; even when they’re the “bad guys.” Through empathy we gain understanding, which allows us to choose justice over retribution.

It’s a subtle difference, and there are whole books out in the world dedicated to the philosophy behind such moral distinctions, but it matters. It matters how people fight and what they fight for. When we’re talking about the Rebel Alliance, they aren’t fighting to merely punish the Imperials who’ve wronged them over the years. Instead, they’re pushing for a better galaxy for all. This is a crucial distinction, and the only way to successfully accomplish it, is through empathy.

Mon Mothma’s story during these episodes, and the lead up to her (incredible) speech before the Senate in episode nine, specifically highlights this aspect. It can be seen so powerfully in the interactions between her and Luthen. She’s been wary of Luthen’s methods for a while now, but it comes out in the open when he reveals Erskin has been his agent.

"Well, let me guess. In the end, it's only you I can trust. Is that it?" She accuses. "I often think of Tay Kolma. How quickly you decided he was a risk. How quickly all that happened…Right now, I'm more afraid of you than anything."

The words cut like a whip, laying bare the differences between how they feel a rebellion should be fought and won. While they are on the same side, their ideology is putting them against each other. Luthen lost his empathy — probably long ago — and that loss has made him callous, even cruel. His willingness to sacrifice allies and play his own people against one another puts his methods more in line with what we’ve seen from the Empire. Mothma knows this approach won’t lead to victory, at least not one which allows for a genuinely better place.

Cassian Andor's Story Is Defined By Empathy

This shift is visible within the show’s titular character himself. In the first season, Cassian goes from being a loner, looking out for his own interests with an “everyone’s suffering, so who cares” attitude. His time in Narkina changes things, and he s up with Luthen in order to fight back against the Empire in a more real way.

Though it plays out more subtly, Cassian’s growth continues in Andor season 2. He begins pushing back against Luthen’s methods, seeing them for the cold and calculating maneuvers they are. By this third arc, Cassian has ed with the Alliance on Yavin, eschewing the isolation of Luthen’s ways. He still has rough edges and a willingness to do shady things, but we see how it’s weighing on him more and more. By Rogue One, we see him more fully embrace that empathy by refusing to assassinate Galen Erso, and deciding to help Jyn infiltrate Scarif.

It’s almost impossible to imagine a Rebel victory without empathy. There is no Alliance without the numerous Imperial defectors who ultimately chose to be/do better. Luke Skywalker wouldn’t have been able to bring his father back to the light, and defeat the Emperor, without empathy. Andor expertly demonstrates this within the context of the Star Wars universe while asking the audience watching to see it within themselves.

Andor's final 3 episodes will premiere May 13th at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST on Disney+.