Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for the Ahsoka finale.Ahsoka and Andor have been championed by many as the best out of all the Star Wars shows Disney has released thus far. Both series have been massive successes, but for completely different reasons. And while a lot of people are still fresh off of the hype of Ahsoka, there are still plenty of Star Wars enthusiasts who believe Andor to be the best show Disney has done. Nevertheless, regardless of all the merits each series has, they also have their own unique problems.
One of the biggest problems with Andor lies within the first three epodes, which set up a subplot of Cassian attempting to find his long-lost sister. But the series quickly pivots and forgets this portion of the story in favor of focusing on Cassian’s introduction to the Rebellion. While there is still room to explore Cassian’s quest to find his sister in Andor season 2, it stands out as a loose thread. Meanwhile, Ahsoka has a difficult time escaping the same filler problems that plagued The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett; she’s often not the focus of the series, despite being the titular character.
10 Ahsoka Appeals To Existing Star Wars Fans
Dave Filoni crafted Ahsoka with Star Wars fans in mind. Because of this, the series is filled with references to Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. The ones who have seen the animated projects recognize and appreciate Ahsoka’s Easter eggs, whereas the ones who haven’t are often left scratching their heads. In other words, Filoni rewards the audience for sticking with Ahsoka and the other Rebels characters for so long. Since Ahsoka gives Star Wars enthusiasts exactly what they want, it stands apart from Disney’s other live-action series.
9 Andor Appeals To New Star Wars Fans
Instead of relying on cameos and references as Ahsoka does, Andor takes the exact opposite approach; the viewer doesn’t need to know anything about Star Wars in order to empathize with Cassian’s plight. Knowing the larger picture in Star Wars isn’t important for understanding what’s going on, since Andor does such a fantastic job at worldbuilding its bleak environment. It’s the perfect live-action show for anyone who hasn’t kept up with the decades of Star Wars movies and shows. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of easter eggs in Andor for Star Wars lovers to pick up on.
8 Ahsoka Covers Big Picture Threats
Like the Star Wars movies, the threats in Ahsoka have galaxy-wide consequences. The repercussions of Thrawn’s return will almost certainly be felt in every corner of the galaxy, because he threatens to revitalize the same Empire Cassian fought so hard to defeat. And as if Thrawn wasn’t big enough, Ahsoka also features Baylan’s subplot of finding the Mortis gods. In any case, the protagonists are on the front line of a battle with enormous implications for the rest of the galaxy. The stakes are high, and the odds are stacked against them; if they fail, the entire galaxy will suffer.
7 Andor Focuses On The Importance Of Small Victories
On the other hand, Andor’s protagonists aren’t anywhere near the Emperor or Vader; if they fail, it will only be another routine victory for the Empire. Instead, the show focuses on how these small victories snowball into the bigger fight between the Rebellion and the Empire. When compared to Ahsoka’s battle against Grand Admiral Thrawn, Andor’s heist at Aldhani and the Narkina 5 prison escape seem insignificant. But the point of Andor is to show how these small successes against the Empire were crucial for the Rebellion in its infancy; the show manages to rope the audience into rooting for Cassian to win, regardless of how small his mission may be.
6 Ahsoka Is A Classic Lighthearted Star Wars Adventure
Despite having some serious moments, Ahsoka is filled with plenty of lighthearted banter. Whether it be Huyang roasting Sabine Wren’s lack of talent in the Force, or Ezra Bridger attempting to stall for time against Shin Hati, Filoni expertly balances humor with realistic peril. He takes a leaf out of George Lucas’ book and includes plenty of sarcastic quips sprinkled into even the most dire situations. Even though Ahsoka is a live-action show, the dialogue often feels more like another episode of The Clone Wars or Rebels. The audience knows the heroes will likely be ok in the end, yet that doesn’t stop them from fearing for their success.
5 Andor Is One Of The Grittiest Star Wars Stories Yet
Instead of including humor, Andor takes a grittier and more realistic approach to the galaxy. At no point does the audience feel any of the side characters are safe. Seemingly crucial characters to Andor’s development such as Nemik and Kino Loy end up getting killed or go missing by the end of the show. Their deaths don’t have the same theatrics other Star Wars projects have, making their losses feel all the more real to Cassian and the audience. Cassian’s fight against the Empire is what gives meaning to his fallen comrades.
4 Ahsoka Builds On A Decade of Star Wars Character Arcs
Ahsoka has a major advantage over Andor precisely because it expounds upon well-developed characters from Star Wars’ animation. Filoni has already poured more than a decade’s worth of character development into Ahsoka Tano, turning her into one of the most rounded characters in the franchise. The series builds on Ahsoka’s rich history by challenging her to face her past and move on from it. Despite her reservations against the horrific monster Anakin became, her visions of him during The Clone Wars help her recognize the good things he taught her.
3 Andor Is A Much Deeper Character Study Than Ahsoka
While Cassian’s character previously appeared in Rogue One, Andor goes the extra mile in fleshing out the character’s backstory. Andor’s gritty and unforgiving tone serve to temper Cassian and the other characters into hardened Rebels. The series also doesn’t shy away from darker plot lines, such as Mon Mothma being coerced into betrothing her own daughter to the son of a disreputable banker. While Ahsoka builds on pre-established characters the audience already knows, Andor provides a fresh take on relatively new characters to the franchise.
2 Ahsoka Is Building A New Villain For Star Wars
Ahsoka’s placement in the Star Wars timeline gives it another advantage over Andor. The New Republic Era between A New Hope and The Force Awakens is relatively unexplored territory, giving Filoni the freedom to set up a new villain. Thrawn’s return to the galaxy is unprecedented. Thrawn has almost twenty years before the First Order and Snoke rise, which is a huge timeframe to cause massive havoc to the New Republic. In short, Ahsoka succeeds because the audience has no clue how Thrawn’s plot line will play out.
1 Andor Is Building Toward The Best Of Star Wars
Meanwhile, Andor succeeds because it builds toward the most well-known part of Star Wars. Almost everyone knows of the battle between the Empire and the Rebellion in A New Hope, and Andor successfully explores the backstory of what led up to this conflict. Furthermore, it also shows the amount of labor that went into the Death Star’s construction. The audience may know where the show is headed, but the series still manages to provide several thrilling and nail-biting moments. Regardless, both Ahsoka and Andor have plenty merits that make them fantastic Star Wars shows in their own unique way.
All episodes of Ahsoka now streaming on Disney+.