This article contains major spoilers forAndor.At first glance,Andormay seem like just another cheap cash-grab spin-off in theStar Warsfranchise. However, the series has quickly gained a reputation as not just an excellent TV show in its own right, but as one of the most well-writtenStar Warsstories in a very long time.
At its heart,Andoris the story of the birth of the rebellion. Time and time again, the seriesexplores how inspiring words can give ordinary people the will to fight back against tyranny. As such, it’s only fitting that it has plenty of memorable speeches throughout its first season. These monologues run the gamut from defiant to tragic to chilling, but they always serve to bolster the themes of the series. Plus, it helps that they’redelivered by a castof immensely talented actors. So without further ado, here are just a few of the strongest examples of striking soliloquies fromAndor’s first season.
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The ISB’s Purpose
This speech comes from Episode 4, in which Major Partagaz of the Imperial Security Bureau addresses his gathered subordinates during a meeting. During this meeting, Dedra Meero, the series’ strict and ambitious main antagonist, states that the ISB is meant to provide security to the Empire through espionage. However, Partagaz corrects her simplistic viewpoint:
“Security is an illusion. You want security, call the Navy […] We are healthcare providers. We treat sickness. We identify symptoms, we locate germs, whether they arise from within or have come from the outside. The longer we wait to identify a disorder, the harder it isto treat the disease.”
This scene serves to not only establish Partagaz and Dedra as villains, but to characterize the ISB as a whole. By comparing the Rebellion to a disease, Partagaz shows not only his cruel disdain for those who would defy the Empire, but also the clinical ruthlessness with which he seeks to eliminate them. In just a few lines,Andoreffectively sets up just how deadly an enemy the ISB truly is.
One Way Out
One of the most powerful scenes in the entire season is the sequence from Episode 10, in which Kino Loy delivers an inspiring speech to the prisoners of Narkina 5, inciting a full scale jailbreak.“Get out of your cells, take charge and start climbing,“he commands.
Theydon’t have enough guards,and they know it […] We will never have a better chance than this, and I would rather die trying to take them down than giving them what they want.”
He continues:
“There is one way out. You need to help each other. You see someone who’s confused […] you keep them moving until we put this place behind us. There are 5,000 of us. If we can fight half as hard as we’ve been working, we will be home in no time. One way out!”
After audiences have spent three episodes watching how hopeless and broken the prisoners of Narkina 5 have become, watching Kino rally them with words alone is absolutely electrifying. However, it’s not just retribution that Kino calls for, but compassionand unity as well, as he urges the prisoners to work together and have each other’s backs as they escape. It’s a truly moving monologue that perfectly encapsulatesAndor’s blend of hope and defiance, and it’s delivered by the incomparable Andy Serkis to boot.
Luthen’s Sacrifice
In the same episode, Luthen is confronted by one of his moles within the Empire, who calls him out for treating people like his pawns. But when asked what he’s sacrificed for the cause, Luthen gives an unexpected answer:
“Calm. Kindness. Kinship. Love […] I’ve given up all chance at inner peace. I’ve made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts. I wake up every day to an equation I wrote 15 years ago from which there’s only one conclusion: I’m damned for what I do.”
He goes on:
“I yearned to bea savior against injusticewithout contemplating the cost, and by the time I looked down, there was no longer any ground beneath my feet […] And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude. So what do I sacrifice? Everything!”
This monologue provides a shocking moment of honesty and self-awareness from a character who’s been an enigma for most of the series. Despite his callous, manipulative methods, Luthen shows that he still feels guilt for the blood on his hands. Major kudos to Stellan Skarsgard for making Luthen one of the most nuanced, complexcharacters in theStar Warsuniverse,and for giving such a powerful performance in this speech.
Nemik’s Manifesto
Nearly any line from Karis Nemik could fit on this list, considering his penchant for long-winded rambling about politics and philosophy. However, his greatest quote comes from the season finale, in which Cassian finally listens to his recorded Rebel manifesto. In it, Nemik declares:
“Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction […] Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.”
He then goes on to add:
“The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural […] Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppressionis the mask of fear[…] The day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance, will have flooded the banks of the Empire’s authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this. Try.”
Nemik’s manifesto carries incredible weight, both in and out of universe. Within the story, it inspires Cassian to join the showdown on Ferrix. However, it also puts the central themes into words. The Empire isn’t nearly as unstoppable as it seems, and even small actions from ordinary people have the power to help bring it down.
Fight the Empire!
Finally, this list wouldn’t be complete without Maarva’s pre-recorded message to the people of Ferrix, played at her own funeral. She begins by waxingnostalgic about childhood memories,but as the speech goes on, it takes a turn, describing the bleak state that the galaxy has found itself in.
“There is a wound that won’t heal at the center of the galaxy […] There is a darkness reaching like rust into everything around us. We let it grow, and now it’s here. It’s here and it’s not visiting anymore. It wants to stay.”
But she has a message of hope as well:
“The Empire is a disease that thrives in darkness, it is never more alive than when we sleep […] It’s easy for the dead to tell you to fight, and maybe it’s true, maybe fighting is useless. Perhaps it’s too late. But I’ll tell you this… If I could do it again, I’d wake up early and be fighting these bastards from the start. Fight the Empire!”
As the Imperial forcesrush to stop the message,the funeral erupts into a full-scale riot as Maarva’s words move the people of Ferrix to fight back against their oppressors. This scene has arguably become the most iconic moment inAndor, and it’s easy to see why. In a series all about how regular people become inspired to rebellion, there’s no better speech to serve as the centerpiece of the final episode.
