18 Star Wars Easter Eggs & References In The Andor Season 2 Premiere Explained

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Andor season 2 episodes 1, 2, and 3.

Andor season 2, episodes 1, 2, and 3, have finally been released on Disney+—here’s every Star Wars Easter egg we’ve found in the show so far. Andor season 2 has long been among the most highly anticipated of Star Wars’ upcoming TV shows. This not only is the final season of the show, but also, based on Andor season 2’s place in the Star Wars timeline, will lead directly into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

It was therefore expected that Andor season 2 would have a number of connections to Rogue One. However, there are a host of connections to Star Wars movies and TV shows, as well as several books, comics, and other sources, throughout Andor season 2. Here’s every Star Wars Easter egg we’ve found in Andor season 2, episodes 1, 2, and 3, so far.

1

The Rakatan Invasion Officially Happened At The Dawn Of The Jedi Order

Andor Confirmed The Rakatan Invaded Chandrila 25,000 Years Ago

Andor season 2 confirmed that the Rakatan Invasion took place 25,000 years before the show with the reference to a temple figure that had been stolen from Chandrila 25,000 years earlier, during the Rakatan Invasion. This cemented that the Rakatan invasion coincided with the founding of the Jedi Order (around 25,000 BBY). Prior to Andor, Star Wars canon had yet to officially give this timeline, although that was what Star Wars Legends had indicated.

2

Andor Season 2 Is Setting Up The Ghorman Massacre From Star Wars Legends

There Have Been Many References To Ghorman, Setting Up A Brutal Story Arc

Surprisingly, the Ghorman Massacre hasn’t yet been shown on the Star Wars screen, despite it being a pivotal event in the history of the Rebellion. During this event, the Empire fired upon—and killed—countless peaceful protesters on Ghorman. It seems this bloody event may finally make an appearance in Andor season 2.

3

Chandrila’s Marriage Braid Parallels The Padawan Braid

This Is A Fascinating Connection To The Jedi Knighting Ceremony

During her traditional Chandrilan wedding, Leida Mothma, Mon Mothma’s daughter, has a long braid cut from her hair. This is highly reminiscent of the Jedi Padawan braid, which gets cut off when a Padawan becomes a Knight. Interestingly, we haven’t seen this on screen, including with Anakin Skywalker’s braid, although we know he gave his to Padmé.

4

Cassian Andor Steals A TIE Avenger Prototype

The TIE Cassian Steals Has An Intriguing History

In Andor season 2’s first episode, Cassian Andor steals a TIE Avenger prototype—the first TIE Avenger shown on screen in Star Wars canon. However, the TIE Avenger is not brand-new in the franchise. In Legends, this was a starfighter that Grand Admiral Thrawn himself had a hand in creating.

Related

Andor Season 2’s New TIE Avenger Explained: The Starfighter That Would’ve Saved The Empire

Disney has released brand-new footage from Andor season 2, revealing that the incredible TIE Avenger starfighter will finally appear in canon.

5

Cassian’s TIE Breakout Is Reminiscent Of Poe Dameron

This Scene Feels Like A Total Callback

In addition to Cassian stealing the TIE bringing a new starfighter to the screen, this scene is highly reminiscent of Poe Dameron’s (and Finn’s) TIE theft in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In fact, those scenes feel even more linked in light of when they each take place in their respective stories. Both scenes are very near to the beginning of Andor season 2 and The Force Awakens, and they kick off many of the events to come.

6

The “Ministry of Enlightenment” Has A Dark Real World Origin

This Real-World Connection Isn’t Subtle

Andor season 2 introduces the notion of the “Ministry of Enlightenment,” and that has a jarring real-world connection. This Star Wars concept shares a name with Nazi Germany’s “Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment.” Star Wars has always been a story based on and inspired by real-life wars, but this shows precisely how the Empire is being framed.

7

Director Krennic Gives A Famous Palpatine Line A New Spin

This Line Is A Perfect Revenge Of The Sith Callback

In Andor season 2, episode 1, Director Krennic refers to the Death Star as “access to stable, unlimited power.” This is a subtle callback to Palpatine’s declaration of “unlimited power” in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith just before he sends Mace Windu flying out the window of his office. This is particularly ironic, given it’s clear Palpatine didn’t have unlimited power after all—he needed this superweapon.

8

You May Have Heard Those TIE Interceptor Sounds Before

Some Viewers May Have Noticed Those TIEs Sound Awfully Familiar

As a fun touch for Star Wars audiences who are familiar with the games, the sounds of the TIE Interceptor are the same as those from the loading screen of the video game Star Wars: Battlefront II.

9

This Isn’t The First Time We’ve Heard Of Imperial News

This News Network Was Actually Already Canon

Although “Imperial News Network” may sound a bit like a joke at first, this news network was canon before its mention in Andor season 2. Specifically, The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, written in 2008 by Pablo Hidalgo and Stephen J. Sansweet, also made reference to the Imperial News Network, which was described as the civilian branch of the Imperial Intelligences media division (and thus furthers the sense of propaganda).

Purchase The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

10

There’s A Striking Contrast Between Krennic’s Summit & Another In The Bad Batch

Krennic’s Intentions Are Made Clear In Andor Season 2

In the first three episodes of Andor season 2, Director Krennic hosts a summit that is quite different from another seen in Star Wars: The Bad Batch. In The Bad Batch, Tarkin led a summit with Krennic in attendance. In Andor season 2, however, Krennic holds a summit and insists that it be kept from Tarkin entirely, showing Krennic’s intentions to make a power play. As yet another connection to Nazi Germany, this also bears a clear resemblance to the Wanssee Summit.

11

The Empire Strikes Back’s Snowtroopers Make A Return

These Iconic Stormtroopers Can Be Seen In Andor Season 2

The snowtroopers, first seen in The Empire Strikes Back, also have an appearance in Andor season 2. In a true blink-and-you-miss-it moment from episode 1, two snowtroopers can be seen walking down a hallway in the facility where Cassian is posing as an Imperial pilot. This is not the snowtroopers’ first on-screen return, though, as they also fought in the Battle of Crait in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

12

You May Have Heard Of The Sienar Advanced Project Lab Before

This Facility Has A Connection To Another One Of Star Wars’ Best Shows

In episode 1 of Andor season 2, Cassian is undercover, posing as an Imperial pilot in a Sienar test facility. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because it is. In Star Wars Rebels, there was a Sienar Advanced Project Lab on Lothal, which served as a design and testing facility for Sienar Fleet Systems.

13

“You’ve Become More Than Your Fear” Is An Andor Season 1 Callback

This Line Directly Connects To Another Powerful Line From Andor Season 1

In Andor season 1, Karis Nemik tells Cassian Andor, “Oppression is the mask of fear” as part of a larger quote that perfectly captures the experience of living under a fascist regime such as the Empire. Andor season 2 follows up on this quote with the line, “You’ve become more than your fear.” Particularly as this line is delivered by Cassian to a brand-new rebel fighter, it suggests a clear progression in Cassian’s growth from season 1 to season 2.

14

One Key Line In Andor’s Premiere Parallels Rogue One

Another Callback Line Connects To Cassian And Jyn Erso In Rogue One

In Andor season 2, the line, “You’re coming home to yourself,” also delivered by Cassian to a new rebel fighter, parallels Cassian telling Jyn Erso, “Welcome home” in Rogue One. It’s safe to assume we will not be seeing Jyn Erso in Andor season 2, given this is Cassian’s story primarily, and they do not meet until Rogue One. These subtleties are therefore a nice way to nod toward that story.

15

Did You Spot A Familiar Location As A Password?

This Was A Truly Brilliant Callback To Rogue One

In Andor season 2, episode 1, the word “Kafrene” is used as a password. This is an Easter egg for Rogue One, as that is precisely the location where Cassian Andor’s Star Wars story begins.

16

Bix Is Fixing A Vaporator Just Like The Ones On Tatooine

Vaporators Have Been A Part Of Star Wars From The Very Beginning

In the Andor season 2 premiere, Bix Caleen can be seen working on a vaporator—a callback to Luke Skywalker himself, who grew up working on the Lars’ moisture farm on Tatooine. Andor has a clear desire to separate from the Skywalker family tree and the Skywalker Saga in general, so this was a nice subtle reference.

17

Andor’s Alarm Sounds Are Similar To Rogue One As Well

This Connection Offers The Two Stories Continuity

Although there are many lines (and, of course, several characters as well) connecting Rogue One and Andor, one subtler connection between the two stories is the sound of the alarms. In both Andor and Rogue One, the alarms emit the same noise (which isn’t true of all Star Wars projects). Although this is easy to miss, it offers a continuity between the movie and the show.

18

Andor Season 2 Has A Surprising Number Of Galactic Starcruiser / Galaxy’s Edge Easter Eggs

Andor Season 2 Was Full Of Galactic Starcruiser And Galaxy’s Edge References

Andor season 2 was chock-full of references to Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser and to the Disney park Galaxy’s Edge. In episodes 1, 2, and 3 alone we spotted:

• Scanning devices that make the same sound as the Halcyon bridge
• Chandrila’s blue and gold traditional colors coming from the Halcyon
• Circular imagery and architecture inspired by the Halcyon
• Holoprojectors that look like the ones in the interrogation room in Galaxy’s Edge’s Rise of the Resistance ride
• Chandrilan music derived from the Galactic Starcruiser’s instrumentals
• Food and utensils similar to those used on the Galactic Starcruiser and/or seen in Galaxy’s Edge

New episodes of Andor season 2 release weekly on Tuesdays at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.

Andor

8/10

Release Date

2022 – 2025-00-00

Network

Disney+

Showrunner

Tony Gilroy

Directors

Susanna White

Writers

Dan Gilroy