Andor has only featured a handful of non-humanoid characters throughout its first season, and even then they haven't necessarily been integral parts of the action. In the premiere, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) spoke with a bartender from a species not yet featured in the Star Wars lexicon, before returning home to get hustled for money owed to an Urodel named Vetch. After Nemik (Alex Lawther) is injured during the attack on Aldhani, he is treated by a four-armed physician whose species is also not registered anywhere in the tomes of Star Wars. Within the halls of the Imperial factory facility, the Empire has seemingly incarcerated only humanoid men, or at least only seen them fit to be builders and workers there. On the watery planet, however, the Keredians are clinging to what remains of the land that the Empire hasn't stolen from them in their colonizing pursuits.
Star Wars has historically centered its live-action stories around humanoid leads, but that didn't stop Collider's own Steve Weintraub to question Andor's creator Tony Gilroy about why the Rogue One prequel series opted to limit how many species were represented on screen. While some have theorized that the lacking diversity in species may have something to do with budgeting costs for special effects makeup and costuming, Gilroy offered a surprisingly practical and in-world explanation for why. He explained:
"In some places, people were saying, oh, "Why is Narkina 5 all humans?" Well, I don't know how you would work out the bathroom on the floor with eight different varieties of genitals or whatever. I mean, it has to be that way, a system like that, maybe there's Narkina 2 where there's different things. We're probably a little bit shy about it because it's such a behavioral show and most of our principles are in this particular world. And certainly, the Empire doesn't have a surplus of aliens on their side."
As Season 1 wraps up this week, Gilroy seemed to allude to the fact that Season 2 might feature more non-human characters as the world starts to open up a bit more in the midst of the rebellion. As he went on to say, "There's some [in Season 1], and we'll probably have more. It's a very strong flavor when it comes in. It's not just a visual flavor, it's a very strong character flavor. You have to deal with it politically." Gilroy added later in the conversation, "We will have more, and we'll have them in the appropriate places. We try to pick our shots and make them cool, I guess."
Considering the fact that the Empire is a walking OSHA violation, it's not exactly surprising that accommodating different 'fresher needs is the issue with alien representation under their occupation, though it is a pretty hilarious answer. Hopefully, the rebellion can do better at making sure everyone's specific needs are met when Cassian eventually finds his way into the events that lead up to Rogue One's devastating conclusion.
What to Expect When Andor Season 2 Returns
While we don't know what aliens will make an appearance in the final season, it's safe to say that Season 2 will see the return of Diego Luna, Genevieve O'Reilly, and Duncan Pow. With the finale arriving tomorrow, it's currently unclear what will go down on Ferrix and whether everyone will make it out alive. Hopefully, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Elizabeth Dulau, Faye Marsay, and Varada Sethu will survive. Stellan Skarsgård will likely return, considering he was the first to reveal that the series would return for a second season. Season 2 will also see Ariel Kleiman, Janus Metz, and Alonso Ruizpalacios join the series to direct 3-episode blocks, penned by Dan Gilroy and Beau Willimon, alongside newcomer Tom Bissell.
After the season finale arrives on Disney+ tomorrow, you can catch the first two episodes of the series on ABC, Freeform, FX, and Hulu later this week. Check out local listings to see where you can tune in. Check back at the end of the week to read our full interview with Tony Gilroy and in the meantime watch our interview with Andy Serkis below: