What ‘Star Wars’ movies and shows to watch before ‘Andor’

Andor’s premiere on Disney Plus is imminent, and, with so many different Star Wars projects being thrown out left, right and center, it can be difficult to keep track of all of the different ways these various films and television shows tie into each other. While we haven’t had the opportunity to watch the Andor premiere just yet, we do know it follows Cassian Andor during events taking place between the prequel trilogy and Rogue One.

Now that we have a rough timeline of events, here are our recommended viewings before the series hits the small screen.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

If there was any one key Skywalker saga film to watch before Andor, it’s probably Revenge of the Sith. Arguably the most pivotal turning point in the Star Wars timeline, we see Anakin Skywalker complete his fall from grace and turn to the dark side, and Emperor Palpatine is well and truly cemented as the evil and conniving Sith lord we know him to be. Seeing as he had the Jedi Order almost entirely eviscerated in one fell swoop with Order 66, and all. With all of the above events that transpire, it sets the stage for the era in which Andor takes place – one bereft of hope and a galaxy under the totalitarian control of the Empire. 

Obi Wan Kenobi

The events of Andor take place between Episodes III and IV, as does Obi-Wan Kenobi, which offered some insight as to what the rebellion was up to at the time.  This series saw the long-awaited return of Ewan McGregor as the titular Jedi and provides a vertical, albeit action-packed slice of Obi-Wan’s life between the prequel and sequel trilogies. It sees the Jedi master face off against his former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. Kenobi must heart wrenchingly come to grips with the fact that the boy he took under his wing is for all intents and purposes gone, and only Darth Vader remains. Consequently, and for extra fun, the show contains one of the most thrilling lightsaber duels the Star Wars fandom has ever seen. 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The film that introduced us to Cassian Andor, and is likely the most important viewing on this list. It follows a rag tag group of rebels led by Jyn Erso and Andor as they aim to achieve the impossible – steal the plans for the Death Star out from under the Empire’s nose. This is a film entirely devoted to providing context to the opening sequence of Episode IV: A New Hope, and in the process it provides an extremely likable cast of characters and one of the best Star Wars stories of all time. A significant achievement given audiences likely already knew the fate of the characters involved.

Star Wars: Rebels

This animated series will prove to be a bit more of a time commitment than all the other recommendations on this list, with four seasons worth of television to get through. However, like most of the others, it takes place during roughly the same time period as Andor, and as such is worthy of mention.

Rebels follows the adventures of a young jedi-in-training Ezra Bridger and a rag-tag team of rebels traveling around the galaxy aboard the starship Ghost, connecting splintered factions rebelling against the empire and paving the way for the rebel alliance that would eventually grow enough strength to rise up against the years-long tyranny of the empire. If not for the purposes of getting ready for Andor, or if time is short, this one will be just about non-negotiable when Ahsoka rolls around.