One of the coolest things about expanded universe Star Wars shows is all of the new stuff we learn about smaller planets and characters. Andor has been a masterclass in that, and recently we were introduced to Arvel Skeen and his body and hand tattoos.
In episode 5, we learn the tattoos mean “Krayt Head” and “By the Hand.” Early in the episode, Cassian awakes to find that his equipment is gone and that Skeen has stolen it so he can inspect it. After a pretty tense conversation between the two, talk turns to the tattoo.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Skeen says to Cassian, apparently noticing Cassian’s eyes falling on it. So what do they mean?
The “Krayt Head” tattoo Cassian notices with the barcode could be a reference to Skeen’s time in prison. Cassian spent time in a prison as a youth, so it makes sense that he would recognize it. Krayt is a type of dragon that appeared in season 2 of The Mandalorian and it’s native to Tatooine so the prison could possibly be there.
As for “By the Hand,” it could also be a prison tattoo that represents either his crime (theft maybe) or the type of work he did in prison (manual labor by hand). Cassian and Skeen bond over the tattoos and the fact that no one else knows what they mean.
The prison hypothesis is backed up by the conversation between the two when Skeen asks Cassian “where were you?,” referring to time served in an Empire prison. Cassian says “Sipo. Youth center.” Skeen says he never heard of it and replies “They built a lot of cages, huh?”
Later in the episode we get a little more of Skeen’s backstory and subsequent motivation for his character. Turns out Skeen’s brother had a tree farm and an Imperial Prefect flooded the land and ruined his brother’s business.
His brother was so distraught, Skeen explains, that he committed suicide by jumping off a boat with rocks in his pocket. Skeen said his dislike of the Empire turned into outright hatred and thirst for revenge. Andor is somewhat surprised and encouraged by Skeen’s tale.
“That’s it?” Cassian asks Skeen. “That’s why you’re here? Revenge?”
“Yeah,” Skeen says. “That’s good enough for now.”
The tattoos mean that in addition to what happened to his family, Skeen has additional personal reasons for destroying the Empire.
Andor is currently streaming on Disney Plus.