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Season 2 of Andor – arguably the most acclaimed of all Star Wars spinoff series – began streaming on Disney+ on April 22, with the first three episodes (out of a total of 12) released simultaneously. Like its predecessor, the new episodes have received widespread critical acclaim. However, one particular scene has sparked intense debate online, with a few viewers arguing that it was too edgy and out of place within the Star Wars universe, while others praised it for being bold and brave. ‘Andor’ Season 2 Trailer: Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor Prepares for a New Adventure in This ‘Star Wars’ Spin-Off Series Co-Starring Stellan Skarsgård.
For the first time in the franchise’s history, Andor depicted a scene involving sexual assault, including an explicit mention of the word “rape”. Spoilers ahead: In the third episode of Season 2, rebel fighter Bix Caleen (played by Adria Arjona), while hiding on a farming planet, is confronted and sexually harassed by Imperial officer Lieutenant Krole (Alex Waldmann), who demands sexual favours for allowing her to stay on the planet. When she refuses, he attempts to sexually assault her.
Before the situation escalates further, Caleen kills the predatory officer with a wrench. Later, while defending her actions, she states, “He tried to rape me.” This marks the first instance in Star Wars – film or television – where sexual assault is directly addressed, leaving many long-time fans of the franchise in shock.
On the other hand, some viewers have praised the show for embracing more grounded and mature themes, drawing parallels to real-world issues such as the rise of fascism and the mistreatment of undocumented immigrants (with Krole having referred to Caleen as an “illegal”). For them, this bold storytelling choice aligns with Andor’s established tone of gritty realism and political allegory.
How Internet Reacted to Sexual Assault Scene in ‘Andor’ Season 2
‘Feels Unnecessary’
SA in SW feels unnecessary. You can portray power dynamics and making the audience hate the empire in other ways without taking it to such a disgusting place.
Vader wouldn’t tolerate that shit nor does the Empire condone it.
It has no place in Star Wars. Period. Unnecessary.
— StarWarsTheory (@realswtheory) April 23, 2025
‘Dared To Go to the Darkest Places Star Wars Could Offer’
#Andor dared to go to the darkest places Star Wars could offer. An Imperial Officer abusing his untouchable status to rape an undocumented migrant, while his troops are rounding up other undocumented citizens. This is the real world seeping into Star Wars storytelling; this is… pic.twitter.com/mZGs4HJYwI
— The Sietch of Sci-Fi | ANDOR SPOILERS (@TSoS_) April 23, 2025
‘Harshness of Reality’
andor spoilers
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the audacity to say shit like this is only afforded to the kind of men that reject the harshness of reality for their own comfort
but “Vader wouldn’t tolerate this shit” is the funniest way to ever possibly respond to this pic.twitter.com/GwGP8pf0NI
— ✨ lilian ✨ (@lilianbubbles) April 23, 2025
‘Never Believe That There Is a Line That Evil Won’t Cross’
There is a reason we cheer when the Death Stars blow up, when the Empire is defeated. They murder entire populations with no remorse. They oppress an entire galaxy with no regard for personal autonomy. THEY ARE EVIL. Never believe that there is a line that evil won’t cross. pic.twitter.com/KfGTP4i8dd
— anabelle-second andor era (@anabelle_dawn) April 23, 2025
‘Andor’ Creator’s Defence of the Scene
When asked by The Hollywood Reporter about the requirement of such a scene in Andor, here’s what creator Tony Gilroy has to say, “I mean, let’s be honest, man: The history of civilization, there’s a huge arterial component of it that’s rape. All of us who are here – we are all the product of rape. I mean armies and power throughout history (have committed rape). So to not touch on it, in some way, it just was organic and it felt right, coming about as a power trip for this guy. I was really trying to make a path for Bix that would ultimately lead to clarity – but a difficult path to get back to clarity.”
About ‘Andor’
Set a few years before the events of the original Star Wars trilogy, Andor serves as both a spinoff and a prequel to the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Created by Tony Gilroy, the series stars Diego Luna (reprising his role as Cassian Andor from Rogue One), alongside Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgård, Fiona Shaw, Genevieve O’Reilly, Denise Gough, Faye Marsay, and Varada Sethu.
While Andor may be the first Star Wars product to depict a sexual assault scene, the franchise has previously implied instances of sexual harassment. A notorious example occurs in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, when Princess Leia (played by the late Carrie Fisher) is enslaved by Jabba the Hutt and forced to wear a gold bikini. Despite the disturbing undertones of the scene, it was heavily sexualised by Star Wars fans, and Leia’s costume became an iconic sensation – even receiving a humorous callback in the popular sitcom Friends.
Women and Child Helpline Numbers:
Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 24, 2025 04:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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