Andor season 1 would have unfolded differently if Kino Loy had made one different decision says Diego Luna. The newest Star Wars series Andor made big waves upon its release, because even though it wasn’t the most anticipated TV series, it managed to win over huge numbers of audiences and critics alike with its quality.
The story of Andor follows the journey of Cassian Andor as he becomes involved in the Rebellion against Emperor Palpatine and his Galactic Empire. Along the way, he plays a pivotal role in the heist on Aldhani before being arrested and getting sent to the floating prison on the ocean of Narkina 5. After escaping the prison he travels back to Ferrix to attend the funeral of his aoptive mother Maarva, as characters and plans all come together in an explosive finale in Andor episode 12.
However, the story of Andor would have been very different if Kino Loy, the prisoner on Narkina 5 played by former Star Wars movie star Andy Serkis (who also played the Star Wars villain Snoke), had made one different decision during the prison escape. His character facilitates the escape, but can’t escape himself because he can’t swim. It’s a tragic and surprisingly emotional moment – but also more important than it first seems.
Speaking to Collider, Diego Luna revealed what the important decision was, and spoke about Kino Loy and the importance of the Narkina 5 arc more broadly. He said “I’ll tell you this. Kino doesn’t find out he doesn’t [know how to] swim just before jumping, right? Kino doesn’t say it because of a reason. I think these two know each other so well in that moment that Kino knows if Cassian would’ve known, he would change the plan and tried to come up with another idea, but not jumping to the open waters.”
He continued “I think Kino knows, and I think you should know. If you are saying you love the show, and you’ve seen the whole show, you should know. I mean by this moment, this guy, he’s a team worker. He commits not just to ideas but to people. I think that’s the big, big lesson he gets in prison. That you are as strong as the connection with your team is. That’s where your strength is in that capacity we have to think bigger than just ourselves. Cassian could have grabbed the microphone and started giving the speech when he thinks Kino is not delivering, but he wants to see Kino deliver.”
So, Diego Luna is saying that if Kino Loy had opened up about not being able to swim the escape plan would have been very different, and probably less successful. It also points to important character development for Cassian Andor, who previously was shown to prioritise himself but grows to become concerned about more than that as the show continues.
For more on Andor, take a look at our guide to the Andor season 2 release date, or check out our explainers on the Andor cast of characters including ISB officer Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Luthen Rael, and Mon Mothma.