One of the undoubted highlights of the first season of the best Star Wars series, Andor, was the prison storyline, which prominently featured Andy Serkis as Kino Loy. That arc concluded with a prison break, and Cassian jumping from the island and swimming for freedom. Kino was unable to join him, due to not being able to swim.
While it was believed by many that what happened to Kino Loy is that he died during the prison escape in episode 10, showrunner Tony Gilroy confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that he is actually still alive. “Well, he didn’t die. I don’t know what happened, but he didn’t die. We never see him die.”
Serkis added; “If he jumped, that would be the end of him and he would be out of the picture. But no, he’s alive and [Kino’s] working out his next move.” This of course leaves the possibility open that Serkis may return to the Andor cast in the second season. And there have been rumours that he’s been seen on-set. However, Andor season 2 will take place over four years, with several time jumps, so how he would slot in is currently anyone’s guess.
While reflecting on the success of Andor season 1, Serkis said, “It’s incredibly gratifying to know that the writing [resonated]. But the fact that people are responding [and are] emotionally engaged in these characters and every single one is so well written and complex… It means something.”
Tony Gilroy has been open about the intense pressure of the second season delivering on the first, and the stress of nailing the landing. “We know we have this really big opportunity to deliver a really enormous, unusual piece of material and everybody really wants to go for it. We’re trying to really stick [the landing] and emotionally, we want to pay it off.”
“There’s a lot happening and we’re taking risks and the structure is very different. It’s going to be more intense,” Diego Luna says. Speaking of that change in format, Adria Arjona (Bix Caleen) says there will be “time jumps in order for us to get to Rogue One.” She adds that the “audience can expect transformations from every character within the show itself.”
While we wait for Andor season 2, check out our guide to the best Star Wars characters.