Luthen Rael’s true motivation has been revealed by Andor’s production designed Luke Hull. Luthen Rael is one of the leaders of the Rebellion against Emperor Palpatine‘s evil, oppressive Galactic Empire. He has quickly become one of the most interesting Star Wars characters around, and Stellan Skarsgård’s performance has added depth and complexity to the mysterious character.
However, the character does remain a mystery. The long-term goals of Luthen Rael’s plan, his ethical clarity, and his motivations have been ambiguous for much of the show. Now, the production designer for the new Star Wars series has shed some light on the source of Luthen Rael’s fury at the Galactic Empire.
Speaking to Screen Rant, Luke Hull said that the character’s motivation is to do with the Galactic Empire’s impact on the various cultures in the galaxy. He said “For Luthen, partly why he hates the Empire so much is that when there’s homogenizing of the galaxy through the Empire, you’re losing some history and culture.”
That’s a surprisingly complex and interesting motivator for a Star Wars character, who’s reasons for their actions are typically more simple and straightforward. What’s especially fascinating about Hull’s comments is that it feeds into his antique shop on Coruscant. With the huge variety of artefacts in his shop, from Jedi items to Sith trinkets, to much more subtle easter eggs, it’s clear that Luthen Rael celebrates, and has a love for the Star Wars galaxy’s history and culture. So, the fact that he’s a antique dealer might be one of the most ‘real’ aspects of Luthen Rael.
For more on Star Wars, check out our guides to Star Wars droids and Star Wars bounty hunters. To keep up with Andor specifically, check out our explainers for Syril Karn, Mon Mothma, and Kino Loy.