Andor was one of the most critically acclaimed shows in the Star Wars universe, but it wasn’t immune to one of the biggest temptations in prequels: shoehorning in familiar faces so fans can get the thrill of seeing an old friend. But for every familiar character, there were two new characters who were just as intriguing.
Now, one of these new characters who played a small but crucial role in Andor Season 1 is getting a new spotlight, one that could solve one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the series.
Io9 recently debuted the cover for Reign of the Empire: Edge of the Abyss by Rebecca Roanhorse, the second book in the Reign of the Empire trilogy after the Mon Mothma-focused first book, The Mask of Fear. The cover features a number of familiar faces, including Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa with his young daughter, Leia. But beside all those familiar characters is a burly, bearded man. But just who is this guy? Believe it or not, you’ve seen him before.
This man is Anto Kreegyr, the Separatist who was targeted by the ISB in Season 1 of Andor. Thanks to his man on the inside, Luthen Rael was very aware Kreegyr was about to enter an Imperial trap, but chose not to warn him — the ISB believes Kreegyr is the “Axis” leader they’re looking for, but it’s actually Luthen. “Kreegyr goes down, the ISB will feel invincible. They'll feel untouchable. We'll have a clear field to play,” he says to Saw in Episode 11 in Andor Season 1.
As devastating as seeing Luthen lead his comrade into certain doom was, it was lessened a bit due to the fact that we didn’t actually ever see him — he’s only shown in a hologram in an ISB briefing meeting. Who was this man, and what was his mission? How did his approach to the Rebellion differ from others? These are all questions that could be answered in this new novel.
His appearance on the cover isn’t just set dressing, either. Anto is actually mentioned in the plot description of the book, which takes place a year before the events of Andor, which means six years before the events of Rogue One. “Across the galaxy, disparate rebel factions are rendered outcasts, branded criminals, and pitted against each other,” the synopsis reads. “On Ghorman, an idealistic student group seeks to make meaningful change, unaware of the ISB agent who seeks to sabotage them from the inside. Leaders like Saw Gerrera and Anto Kreegyr squabble and bargain to survive one more day against the crush of Imperial might.”
So while we may know the tragic ending to Anto’s story, this novel will give us a glimpse into what an asset he was to the fight. It might make Andor all the sadder on rewatch, but every character who gave their life for the Rebellion deserves to have their story told.
