There’s no doubt that Andor is perhaps the closest thing to perfect in the Star Wars franchise. Of course, being close but not quite sometimes isn’t enough for fans, and recently, a discussion sparked up on Reddit about what still stands as one of the most hair-raising speeches ever uttered in the galaxy far, far away.
For those that might not know, the incredible call to action from Fiona Shaw’s Maarva Andor almost dropped one of the first F-bombs in Star Wars. Rather than tell the people of Ferrix to “Fight the Empire,” Shaw actually did a recording saying, “Fuck the Empire.” It was this alternative take that the fan admitted that "If I had a dying wish, it would be to have Disney restore this scene as it was originally spoken,” with some fans taking sides on the matter.
“I’m not sure why some people are a bit hung up on this. 'Fight the Empire' works perfectly in my opinion. The other wording just doesn’t make as much sense to me,” wrote one fan. Another added, “‘Fight the Empire’ works better because it's a call to action. It is specifically calling for resistance and rebellion. ‘Fuck the Empire’ is just the equivalent of saying ‘The Empire sucks,’ just in a more vulgar and satisfying way. But it's not a call to action.”
Comparisons were made throughout the thread about why not dropping the F-bomb was the better choice, with the aforementioned outburst being a form of rage, as opposed to a demand for the locals to finally fight back. “‘Fuck the Empire,’ says there’s nothing really we can do and we’re just shouting into the wind," explained one fan. "‘Fight the Empire’ says take this brick made from my ashes and bash a pig in the head.”
Thankfully, the omission of a four-letter word didn’t wreck the scene too much and still stands as a highlight and a decision that can be overlooked. Kicking over B2EMO on the other hand? Well, that’s just unforgivable.
For other brilliant moments from the Star Wars franchise, check out our list here.
