Andor is throwing Star Wars fans for a loop. Ahead of the show’s September 21 release, fans continue to analyze the jam-packed trailer for clues, especially ones that reveal possible connections to the broader Star Wars universe — like if a mysterious character named “Kleya” is secretly Princess Leia in disguise, or if we’ll see any Rebels characters in live-action.
But probably the liveliest trailer debate has to do with a character holding what looks to be an AK-47. While a firearm may seem like a flimsy weapon in a world of lightsabers and blasters, it may hold more power than you think.
“Slugthrowers,” what we would consider normal firearms, have a long history within the non-canon Star Wars Legends world. While blasters were finicky and likely to break down with environmental changes, slugthrowers were hardy and useful in even the harshest of climes. That’s probably why we see the Tusken Raiders wield cycler rifles in The Phantom Menace, and why Boba Fett is carrying one when we see him for the first time in The Mandalorian.
But aside from their hardiness, is there another reason why this character would be carrying a slugthrower in the Andor trailer? It could just be a matter of economics — Andor is about the infancy of the Rebellion, a time when resources were extremely limited. Maybe they couldn’t afford blasters, and slugthrowers were the next best thing.
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But there’s also another possible explanation, one that would make slugthrowers more powerful than even lightsabers. In little-known canon comic, Obi-Wan and Anakin #5, published in 2016, Obi-Wan Kenobi faced off against a gang wielding slugthrowers.
When he went to do his customary defensive move of using his saber to deflect, he found the bullets didn’t bounce off like they do with blaster fire. Instead, the saber melted the bullets, which then continued to travel and burnt Obi-Wan’s face.
If the same logic applies to Andor, this means that these rebels may be perfectly equipped to battle any saber-wielder. As this is a prequel to Rogue One, one particular saber-wielder comes to mind: Darth Vader. At this point in the timeline, the Inquisitors have vanished, meaning Vader is the only applicable character who could be taken down in this way.
Ironically, Vader is probably also the only character who would be used to this burning — that’s why he’s in his iconic armor. But, much like Luke’s heroic flight in A New Hope, it only takes one perfectly aimed shot to do the trick. Maybe these rebels could incapacitate Vader for a time, symbolically starting the Rebellion with a slugthrower shot heard round the galaxy.
Andor premieres on Disney+ September 21.
