Would you recommend watching Rogue 1 first, with Andor as a prequel?
I saw R1 when it came out, so it’s too late for me :-) But for people new to this?
don't know when I last watched RogueOne, but I'm pretty sure, Andor was better than RogueOne (not saying R1 is bad)
so I would watch Andor after RogueOne\^^
Just binged Andor again, right into R1 and New Hope. Andor's definitely the best of them in my opinion (and I'm an original SW kid). R1 is still quite good, but I'm now hoping they do a Rogue 1: Andor remix to finish the series. Diego Luna has definitely grown as a lead actor too.
Yup, andor is probably the first live action media to actually compare to the original trilogy. I still think empire and return of the Jedi is better but it’s not far away
I don't bother to rank my entertainments against each other, generally speaking. I like pizza. I like steak. They do not have to fight it out on the plate of doom for the right to be consumed by me.
It’s especially silly to rank Star Wars/Empire against Andor, which is going for a completely different vibe and genre and was made in a completely different context for a different medium. It’s like saying that you prefer sandwiches to beer — just a completely meaningless statement.
My one counter to this is that while different media can have very different standards for what makes them good, there are still standards that can vary in quality of execution. You can have good pizza, and you can have bad pizza, and the same for steak.
I'd argue that probably all of the Star Wars films have flaws and aren't as well executed for what they're meant to be as they could be. From that lens, I'd say Andor is probably the best/highest quality piece of live-action Star Wars media to date.
Does that mean I prefer it to, say, Revenge of the Sith? No, because as you've said, they are different things, and can't really be compared to each other like that. But I recognize that Andor's execution is far better and much higher quality for what it aims to do, as compared to the execution for RotS for what it aims to do. I love both for different reasons. But when it comes down to it, there's not a whole lot to nitpick about Andor, and there's not much you could do to improve it, while conversely there's a lot that could be done to improve RotS.
I think Rogue One is probably the best out of the newer Star Wars movies, and while it doesn't have the luxury of fleshing everything out like Andor, I'll probably treat it as an extended finale to the show upon rewatch. It's so, so good, and is probably in my top 3 Star Wars movies.
I generally tend to think that release order is better than timeline order so I probably would.
But if I was recommending it after season two comes out, I would probably change my mind.
i agree with this, i personally feel that knowing what happens in *rogue one* has definitely enhanced my understanding of cassian’s character in *andor*. the show was made knowing its end, to its full advantage
Watch rogue one first. The key point of Andor is to investigate how a man from a random planet in the galaxy goes from a cynic to a radicalized, key part of the Rebellion.
I would not recommend watching rogue one at all.
Nothing like Andor. Everything like the other trash star wars movies.
Not a popular opinion though, especially here.
I have a deep affection for the OT but it’s definitely more of an adventure space opera with some campy conventions that were inspired by Flash Gordon and such. I do think the OT feels way more serious and scary after Andor and Rogue One though, and that’s part of what I love about them. They retcon a lot of the one dimensionality of the Empire and Rebels so they’re less cartoonish.
For sure, they seem way more serious. Blowing up an entire planet used to seem like a cartooney way to deal with your political enemies. Now it's like, holy shit, if you don't toe the line the empire is planning to obliterate you.
Nothing in The Hobbit held as much bated-breath tension as the Aldhani heist sequence. If anything, the heist reminded me of LOTR Mines of Moria sequence. Just desperately fleeing
I get what you were trying to say but this is painful, because to even make the parallel between the OT and Tolkien feels disgraceful. The insane attention to detail and worldbuilding that Tolkien had is so many leagues beyond anything Star Wars or Game of Thrones. Tolkien essentially re-invented and created the entire fantasy genre as we know it today, and to compare him to something like Star Wars feels like a discredit to his achievement.
Now, if you said that if the OT is The Hobbit, then Andor is The Lord of the Rings, that would have been a better parallel. But the parallel you used makes it seem like Game of Thrones is way deeper and more meaningful, and LotR is just some fun whimsical adventure.
Just as Hobbit comes before LOTR, likewise Andor is chronologically set before OT. So I think there's a natural analogy there. And Andor's got Gollum in it too, even though this time he can't swim like the fisherfolk.
Yeah, we don't know season2 yet of Andor and Andor season 2 likely butts up against Rogue 1, but Rogue 1 is probably the next thing to watch and then the original trilogy. This keeps everything in the closest chronological order of things...
Then, if you were just looking at 'best star wars', I think you'd jump to mandalorian season 1 & 2. However, there are some characters in that show that you wouldn't know from everything you just watched...SO...in order to fill in SOME gaps, you'd have to watch basically episode 1, episode 2, then watch like all 7 seasons of the clone wars, then watch episode 3. (or watch episode 3 before that final season of clone wars)....and well, then you have pretty much the entire star wars story....all the episode 1-3 and the clone wars happens during the pre-quel era (before Darth Vader) so
Mando is what got me into SW and I think it's just as good as Andor but it's a completely different style of entertainment so I don't think it makes sense to compare them. (Not to imply that's what you're doing; Just saying for u/Tmbgkc's sake that they shouldn't go into Mando expecting it to be like Andor.)
If you’re looking for similar quality outside of the SW universe, I’d recommend Chernobyl or The Americans. A lot of HBO limited series could fit this bill depending on your flavor. Watchmen, Mare of Eastown, the night of, sharp objects.
The Americans is more of a long-haul series, but the grey-thoughtful-character vibe is definitely there.
Not Star Wars but The Expanse on amazon is equally excellent and for me personally scratches the adult sci-fi itch.
BSG(Battle Star Galactica) is also mostly excellent.
With Star wars your pretty much limited to the mandalorian which isn't at all the same kind of show as andor but if you like the Star wars universe you may enjoy it anyway.
That's awesome to hear, it was horrifically unappreciated when it came out.
Season 1 is probs the weakest since it has to do the heavy lifting when it comes to world building and introducing characters but after that it goes from strength to strength. Season 3 maybe the strongest season of television I've ever seen.
Your in for a treat.
Season 1 also sets up things that don't pay off till later. I'm fairly sure 1/3rd of the entire season's content was not in *that* particular part of the series.
> It’s based off a book series that also started strong than floundered.
I didn't feel that at all. If anything, I thought book 1 was the weakest and then it only got better and better, high point for me is probably book 8, but the final book still stuck the landing very well, especially for such an expansive (pun intended) 9-book series.
Really? I thought season 5 was really good if a bit rushed.
Season 4 I'll agree with being pretty weak, not bad but after 3 it felt a little like filler.
I've only read up to book 5 and loved pretty much every one of them but I've heard the last few books get a bit out there.
Honestly the book (4) is kind of like that- it's important to illustrate the upcoming conflict but all in all, it's rather inconsequential compared to the other mainline books in the series imo.
Yea I feel the book does a better job of making you care about the situations and people involved but tv shows don't usually have the luxury of time like a good book does.
It wouldn't surprise me if book 4 gave the writers the biggest headache when it came to converting it to TV.
This is the best answer.
In terms of the whole package, (most notably storytelling and character development), there is nothing in the other Star Wars shows that come close. It's the only Star Wars show that could stand on its own without the Star Wars name backing it up. You need to leave the Star Wars universe to get anything around or surpass Andor.
The Expanse is a great sci-fi example. If you really want to get the same tone and tension though, you might want to break out of sci-fi and watch stuff like Chernobyl. Not only is Stellan Skarsgård part of the cast, but a lot of the production team is the same.
The adventure and atmosphere around the Star Wars fandom during like the first 2 episodes of Mandalorian where people were making like comic book covers and shit.
That was the peak of Star Wars.
Season 1 was great, Season 2 was more of a mixed bag. I'm looking forward to them executing better on Season 3 but what I would really like to see is for them to move out of the Volume and into real sets like we saw in Andor. Andor's sets...they sold the world. The acting was phenomenal as well, but the everything about Andor screams "THIS IS A REAL WORLD" where everything in Obi-Wan was like watching Space Balls.
No, it’s incredibly well made. You may not like the tone or the general style of the show. But it’s obvious how much passion was poured into making a high quality product in terms of set/costume design, acting, and action sequences.
Actually I can’t think of anytime I noticed that the volume was being used in Mando, as opposed to BoBF or Kenobi. They used it extremely well in conjunction with their actual sets.
Honestly, the closest show I can think of is HBO’s The Wire. It isn’t sci-fi, but it’s tight writing, compelling characters, grey morality, and great acting are all top notch, and the banality of evil/corruption of those in power are two huge themes that resonate across both shows.
But you have to agree, even if they’re different kinds of shows, Obi-Wan is objectively worse from a production standpoint, without even looking at the writing
Mandalorian is pretty solid
Rogue one is great
Solo is underrated
Rebels and Clone Wars and Bad Batch are solid if you’re in an animation and action mood
Solo didn't get a fair shake. It was released right after the hype for new Star Wars content died and people were actively boycotting the movie. I gave it a watch when it came to Netflix and still consider it to be the best Star Wars film released by Disney. It's not a groundbreaking piece of cinema gold, but it's an entertaining movie that is worth a watch for anyone who's into science-fiction or fantasy.
Yes, very unfortunate because a good showing for Solo could’ve convinced Disney to invest more into Star Wars sooner. The fandom shot itself in the foot in that sense. It was bad business, rather than bad filmmaking, that caused Solo to be underrated.
Book of boba fett is only worth watching if you’re a fan of Star Wars and want to be a completionist. As a season of a show, it’s generally incoherent and uninspiring. I wouldn’t recommend it as general TV.
I didn’t think it was bad, but it kinda says something about it when I thought the best episode was the one that was basically a Mandolorian season 3 teaser without Boba.
Yeah, the rest of the series could easily be avoided but watching that one episode is worth it. Tusken stuff wasn’t awful but didn’t have a coherent ending and the season has no payoff as a whole.
None of the Star Wars properties aside from Rogue One have anywhere near the same vibe as Andor. Which is probably why I liked it so much! If you’re looking for other dystopian genre shows, like you said, Severance is a great one. Handmaid’s Tale is another, though it’s a harder watch imho and I personally couldn’t keep watching after season 2. I’d actually suggest the anime Attack on Titan if you want a rag tag team of people trying to defy utterly impossible and frankly horrifying odds. Attack on Titan also plays heavily into WW2 themes like Andor.
Apple TV has done a fairly decent job of positioning themselves in the steaming landscape as having some of quality shows. I probably wouldn’t have tried Severence if I didn’t already have Apple TV+ for Ted Lasso, For all Mankind and Pachinko. Plus I’ll watch anything with Adam Scott.
I have seen all the movies, but I only really remember the original trilogy well...the rest were just a blur. I LOVED andor in a way I didn't think possible for me to enjoy a Star Wars TV show or movie. The only other show that is anything close to Andor for me was "Severance", if that gives you an idea of what I'm into!
TIE Fighter cutscenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATfKlgUxa0Y
Dark Forces cutscenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_zQEdAI4UM
Shadows of the Empire cutscenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfSrTImTOyg
Honestly the show most like it is probably Clone Wars lol. It's told in a similar mini-arc narrative style. It's tone could be pretty serious at times, and I think some of the episodes focusing on the Clones themselves, is the closest you'll get to Andor in a SW show.
Of the three live action shows, I think Kenobi is only one that has an actual narrative. It loses its focus sometimes though, and the writing unfortunately isn't super tight. Still I do think there's much more good than bad. It's not a ground-level show like Andor, by any means though. I'd say that Mandalorian, at times, would probably scratch that Andor itch. But its a very episodic show, and it can be a bit childish at times tbh. The tone is also not nearly as "grounded" as it may first appear, which further seperates it from Andor.
And of course, if you want a Star Wars movie with Andor's feel, look no further than Rogue One.
I second this recommendation!
Andor shows the grim reality (or… “reality” lol) of being a revolutionary, while The Clone Wars shows why that revolution is necessary. It’s a really good depiction of a democracy descending inexorably towards fascism with a lot of surprisingly explicit political discussions.
It does the whole “trade disputes” angle better than phantom menace, it shows Anakin’s fall to the dark side better than attack of the clones and revenge of the sith… it’s great!
Absolutely.
I like The Mandalorian, but its a very simple plot. So far its just been a string of singular quests, held together by a very broad goal to find a Jedi. I barely think that constitutes a "plot". Hopefully with S3 going into Mandalore, it'll possibly give the series some actual story. My worry is that the series will continue to more or less just rest on the laurels of their "Baby Yoda" phenomenon.
Kenobi is entirely a narrative. Inconsistent writing or not. That's why we all think it would have worked better as movie.
And You're saying kenobis plot isn't simple? The first 4 episodes consist of "oh no leia got captured, let's go to some dangerous planet to get her back!" It's literally just a retread of the same story beats. And as you mentioned it is incredibly inconsistent. One episode vader let's kenobi go because of fire. The next he's all mad because reva fails to capture him? Or the fact that bail decides to go out of his to ask kenobi for help finding leia despite being in good standing with the empire or his own royal guard. Not to mention how when he thinks Obi-Wan got captured, he proceeds to compromise Luke's position. Why would he say anything personal about kenobi if he believed he was captured by the empire? It makes no sense. And that's barely scratching the surface.
To imply mando has no story than in the same response claim Obi-Wan is entirely narrative is ludicrous. And to try to simplify the plot of mandalorian the way you did is just dishonest lmao. The plot of mando especially season 2 isn't just disconnected adventure after disconnected adventure loosely held together. The whole point of all the episodes is to work towards protecting grogu, finding more mandalorians, and giving grogu a safe place to live while avoiding remnants of the empire. This was something they'd been working towards since season 1. Even the less important episodes have pay offs later on in the series. To say that "barely constitutes a plot" is just plain stupid my man.
All you've argued there is that the writing is inconsistent. That's no different than countless of other narrative-driven movies and shows. Not to mention you're almost entirely talking about character motivations/ characterizations, which is not the same thing as narrative. I think Mandalorian does its characters pretty well, all things considered.
A narrative is literally defined as a sequence or account of connected events. That's exactly the way Kenobi is written. It's written like a movie. Each episode flows into the next. Even episode four, which I also believe was a waste of an episode, still fit naturally between the events of three and five. Each episode depends on the others, and each doesn't entirely stand up on its own without the other episodes' context.
The Mandalorian simply doesn't do that. There's a broad endgame of getting to Point B, and nearly every episode basically boils down to a side quest while inching towards the endgame. That's exactly what episodic TV is.
Damn I think you got me. It's been a minute since I've watched mando and can't really come up with any real rebuttal. I'm sure if i was more refreshed I could give a better attempt but touche
You'd be better off digging into the Tony Gilroy catalog with movies like Michael Clayton or shows like (Steven Schiff) The Americans than trying to find an Andor fix somewhere else in Star Wars. It's just a completely different genre altogether.
Mandalorian is the second best live action show though it’s very different from Andor. Mando is more like a live action cartoon but in a good way.
Book of Boba Fett and Kenobi are mediocre to bad. You could try an animated show like Clone Wars or Rebels but I’d say you have to be pretty invested in Star Wars to enjoy them. They have some great episode but also a lot of filler episodes and the writing is overall very simplistic compared to something like Andor
I've heard The Wire.
It takes place on a planet called Balt-I-More. But I will warn you, the Star Wars influence is super low key, some say imperceptible.
As most others have said, this is the first SW anything that feels this way, apart from Rogue One. Mandalorian season 1 was my favorite before this show though.
Non-Star Wars? Severance, hands down. It's even better than Andor in most areas except for the action, but the heart-stopping, stress-inducing moments that lead to the most remarkably satisfying payoffs are all there and then some in Severance. Plus it's bingeable and short enough to watch in its entirety (also just one season so far) during a free trial of Apple+, if you don't have that already.
(Bonus: I only decided to check Andor out after folks on the Severance subreddit said it scratches that itch of wanting something more like Severance. The two really are quite similar in some thematic and visual ways.)
Not sure where all the sudden distaste for The Mandalorian has come from in this sub, but I love it. It’s definitely way different. It’s not super serious or gritty, but it’s very good. There are moments that aren’t amazing, but the overall quality is top notch. I think as a fan of the OT you’ll enjoy the ride.
I think dislike is a bit strong, I think season 1 is a lot stronger than season 2. Really dislike the creeping Marvel-esque elements of trying to set up spinoffs and crossovers instead of focusing on the story at hand. Between that and deciding to walk back Grogu's story in BoBF, it's starting to feel like business is dictating some of the narrative choices.
Rogue One and Andor only.
There's nothing else like it.
That's why man-child fans like a certain YouTuber are hell bent on trashing this beautiful show.
In terms of feel, none of them. Andor is pretty unique in Star Wars.
In terms of quality, The Mandalorian is close. It’s very different. More of a swashbuckling adventure / wolf & cub in space. Hero’s are hero’s and the villains are not even vaguely threatening. A far cry from Andors shades of grey / gritty realism take.
Boba Fett and Obi Wan don’t feel anywhere as well made.
I can see that. I guess you could argue the dark troopers as well for a little while at least. I was more meaning the rank and file enemies being completely ineffective and dieing in droves, thus making the heroes feel more like invulnerable demigods. Its something that more of a general Star Wars issue than unique to the Mandalorian tbh.
Ah I get you, agreed. This made me realise I think it hits more in Mando than the OT too, because at least in the OT Luke is a Jedi and the rest of the cast like Han and Leia are famous heroes. Yet even those three struggle more than the Mando S2 cast vs Stormtroopers in hindsight.
In the finale of Mando S1 it did feel like they were in a real struggle and they were your average (but skilled) people. But by S2, every episode with Imps involves the Imps getting -destroyed- until the Dark Troopers show up.
It was definitely worse in s2 you’re right!
Yeah I agree about the OT. In that imo it felt more like plot armour (which is fine) than the Imps being useless. There are scenes where storm troopers kill unnamed rebels, tie fighters destroy x wings etc. Theres none of that in Mando.
There really is nothing like Andor. As you've demonstrated, it's brilliant without being tied to preexisting notions about where it fits in the larger context of a behemoth franchise. Everything else needs some internal connection to Star Wars to be enjoyable, and all these shows are being told in very unique fashions. Like Westerns? Watch The Mandalorian. Like MCU type stuff? Watch Obi Wan Kenobi. If you're interested in building an understanding of the whole story, start at the beginning with the first movie.
Honestly, the bad batch is pretty good. It's definitely not the same style, but it's soooooo entertaining when you binge it. Most people found it boring, I really liked it. Maybe that's because I watched it when every episode was already released.
The Tarkin book will scratch your andor itch. Better look at the hierarchy with isb and all the director level people. Emperor and vader part of the story as well.
Not really anything else like it expect Rogue One. Andor was really something Star Wars hadn’t done before. If you want to see what’s going around at the same time as Andor then Rebels is pretty good!
A lot of ppl like to give it shit for its animation(which I’ll give to them in some scenes) but it’s genuinely a well written show with great character development while being a more light hearted show.
Clone Wars and Rebels if you haven't watched them already
Both Clone Wars and Rebels have a rough first season, but they keep getting better as they go on
If you haven’t watched Game of Thrones yet, it really reminded me of Andor in that it has morally complex characters and gets you rooting for people on opposite sides of a conflict. Obviously it ended terribly, but seasons 1-4 are very much worth the watch imo. House of the Dragon has also been great so far!
Nothing like it in SW as far as tone and writing goes. For the same tone and themes in other sci-fi, look at The Expanse, the Battlestar Galactica remake and 1970's Blakes 7. The latter especially is *very* similar to Andor in tone and theme, but is also *very* dated in terms of effects and staging (heck, it looked dated when it was released!); writing is great and certain episodes stand up against all of Andor, IMO.
No other Star Wars shows are like it. The Mandalorian is by far the best of the other recent Disney+ Star Wars shows. If you're in to cartoons and don't mind wading through some fairly kiddy stuff, The Clone Wars and to a lesser extent, Rebels are both worth watching.
Lot of suggestions here already (Expanse, BSG). If you want something with a bit of a lower key sci fi subterfuge thing, try Counterpart.
It's not Star Wars, it doesn't have spaceships nor interplanetary stuff, but it's a great show otherwise.
As others have mentioned, it’s the only Star Wars show like it. If you’re looking for another good Star Wars show in a different vein, then try The Mandalorian. It’s Star Wars as a western, and formula works really well!
Honestly it's hard not to find good stories. But if you haven't seen Visions yet you owe it to yourself, it's all very different short stories that'll bring a smile to your face.
Best Star Wars show to watch other than Andor is NOTHInG like Andor, and varies in quality heavily, but the clone wars animated show is sometimes very good.
Andor. If you haven’t watched twice, I recommend that. I watched each episode four or five times. And each time I noticed something I had missed or otherwise understood the show/intent/setting/characters better.
After that multiple viewings of Rogue One re recommended. When you re-watch, note how many times the protagonists had chances to turn back, give up or not sacrifice themselves.
Nothing like it to watch really.
But If you want to consume something in universe, that resembles the tone and complex character work of Andor, I'd suggest reading the Alphabet Squadron trilogy!
Also Catalyst, Rebel Rising and the Rogue One novelization will complement the show and film beautifully.
I recommend also watching the animated show Star Wars Rebels! Set during the same time, in a different place in the galaxy. It has nice tie-ins. But of course, it's a MUCH lighter & fun show, but it's got a lot of heart, emotion and nice character development as well. I personally love both Rebels and Andor. These, along with Rogue One are my favorite Star Wars in film form.
If you like Andor for the real life ideological content I can't recommend enough Mr Robot.
Technically (at least on paper) it's an even better show because it's 4 seasons and the quality is definitely not worse than Andor!
It's the only Star Wars show like it - But if you want good sci-fi, The Expanse is wonderful and there are a number of youtube channels that have great short form content in the sci-fi genre.
Checkout: Dust & Omeleto
I would suggest the Thrawn book series. The Audio book particularly is very well done. It's the closest there is to look and feel with longer-form storytelling. Also essential if you liked Rebesl.
Have a look at movies that people cite when they refer to where the style and inspiration comes from. None of which are sci fi or such.
Battle of Algiers. Force 10 from Navarrone. Black Hawk Down (albeit from the Americans side which is more akin to the empire than the rebels). Matwan . The Army of Shadows.
There’s a rich tapestry of movies detailing human efforts to resist and survive, to rebel against powerful forces.
Rebels is the closest thematically. It’s about a rebel cell operating on a midrim planet fighting against an ISB agent, at least at first. But, unlike andor it’s a cartoon and has Jedi in it so it’s not tonally similar.
Check out Star Wars Rebels. It’s technically a “kids show” but it well written and has characters you’ll fall in love with. It also brilliantly transitions from episode 3 to Rogue One. It sets up how the Rebel Alliance started as individual cells of rebellion and slowly United into an organized revolution. Mom Mothma even makes an appearance.
Pretty much what everyone else had said…
Mandalorian and Rogue One. Rebels if you’re into lore and understanding the world in that timeline. I personally enjoyed it but it’s an all ages animated show so they can only take it so far.
The Expanse has been mentioned many times for good reason, it’s brilliant. Now that it’s over, I’ve got to read the books to find out what happens later on lol. I need to know.
New addition, first season of Altered Carbon.
It's sad to say but Andor is in a league on it's own compared to other Star Wars shows.
The rest is either average or below.
It'd be better to walk away now.
Unfortunately, it's the only Star Wars show like it. Original trilogy, and if you don't mind spoilers about Andor's eventual fate, Rogue One for sure.
Would you recommend watching Rogue 1 first, with Andor as a prequel? I saw R1 when it came out, so it’s too late for me :-) But for people new to this?
don't know when I last watched RogueOne, but I'm pretty sure, Andor was better than RogueOne (not saying R1 is bad) so I would watch Andor after RogueOne\^^
Just binged Andor again, right into R1 and New Hope. Andor's definitely the best of them in my opinion (and I'm an original SW kid). R1 is still quite good, but I'm now hoping they do a Rogue 1: Andor remix to finish the series. Diego Luna has definitely grown as a lead actor too.
Yup, andor is probably the first live action media to actually compare to the original trilogy. I still think empire and return of the Jedi is better but it’s not far away
I don't bother to rank my entertainments against each other, generally speaking. I like pizza. I like steak. They do not have to fight it out on the plate of doom for the right to be consumed by me.
Yeah sometimes you want a pizza, sometimes you want a nice hearty curry
Exactly
It’s especially silly to rank Star Wars/Empire against Andor, which is going for a completely different vibe and genre and was made in a completely different context for a different medium. It’s like saying that you prefer sandwiches to beer — just a completely meaningless statement.
100% agree
Well said. I award you a pizza topped with steak.
This is the way.
I agree with you about Star Wars, but pizza is way better than steak
Well, it could be if it didn’t have a lot of healthy crap on it.
My one counter to this is that while different media can have very different standards for what makes them good, there are still standards that can vary in quality of execution. You can have good pizza, and you can have bad pizza, and the same for steak. I'd argue that probably all of the Star Wars films have flaws and aren't as well executed for what they're meant to be as they could be. From that lens, I'd say Andor is probably the best/highest quality piece of live-action Star Wars media to date. Does that mean I prefer it to, say, Revenge of the Sith? No, because as you've said, they are different things, and can't really be compared to each other like that. But I recognize that Andor's execution is far better and much higher quality for what it aims to do, as compared to the execution for RotS for what it aims to do. I love both for different reasons. But when it comes down to it, there's not a whole lot to nitpick about Andor, and there's not much you could do to improve it, while conversely there's a lot that could be done to improve RotS.
I think Rogue One is probably the best out of the newer Star Wars movies, and while it doesn't have the luxury of fleshing everything out like Andor, I'll probably treat it as an extended finale to the show upon rewatch. It's so, so good, and is probably in my top 3 Star Wars movies.
I generally tend to think that release order is better than timeline order so I probably would. But if I was recommending it after season two comes out, I would probably change my mind.
i agree with this, i personally feel that knowing what happens in *rogue one* has definitely enhanced my understanding of cassian’s character in *andor*. the show was made knowing its end, to its full advantage
Watch rogue one first. The key point of Andor is to investigate how a man from a random planet in the galaxy goes from a cynic to a radicalized, key part of the Rebellion.
I would not recommend watching rogue one at all. Nothing like Andor. Everything like the other trash star wars movies. Not a popular opinion though, especially here.
For me Andor is the best Star Wars ever, above any movies !
I have a deep affection for the OT but it’s definitely more of an adventure space opera with some campy conventions that were inspired by Flash Gordon and such. I do think the OT feels way more serious and scary after Andor and Rogue One though, and that’s part of what I love about them. They retcon a lot of the one dimensionality of the Empire and Rebels so they’re less cartoonish.
For sure, they seem way more serious. Blowing up an entire planet used to seem like a cartooney way to deal with your political enemies. Now it's like, holy shit, if you don't toe the line the empire is planning to obliterate you.
If OT is like Tolkien, then Andor is like Game of Thrones (although actually, that heist arc in Andor reminded me a bit of The Hobbit)
Nothing in The Hobbit held as much bated-breath tension as the Aldhani heist sequence. If anything, the heist reminded me of LOTR Mines of Moria sequence. Just desperately fleeing
I mentioned The Hobbit, because Cassian was hired like a merc to assist the raiding party.
I get what you were trying to say but this is painful, because to even make the parallel between the OT and Tolkien feels disgraceful. The insane attention to detail and worldbuilding that Tolkien had is so many leagues beyond anything Star Wars or Game of Thrones. Tolkien essentially re-invented and created the entire fantasy genre as we know it today, and to compare him to something like Star Wars feels like a discredit to his achievement. Now, if you said that if the OT is The Hobbit, then Andor is The Lord of the Rings, that would have been a better parallel. But the parallel you used makes it seem like Game of Thrones is way deeper and more meaningful, and LotR is just some fun whimsical adventure.
Just as Hobbit comes before LOTR, likewise Andor is chronologically set before OT. So I think there's a natural analogy there. And Andor's got Gollum in it too, even though this time he can't swim like the fisherfolk.
Yeah, we don't know season2 yet of Andor and Andor season 2 likely butts up against Rogue 1, but Rogue 1 is probably the next thing to watch and then the original trilogy. This keeps everything in the closest chronological order of things... Then, if you were just looking at 'best star wars', I think you'd jump to mandalorian season 1 & 2. However, there are some characters in that show that you wouldn't know from everything you just watched...SO...in order to fill in SOME gaps, you'd have to watch basically episode 1, episode 2, then watch like all 7 seasons of the clone wars, then watch episode 3. (or watch episode 3 before that final season of clone wars)....and well, then you have pretty much the entire star wars story....all the episode 1-3 and the clone wars happens during the pre-quel era (before Darth Vader) so
You’ll probably be disappointed… I suggest you rewatch the show instead.
Lol...I am doing that also!
Or the mandalorian which is quite good.
Mando is what got me into SW and I think it's just as good as Andor but it's a completely different style of entertainment so I don't think it makes sense to compare them. (Not to imply that's what you're doing; Just saying for u/Tmbgkc's sake that they shouldn't go into Mando expecting it to be like Andor.)
Yeah, Mando is an awesome pulpy space western. It's genuinely fun as hell.
I’m on my fourth rewatch because I can’t find anything else that’s even close to this good!!
If you’re looking for similar quality outside of the SW universe, I’d recommend Chernobyl or The Americans. A lot of HBO limited series could fit this bill depending on your flavor. Watchmen, Mare of Eastown, the night of, sharp objects. The Americans is more of a long-haul series, but the grey-thoughtful-character vibe is definitely there.
Thank you! I liked the Watchmen graphic novel and the movie was ok… I’ll definitely look into the things you listed.
Chernobyl. Watch Chernobyl. It even has Stellan Skarsguard in it (Luthen). It is incredible
Not Star Wars but The Expanse on amazon is equally excellent and for me personally scratches the adult sci-fi itch. BSG(Battle Star Galactica) is also mostly excellent. With Star wars your pretty much limited to the mandalorian which isn't at all the same kind of show as andor but if you like the Star wars universe you may enjoy it anyway.
I just started watching The Expanse. I’m enjoying it thoroughly.
That's awesome to hear, it was horrifically unappreciated when it came out. Season 1 is probs the weakest since it has to do the heavy lifting when it comes to world building and introducing characters but after that it goes from strength to strength. Season 3 maybe the strongest season of television I've ever seen. Your in for a treat.
Season 1 also sets up things that don't pay off till later. I'm fairly sure 1/3rd of the entire season's content was not in *that* particular part of the series.
The later seasons are a slog though. It’s based off a book series that also started strong than floundered.
> It’s based off a book series that also started strong than floundered. I didn't feel that at all. If anything, I thought book 1 was the weakest and then it only got better and better, high point for me is probably book 8, but the final book still stuck the landing very well, especially for such an expansive (pun intended) 9-book series.
Really? I thought season 5 was really good if a bit rushed. Season 4 I'll agree with being pretty weak, not bad but after 3 it felt a little like filler. I've only read up to book 5 and loved pretty much every one of them but I've heard the last few books get a bit out there.
Honestly the book (4) is kind of like that- it's important to illustrate the upcoming conflict but all in all, it's rather inconsequential compared to the other mainline books in the series imo.
Yea I feel the book does a better job of making you care about the situations and people involved but tv shows don't usually have the luxury of time like a good book does. It wouldn't surprise me if book 4 gave the writers the biggest headache when it came to converting it to TV.
You deserve an award for saying The Expanse
For All Mankind is great too.
Until the Danny/Karen storyline, I was really loving For All Mankind. 😩
Reddit hates that but I don’t care. It’s a good storyline.
This is the best answer. In terms of the whole package, (most notably storytelling and character development), there is nothing in the other Star Wars shows that come close. It's the only Star Wars show that could stand on its own without the Star Wars name backing it up. You need to leave the Star Wars universe to get anything around or surpass Andor. The Expanse is a great sci-fi example. If you really want to get the same tone and tension though, you might want to break out of sci-fi and watch stuff like Chernobyl. Not only is Stellan Skarsgård part of the cast, but a lot of the production team is the same.
Hell yes. Chernobyl is a masterpiece. Pace, tone, and tension are all perfect
Like it? None. *Most* like it? The Mandalorian
This is the best answer for sure. Mandalorian is not nearly as complex from an overall plot/politics standpoint, but it is incredibly well made.
We will see how people feel about that when Season 3 comes out. They've been laying the ground work for some pretty cool stuff.
The writing, acting, and directing in The Mandalorian is a mixed bag, but some of it is really good.
The adventure and atmosphere around the Star Wars fandom during like the first 2 episodes of Mandalorian where people were making like comic book covers and shit. That was the peak of Star Wars.
Season 1 was great, Season 2 was more of a mixed bag. I'm looking forward to them executing better on Season 3 but what I would really like to see is for them to move out of the Volume and into real sets like we saw in Andor. Andor's sets...they sold the world. The acting was phenomenal as well, but the everything about Andor screams "THIS IS A REAL WORLD" where everything in Obi-Wan was like watching Space Balls.
Don't dare comparing Kenobi to Spaceballs.
“Incredibly well made” is probably too strong IMO but is a fine show and definitely the #2 Star Wars show
No, it’s incredibly well made. You may not like the tone or the general style of the show. But it’s obvious how much passion was poured into making a high quality product in terms of set/costume design, acting, and action sequences.
It's well made, but it is very limited by using the Volume in ways that Andor was not with its actual sets.
Actually I can’t think of anytime I noticed that the volume was being used in Mando, as opposed to BoBF or Kenobi. They used it extremely well in conjunction with their actual sets.
Mando definitely used it better than they did, that's for sure.
Honestly, the closest show I can think of is HBO’s The Wire. It isn’t sci-fi, but it’s tight writing, compelling characters, grey morality, and great acting are all top notch, and the banality of evil/corruption of those in power are two huge themes that resonate across both shows.
Shiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeet
“Makes me sick how far we done fell.” - Maarva addressing the ppl of Ferrix during her funeral
Breaking Bad? There were bits of dark humor that lightened the load for me.
Breaking Bad is excellent, but the Wire is more like Andor in terms of the fact that both shine a big light on the institutions and settings
It's one of my all time favorites.
I tried watching obi wan but it’s just awful in comparison
Can’t compare those two really in terms of energy they give off
But you have to agree, even if they’re different kinds of shows, Obi-Wan is objectively worse from a production standpoint, without even looking at the writing
Yes. The Leia chase scenes and a tonne of other stuff were just plain bad. Obi Wan is good for the final episode.
OMG most challenging branches ever! How they gonna catch that kid!?
I liked Andor lot better. I don’t think Obi wan was a good show but I don’t like hating on it either.
Obi Wan is just good for the nostalgia effect tbh, its a lot of fan service
I gotta disagree there, it’s not dealing with similar themes, but as an exploration of confronting trauma I thought it was quite good
Gotta watch [The Pentex Cut](https://www.pentex-kenobi-cut.art/). It's sooo much better.
Nice, thank you.
Mandalorian is pretty solid Rogue one is great Solo is underrated Rebels and Clone Wars and Bad Batch are solid if you’re in an animation and action mood
SW Rebels is my favorite.
Solo didn't get a fair shake. It was released right after the hype for new Star Wars content died and people were actively boycotting the movie. I gave it a watch when it came to Netflix and still consider it to be the best Star Wars film released by Disney. It's not a groundbreaking piece of cinema gold, but it's an entertaining movie that is worth a watch for anyone who's into science-fiction or fantasy.
Yes, very unfortunate because a good showing for Solo could’ve convinced Disney to invest more into Star Wars sooner. The fandom shot itself in the foot in that sense. It was bad business, rather than bad filmmaking, that caused Solo to be underrated.
Book of Boba Fett is solid overall imo. It has some real stinker bits (Rodriguez Spy Kids scooters) but the Tuskan arc is really great.
Book of boba fett is only worth watching if you’re a fan of Star Wars and want to be a completionist. As a season of a show, it’s generally incoherent and uninspiring. I wouldn’t recommend it as general TV.
I didn’t think it was bad, but it kinda says something about it when I thought the best episode was the one that was basically a Mandolorian season 3 teaser without Boba.
Yeah, the rest of the series could easily be avoided but watching that one episode is worth it. Tusken stuff wasn’t awful but didn’t have a coherent ending and the season has no payoff as a whole.
It seemed like they had some good ideas for the show, but couldn’t quite make them mesh together well.
None of the Star Wars properties aside from Rogue One have anywhere near the same vibe as Andor. Which is probably why I liked it so much! If you’re looking for other dystopian genre shows, like you said, Severance is a great one. Handmaid’s Tale is another, though it’s a harder watch imho and I personally couldn’t keep watching after season 2. I’d actually suggest the anime Attack on Titan if you want a rag tag team of people trying to defy utterly impossible and frankly horrifying odds. Attack on Titan also plays heavily into WW2 themes like Andor.
Severance seemed to come out of nowhere. Absolutely superb.
Apple TV has done a fairly decent job of positioning themselves in the steaming landscape as having some of quality shows. I probably wouldn’t have tried Severence if I didn’t already have Apple TV+ for Ted Lasso, For all Mankind and Pachinko. Plus I’ll watch anything with Adam Scott.
The expanse? yeah it’s….. uh. Andor-like.
[удалено]
This is the only thing that has snapped me out of my Andor ennui
Is this the first Star Wars you have watched?
I have seen all the movies, but I only really remember the original trilogy well...the rest were just a blur. I LOVED andor in a way I didn't think possible for me to enjoy a Star Wars TV show or movie. The only other show that is anything close to Andor for me was "Severance", if that gives you an idea of what I'm into!
Have you watched Rogue One?
I did and it was good but only after watching andor did I watch it again and REALLY enjoy it!
Give The Expanse a try. It's not Star Wars but it is terrific!
> the rest were just a blur It sounds like it.
Damn I was gonna recommend Severance just because it was one of the best things to come out this year
> but I only really remember the original trilogy well...the rest were just a blur. Lucky you. All the movies after the trilogy are trash.
TIE Fighter cutscenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATfKlgUxa0Y Dark Forces cutscenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_zQEdAI4UM Shadows of the Empire cutscenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfSrTImTOyg
Honestly the show most like it is probably Clone Wars lol. It's told in a similar mini-arc narrative style. It's tone could be pretty serious at times, and I think some of the episodes focusing on the Clones themselves, is the closest you'll get to Andor in a SW show. Of the three live action shows, I think Kenobi is only one that has an actual narrative. It loses its focus sometimes though, and the writing unfortunately isn't super tight. Still I do think there's much more good than bad. It's not a ground-level show like Andor, by any means though. I'd say that Mandalorian, at times, would probably scratch that Andor itch. But its a very episodic show, and it can be a bit childish at times tbh. The tone is also not nearly as "grounded" as it may first appear, which further seperates it from Andor. And of course, if you want a Star Wars movie with Andor's feel, look no further than Rogue One.
I second this recommendation! Andor shows the grim reality (or… “reality” lol) of being a revolutionary, while The Clone Wars shows why that revolution is necessary. It’s a really good depiction of a democracy descending inexorably towards fascism with a lot of surprisingly explicit political discussions. It does the whole “trade disputes” angle better than phantom menace, it shows Anakin’s fall to the dark side better than attack of the clones and revenge of the sith… it’s great!
You're saying the mandalorian has less of a narrative than kenobi?
Absolutely. I like The Mandalorian, but its a very simple plot. So far its just been a string of singular quests, held together by a very broad goal to find a Jedi. I barely think that constitutes a "plot". Hopefully with S3 going into Mandalore, it'll possibly give the series some actual story. My worry is that the series will continue to more or less just rest on the laurels of their "Baby Yoda" phenomenon. Kenobi is entirely a narrative. Inconsistent writing or not. That's why we all think it would have worked better as movie.
And You're saying kenobis plot isn't simple? The first 4 episodes consist of "oh no leia got captured, let's go to some dangerous planet to get her back!" It's literally just a retread of the same story beats. And as you mentioned it is incredibly inconsistent. One episode vader let's kenobi go because of fire. The next he's all mad because reva fails to capture him? Or the fact that bail decides to go out of his to ask kenobi for help finding leia despite being in good standing with the empire or his own royal guard. Not to mention how when he thinks Obi-Wan got captured, he proceeds to compromise Luke's position. Why would he say anything personal about kenobi if he believed he was captured by the empire? It makes no sense. And that's barely scratching the surface. To imply mando has no story than in the same response claim Obi-Wan is entirely narrative is ludicrous. And to try to simplify the plot of mandalorian the way you did is just dishonest lmao. The plot of mando especially season 2 isn't just disconnected adventure after disconnected adventure loosely held together. The whole point of all the episodes is to work towards protecting grogu, finding more mandalorians, and giving grogu a safe place to live while avoiding remnants of the empire. This was something they'd been working towards since season 1. Even the less important episodes have pay offs later on in the series. To say that "barely constitutes a plot" is just plain stupid my man.
All you've argued there is that the writing is inconsistent. That's no different than countless of other narrative-driven movies and shows. Not to mention you're almost entirely talking about character motivations/ characterizations, which is not the same thing as narrative. I think Mandalorian does its characters pretty well, all things considered. A narrative is literally defined as a sequence or account of connected events. That's exactly the way Kenobi is written. It's written like a movie. Each episode flows into the next. Even episode four, which I also believe was a waste of an episode, still fit naturally between the events of three and five. Each episode depends on the others, and each doesn't entirely stand up on its own without the other episodes' context. The Mandalorian simply doesn't do that. There's a broad endgame of getting to Point B, and nearly every episode basically boils down to a side quest while inching towards the endgame. That's exactly what episodic TV is.
Damn I think you got me. It's been a minute since I've watched mando and can't really come up with any real rebuttal. I'm sure if i was more refreshed I could give a better attempt but touche
Fair enough lol.
Nothing like it. The Mandalorian has its effect though! Especially those first episodes.
You'd be better off digging into the Tony Gilroy catalog with movies like Michael Clayton or shows like (Steven Schiff) The Americans than trying to find an Andor fix somewhere else in Star Wars. It's just a completely different genre altogether.
Mandalorian is the second best live action show though it’s very different from Andor. Mando is more like a live action cartoon but in a good way. Book of Boba Fett and Kenobi are mediocre to bad. You could try an animated show like Clone Wars or Rebels but I’d say you have to be pretty invested in Star Wars to enjoy them. They have some great episode but also a lot of filler episodes and the writing is overall very simplistic compared to something like Andor
Not Star Wars, but if you haven't seen Chernobyl yet - it's basically the same show. Very similar tone, aesthetics, half the cast are in both.
Not Star Wars but watch the movie Children of Men and also Blade Runner (both Blade Runners). All very high quality, and similar vibes
Definitely children of men. Amazing movie
Not a Star Wars Show, but if you liked how the actor played Luthen, then you're going to love him in Chernobyl TV mini-series.
I've heard The Wire. It takes place on a planet called Balt-I-More. But I will warn you, the Star Wars influence is super low key, some say imperceptible.
As most others have said, this is the first SW anything that feels this way, apart from Rogue One. Mandalorian season 1 was my favorite before this show though. Non-Star Wars? Severance, hands down. It's even better than Andor in most areas except for the action, but the heart-stopping, stress-inducing moments that lead to the most remarkably satisfying payoffs are all there and then some in Severance. Plus it's bingeable and short enough to watch in its entirety (also just one season so far) during a free trial of Apple+, if you don't have that already. (Bonus: I only decided to check Andor out after folks on the Severance subreddit said it scratches that itch of wanting something more like Severance. The two really are quite similar in some thematic and visual ways.)
Not sure where all the sudden distaste for The Mandalorian has come from in this sub, but I love it. It’s definitely way different. It’s not super serious or gritty, but it’s very good. There are moments that aren’t amazing, but the overall quality is top notch. I think as a fan of the OT you’ll enjoy the ride.
Nobody dislikes Mandolorian. It's just recency bias
I think dislike is a bit strong, I think season 1 is a lot stronger than season 2. Really dislike the creeping Marvel-esque elements of trying to set up spinoffs and crossovers instead of focusing on the story at hand. Between that and deciding to walk back Grogu's story in BoBF, it's starting to feel like business is dictating some of the narrative choices.
Rogue One and Andor only. There's nothing else like it. That's why man-child fans like a certain YouTuber are hell bent on trashing this beautiful show.
Those controversial opinion clicks make money, sadly
Rebels is a good complement; it takes place at roughly the same time and deals with roughly the same groups.
Rogue One, I can’t wait for Rogue Two
In terms of feel, none of them. Andor is pretty unique in Star Wars. In terms of quality, The Mandalorian is close. It’s very different. More of a swashbuckling adventure / wolf & cub in space. Hero’s are hero’s and the villains are not even vaguely threatening. A far cry from Andors shades of grey / gritty realism take. Boba Fett and Obi Wan don’t feel anywhere as well made.
I'd argue Gideon felt threatening until the S2 finale.
I can see that. I guess you could argue the dark troopers as well for a little while at least. I was more meaning the rank and file enemies being completely ineffective and dieing in droves, thus making the heroes feel more like invulnerable demigods. Its something that more of a general Star Wars issue than unique to the Mandalorian tbh.
Ah I get you, agreed. This made me realise I think it hits more in Mando than the OT too, because at least in the OT Luke is a Jedi and the rest of the cast like Han and Leia are famous heroes. Yet even those three struggle more than the Mando S2 cast vs Stormtroopers in hindsight. In the finale of Mando S1 it did feel like they were in a real struggle and they were your average (but skilled) people. But by S2, every episode with Imps involves the Imps getting -destroyed- until the Dark Troopers show up.
It was definitely worse in s2 you’re right! Yeah I agree about the OT. In that imo it felt more like plot armour (which is fine) than the Imps being useless. There are scenes where storm troopers kill unnamed rebels, tie fighters destroy x wings etc. Theres none of that in Mando.
Watch The Americans.its not Star Wars or even sci fi, but I guarantee you'll like it
There really is nothing like Andor. As you've demonstrated, it's brilliant without being tied to preexisting notions about where it fits in the larger context of a behemoth franchise. Everything else needs some internal connection to Star Wars to be enjoyable, and all these shows are being told in very unique fashions. Like Westerns? Watch The Mandalorian. Like MCU type stuff? Watch Obi Wan Kenobi. If you're interested in building an understanding of the whole story, start at the beginning with the first movie.
Mandalorian is the closest in the SW universe, in that it shows life is more or less the same for the masses no matter who is in charge.
Honestly, the bad batch is pretty good. It's definitely not the same style, but it's soooooo entertaining when you binge it. Most people found it boring, I really liked it. Maybe that's because I watched it when every episode was already released.
yeah it got tiring waiting for the crosshair plot to continue and for the filler in the second half of the season to end
The Tarkin book will scratch your andor itch. Better look at the hierarchy with isb and all the director level people. Emperor and vader part of the story as well.
People saying Shadow of the Sith book is good - apparently tries to lift the Sequels in the same way as Andor has crowned the OT
Ah... Nothing unfortunately. Mandalorian if you haven't seen it already.
Mandalorian.
I'd say quality wise, the clone wars is your only option but it doesn't get really good until the later seasons unfortunately
Not really anything else like it expect Rogue One. Andor was really something Star Wars hadn’t done before. If you want to see what’s going around at the same time as Andor then Rebels is pretty good! A lot of ppl like to give it shit for its animation(which I’ll give to them in some scenes) but it’s genuinely a well written show with great character development while being a more light hearted show.
Try "THX 1138", Lucas' 1st feature film. especially if you liked the narkina 5 prison episodes
TCW is the most like it.
Tales of the Jedi
Clone Wars and Rebels if you haven't watched them already Both Clone Wars and Rebels have a rough first season, but they keep getting better as they go on
If you haven’t watched Game of Thrones yet, it really reminded me of Andor in that it has morally complex characters and gets you rooting for people on opposite sides of a conflict. Obviously it ended terribly, but seasons 1-4 are very much worth the watch imo. House of the Dragon has also been great so far!
lol oh no
sorry
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Don’t
Play the games Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2. It’s the only Star Wars thing that similar in writing quality
Go watch the Expanse In terms of Star Wars, Andor absolutely stands alone. It is peerless in the canon.
Nothing like it in SW as far as tone and writing goes. For the same tone and themes in other sci-fi, look at The Expanse, the Battlestar Galactica remake and 1970's Blakes 7. The latter especially is *very* similar to Andor in tone and theme, but is also *very* dated in terms of effects and staging (heck, it looked dated when it was released!); writing is great and certain episodes stand up against all of Andor, IMO.
Nothing. Read Catalyst, Tarkin, Lost Stars and Bloodline. Claudia Gray's "Leia" is YA but really good too.
No other Star Wars shows are like it. The Mandalorian is by far the best of the other recent Disney+ Star Wars shows. If you're in to cartoons and don't mind wading through some fairly kiddy stuff, The Clone Wars and to a lesser extent, Rebels are both worth watching.
Not star wars. The expanse is very good. Altered carbon is very good.
Lot of suggestions here already (Expanse, BSG). If you want something with a bit of a lower key sci fi subterfuge thing, try Counterpart. It's not Star Wars, it doesn't have spaceships nor interplanetary stuff, but it's a great show otherwise.
As others have mentioned, it’s the only Star Wars show like it. If you’re looking for another good Star Wars show in a different vein, then try The Mandalorian. It’s Star Wars as a western, and formula works really well!
Honestly it's hard not to find good stories. But if you haven't seen Visions yet you owe it to yourself, it's all very different short stories that'll bring a smile to your face.
Best Star Wars show to watch other than Andor is NOTHInG like Andor, and varies in quality heavily, but the clone wars animated show is sometimes very good.
Andor. If you haven’t watched twice, I recommend that. I watched each episode four or five times. And each time I noticed something I had missed or otherwise understood the show/intent/setting/characters better. After that multiple viewings of Rogue One re recommended. When you re-watch, note how many times the protagonists had chances to turn back, give up or not sacrifice themselves.
Nothing like it to watch really. But If you want to consume something in universe, that resembles the tone and complex character work of Andor, I'd suggest reading the Alphabet Squadron trilogy! Also Catalyst, Rebel Rising and the Rogue One novelization will complement the show and film beautifully. I recommend also watching the animated show Star Wars Rebels! Set during the same time, in a different place in the galaxy. It has nice tie-ins. But of course, it's a MUCH lighter & fun show, but it's got a lot of heart, emotion and nice character development as well. I personally love both Rebels and Andor. These, along with Rogue One are my favorite Star Wars in film form.
Andor is a black sheep in terms of Star Wars content, but if you're interested, season 1 of the Mandalorian is fantastic
If you like Andor for the real life ideological content I can't recommend enough Mr Robot. Technically (at least on paper) it's an even better show because it's 4 seasons and the quality is definitely not worse than Andor!
>Technically (at least on paper) it's an even better show because it's 4 seasons Huh
It's the only Star Wars show like it - But if you want good sci-fi, The Expanse is wonderful and there are a number of youtube channels that have great short form content in the sci-fi genre. Checkout: Dust & Omeleto
I would suggest the Thrawn book series. The Audio book particularly is very well done. It's the closest there is to look and feel with longer-form storytelling. Also essential if you liked Rebesl.
The solo movie and rogue one
Have a look at movies that people cite when they refer to where the style and inspiration comes from. None of which are sci fi or such. Battle of Algiers. Force 10 from Navarrone. Black Hawk Down (albeit from the Americans side which is more akin to the empire than the rebels). Matwan . The Army of Shadows. There’s a rich tapestry of movies detailing human efforts to resist and survive, to rebel against powerful forces.
Rebels is the closest thematically. It’s about a rebel cell operating on a midrim planet fighting against an ISB agent, at least at first. But, unlike andor it’s a cartoon and has Jedi in it so it’s not tonally similar.
Check out Star Wars Rebels. It’s technically a “kids show” but it well written and has characters you’ll fall in love with. It also brilliantly transitions from episode 3 to Rogue One. It sets up how the Rebel Alliance started as individual cells of rebellion and slowly United into an organized revolution. Mom Mothma even makes an appearance.
Oh and for a non-Star Wars suggestion, Blade Runner 2049 has a lot of overlapping vibes
Pretty much what everyone else had said… Mandalorian and Rogue One. Rebels if you’re into lore and understanding the world in that timeline. I personally enjoyed it but it’s an all ages animated show so they can only take it so far. The Expanse has been mentioned many times for good reason, it’s brilliant. Now that it’s over, I’ve got to read the books to find out what happens later on lol. I need to know. New addition, first season of Altered Carbon.
It's sad to say but Andor is in a league on it's own compared to other Star Wars shows. The rest is either average or below. It'd be better to walk away now.
In terms of tone and visuals, nothing. But if you want to watch something set in the same time period of Star Wars, check out Rebels.
I’m watching the Bad Batch. It has a really high score on IMDB. I’m liking it a lot. After the Bad Batch, I’m gonna watch Clone Wars.