My Top 5 Andor Season 2 Supporting Characters

Welcome to the Rebellion.

Rebellions are built on hope. And top tier television is built on a cast of excellent supporting roles. The second and final season of Andor wrapped up a couple weeks back and I have not been able to stop ruminating on how immaculately it all played out. In a show that wrestled so intimately with the idea of sacrifice for a greater purpose, every moment felt considered and intentional in a way that deepened the story. Every side character, from the opening scene to the last one, every minor role and throw-away moment, felt like it paid off by the finale and created a more satisfying and moving viewing experience than I have had in a long time. It’s rare for a show that set such high expectations for itself to go out and stick the landing, and I think the secret to Andor’s success was at least in part due to the trust it placed in its actors to develop what was on the page.

So here are my top five supporting characters from this season of Andor. I’m obviously excluding anyone from the main cast and made an effort to focus on characters that only appeared in this season or had a more significant arc this season than Season One. I also solemnly swear not to give away any major spoilers! Which is hard for me!

Kleya - Elizabeth Dulau

What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Elizabeth Dulau’s performance this season was a tour de force. I almost didn’t include Kleya in this list because, by the end of the season, she became such an integral part of the show, but it would have been criminal not to have her at No. 1. In what could have very well been a minor character that kept popping up throughout the episodes to nudge Luthen or Cassian in one direction or another, Kleya became a hero in her own right. Kleya was such a mystery in the previous season, being Luthen’s shadowing assistant, and they easily could have left her character there with all her backstory and motivations simmering beneath the surface. But they let her blossom instead, adding layers for this capable actor to sieve through as her character navigates an increasingly treacherous minefield. By her final episodes (you know the ones I’m talking about), you have such a deep appreciation for why Kleya is so committed to the Rebellion, and how well Luthen has trained her to do what she has to, no matter the cost. Getting to see Elizabeth Dulau’s incredibly well-considered and emotional performance was the best surprise this season, and the one I’ll be thinking about the most moving forward. 

Bail Organa - Benjamin Bratt

As sorry as I was to not see Jimmy Smitts in the Star Wars universe, I was VERY excited to see Benjamin Bratt take over the role of Bail Organa. He has this natural cool charm that makes him a perfect fit for the galaxy’s premier politician, and I loved seeing him go toe to toe with Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma. I won’t say too much more about how he factors into this season for fear of spoiling some fun turns, but I am continually heartbroken that Bratt is not in everything. He is so good! And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Benjamin Bratt is like myself, a born and raised San Franciscan, and a fellow alum of Lowell High School - Go Cardinals!

Cinta Kaz - Varada Sethu

I liked Sethu’s performance in the Aldhani heist, but she had so much more to do this season that brought more detail and depth to her performance. Her relationship with Vel got some more daylight, and we got to see her in her own element working with the Ghorman rebels. I appreciated the way Sethu held the tension of her character’s more silent moments, letting her performance fill the spaces between the lines. In the Aldhani episodes from Season One, she’s described as being the toughest member of the heist crew, but she doesn't say much compared to other characters. Instead, we are meant to observe her observing others, and learn about her character in the way she reacts to her surroundings. But this season, we begin to understand why she holds so much back, and why words will never do her story justice. It’s not an easy thing to do, especially in a series that is so full of plot and action. But Cinta had this grounded stoicism that spoke volumes.

Supervisor Lonni Jung - Robert Emms

Lonni had a tough go of it this season as the Rebel spy moonlighting as an ISB officer constantly risking his neck for intel. Like many of the returning supporting characters, Emms had a lot more screen time this season and he did not waste it. I love the way this show took characters that in lesser hands would be two-dimensional window dressing and gave them high stakes, high-pressure scenarios for them to react against. All of Lonni’s scenes this season were meaty and full of moments for Emms to play the delicate dance of trying to avoid detection while pushing closer to the truth. His character, maybe more than any other, had such a rewarding payoff that demonstrates how much greatness is possible when creators are given the time and resources to let stories develop. 

Lezine - Thierry Godard 

This season’s Ghorman arc was a little hit or miss for me. I did not always love the fictional French language and the world-building felt a little shallow at times. But what I loved about it was the large ensemble of Ghorman (meaning mostly French) actors added to the Andor lineup. Thierry Godard as Lezine stood out to me because he wasn’t some wide-eyed idealist among the Ghorman rebels. He was brash and practical and had the heartbreak of his people written all over his face. To me, his performance exemplified how most rebellions aren’t built on ideas or principles, they’re driven by people who feel like they don’t have any other choice but to fight back. Godard’s classically French features project pathos and humanity that intensified a story that could at times wander and weave.