17 years later, Star Wars finally returns to its most important planet

When you think of Star Wars, you probably picture Tatooine. The dusty little town where the entire franchise began still looms large, and figures significantly into several recent Star Wars stories. But Tatooine is not the most important planet in this distant galaxy.

The most important planet in Star Wars is, of course, Coruscant, the seat of power for much of the franchise. Located in the center of the galaxy, Coruscant played a major role in the prequels (and almost made an appearance in Episode IX), but we haven’t seen it live since.

Thankfully, Andor is here to correct that. Here’s why this familiar planet remains innovative.

Andor and Coruscant

Coruscant’s vibrant skyline at night.lucasfilm

As the seat of the Galactic Senate, Coruscant was the best place to show the slow unraveling of the Republic. The Senate is where we watched freedom extinguished to thunderous applause. It’s where we saw Palpatine tell Anakin about the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise. But we still have no idea what the planet looked like after the Imperial government became the established law of the land.

Andor is finally solving that mystery. In Episode 4, we see two different women on Coruscant: Mon Mothma, secretly trying to organize the Rebellion while maintaining the public image of a politician; and Dedra Meero, who works at the Imperial Security Office.

The appearance of Coruscant in Andor it’s the first time we’ve seen him live since the prequel trilogy (aside from a brief flashback in rogue one, but the film barely acknowledges the setting). From what we can see in Andor So far, it doesn’t seem like the city planet has changed that much. The trailer for the series even included a shot of the Senate gallery that we knew so well from the prequels.

Mon Mothma speaks to the Imperial Senate in Andor.lucasfilm

Coruscant’s inclusion in Andor it means that, for once, we can see how the rise of the Empire changed everyday life in the capital. We’ve seen how it affected the leaders and military of the Empire, but not how it affected the smaller facets of life, like the bureaucrats trying to make their way during the day or the merchants who drive the planet’s economy. Andor He is about to give it to us.

For Star Wars fans who grew up with the prequels, Coruscant may feel like it’s always been a part of the franchise. But in reality, the story of Coruscant is only half told. What happened to the planet when power kept changing hands? Andor he finally has the ability to explain another chapter in his long story.

Andor Episode 4 is now streaming on Disney+.