Andor Finally Showed Us a Pivotal Star Wars Planet
It’s a nice day for a Chandrilan wedding.
Star Wars has always been structured into eras, and without a doubt we are currently in the “Mandoverse” era. The Mandalorian and its various spinoffs are all set in the years after the original trilogy, when the New Republic was ruling the galaxy in (relative) peace. It’s a great gap in the timeline to fill, but one thing has been missing from the get-go: a look at the center of legislation.
Thankfully, we finally saw that change in Andor Season 2, but not in the way we expected. We now have a look at the universe’s new capital, but years before it would be established as such an important location.
Spoilers ahead for Andor Season 2 Episodes 1-3!
Mon Mothma’s hostess duties bring Rebellion business to Chandrila.
In the first arc of Andor Season 2, while Cassian is piloting a stolen TIE fighter and Syril and Dedra are making small talk with Eedy, Mon Mothma is busy with her daughter’s wedding. As a Chandrilan, weddings are a monumental affair, with multiple days and parties to be arranged on top of the complicated customs, including a long hike up a mountain.
Believe it or not, this is actually the first time we’ve seen Chandrila in live action. While the planet has a long history in the non-canonical Legends timeline of being blockaded by the Empire, we know much less about it in the current canon. In the early days of the new canon, in 2014, Ezra Bridger’s in-universe journal and Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath novels established that Chandrila played a major role: after the fall of the Empire, the planet became the capital of the galaxy, much like Coruscant during the prequel era.
Chandrila may have never been shown in live-action before, but it’s a crucial planet in the New Republic era.
Chandrila has appeared in Star Wars canon before, but only in books and comics. This is the first time we’ve seen it in live-action, even though the first arc of Andor Season 2 is set around a decade before it would be established as the home of the Galactic Senate.
It should be noted, however, that Chandrila isn’t the permanent Galactic capital, as elections caused it to rotate among planets. But by the time of The Mandalorian, the capital is back in Chandrila. Now that we’ve seen it, this could be a clue that we’ll see it appear again in canon, like in the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu. Star Wars planets are best when they’re familiar, and now we have a new location to revisit.
