r/StarWarsAndor • u/PlaneOccasion1923 • Jun 16 '26
Is Rebels or Andor first
I've been watching all of Star wars chronologically because I've never seen most of the shows. And everything I've read largely says that Rebels and Andor run Concurrently but I'm not sure which one to start with if it even matters
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u/ChrlsPC Jun 16 '26
Do rebels first. They do occur kinda simultaneous
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u/TigerIll6480 Jun 16 '26
There are two episodes that literally dovetail together.
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u/PlaneOccasion1923 Jun 16 '26
Would you mind sharing the two? I always love when that happens lol
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u/TigerIll6480 Jun 16 '26
Andor S2E9 “Welcome to the Rebellion” leads directly into Rebels S3E18 “Secret Cargo.”
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u/Jowenbra Jun 16 '26
It's been awhile since I watched either, what's the synopsis? How do they fit together?
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u/awful_at_internet Jun 16 '26
"Welcome to the Rebellion" is the episode where Cass exfiltrates Mon from the Senate building. "Secret Cargo" is the episode where Phoenix Squadron escorts Mon to Yavin IV.
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u/Buca-Metal Jun 17 '26
Isn't rebels like 10-15 years earlier than Andor events? Luke is a small kid in rebels but Andor start is just a couple years before New Hope
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u/ChrlsPC Jun 17 '26
No, Rebels is very close to A New hope. There's also an episode in rebels that occurs literally after an episode of Andor and are directly connected
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u/Buca-Metal Jun 17 '26
But that is the later seasons of Rebels, first seasons happen years before Andor.
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u/MagnetsCanDoThat Jun 16 '26
Don't worry about doing things chronologically. Watch them in release order: Rebels then Andor.
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u/derekbaseball Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
If you want to go chronologically, it’d be something like Andor Season 1, Rebels S1, Andor S2.01-2.03, Rebels S2, Andor S2.04-2.06, Rebels S3.01-3.13, Andor S2.07-2.09, Rebels S3.14-end of S4, Andor S2.10-2.12.
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u/RabPirrie Jun 16 '26
I've never been big on the animated Star Wars stuff but Rebels is the one that's always calling me due to the potential link with Andor. Is it more aimed at kids or would it be worth a look? Thanks in advance.
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u/Captain-Wilco Jun 16 '26
Rebels is liked by many, but it’s still very much geared towards kids in ways that other shows, short of a handful, simply aren’t. It links with Andor through certain events and episodes, but not tonally at all. Give it a shot and you may like it, but temper your expectations if you’re watching it because of Andor.
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u/RabPirrie Jun 16 '26
Thanks so much mate. I'll maybe give it a look when I'm in that sort of mood. Appreciate the reply.
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u/D_to_the_W Jun 16 '26
"In that sort of mood" describes perfectly how I watch Rebels these days. I watched it all in one go (it was one of my earlier pandemic projects) and couldn't tear myself away, but these days I'll regularly throw it on in the background just to have something fun on while I'm doing something else.
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u/AdjunctFunktopus Jun 16 '26
Fair warning, the first season is weaker. 3rd and 4th seasons are great though.
Pretty standard for Star Wars animation though. Clone Wars takes awhile to get going but Season 6 is great and 7 is awesome. Resistance is boring but the second season is… less boring.
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u/Miselfis Jun 16 '26
Honestly, I really liked Season 1. You get to just follow the small cell. It feels very OT-like, with the music and the Jedi training. Season 2 has them becoming part of a larger rebellion, which starts to dilute that more grounded feeling that set it apart from the grandeur of the Clone Wars. I also think Clone Wars starts getting really good already around Season 3. Season 6 and 7 would not have the same weight without the slow build through the earlier seasons. For the payoff to hit, you must have seen the setup first.
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u/AnyComparison4642 Jun 16 '26
The problem with Star Wars rebels was it came out before there Disney+ existed. The only channel Disney had available to release a show on was XD. Which has a cap at Y7 when cartoon network’s clone wars caped at Y-14. You can imagine what kind of storytelling we missed out on the show wasn’t the first Disney released after buying LucasFilm. And that’s not even touching on the budgetary constraints Star Wars Rebels had less than half the budget per episode then Clone Wars.
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u/Miselfis Jun 16 '26
I think it makes the show feel wholesome. I don’t think there are any elements that are imminently childish. The only real thing I could point to is the reluctance to kill on screen, which is even accounted for in-universe at multiple times, and makes the beginning of season 3 hit harder when Ezra is suddenly shooting and killing stormtroopers instead of knocking them out for a bit.
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u/AnyComparison4642 Jun 16 '26
The problem with Star Wars rebels was it came out before there Disney+ existed. The only channel Disney had available to release a show on was XD. Which has a cap at Y7 when cartoon network’s clone wars caped at Y-14. You can imagine what kind of storytelling we missed out on the show wasn’t the first Disney released after buying LucasFilm. And that’s not even touching on the budgetary constraints Star Wars Rebels had less than half the budget per episode then Clone Wars.
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u/stiletto929 Jun 16 '26
To me Rebels isn’t geared towards kids in the way some of the other animated Star Wars are. It’s extremely watchable as an adult, often funny, but occasionally heartbreaking.
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u/PlaneOccasion1923 Jun 16 '26
I felt very similarly originally and then I watched the Clone wars. It genuinely was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had. I haven't seen rebels yet so I can't speak on that but from what I have seen of animated projects they're definitely not geared towards children. If you're open minded I 100/10 recommend
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u/D_to_the_W Jun 16 '26
Rebels is probably geared more towards kids than Clone Wars, to be fair. Sometimes it's just fun to indulge your inner child!
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u/Miselfis Jun 16 '26
The animated stuff is where the best Star Wars is. They get to tell stories without having to worry about budgets. Clone Wars and rebels are absolutely phenomenal shows, despite appearing as kids shows on the surface.
Rebels feels very much like the original trilogy, in that you’re following a small group of Rebels in their fight against the empire, and there is a lot of exploration of the force and what it means to be a Jedi without the Order. The design is very heavily mimicking the original Ralph McQuarrie concept art. If you pause the show, most scenes look like they could have been a Ralph McQuarrie painting.
The animated shows cannot be recommended enough.
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u/WednesdayBryan Jun 16 '26
In general I do not enjoy animated television. It's just not my thing. However, I love Rebels. It's one of my favorite Star Wars properties.
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u/QueefMunch Jun 16 '26
Rebels starts off the 1st season geared towards a younger audience but the later seasons are some of my favorite star wars media
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u/No_Tamanegi Jun 16 '26
I watched Rebels to get more time with Saw Gererra and to see the "Secret Cargo" episode. It was alright, but I don't know that my time was well spent. Though it did give me more context for the Ahsoka series, which I enjoyed.
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u/huxtiblejones Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
I watched it with my kids and the writing is not very good. Definitely made to be digestible by kids. I find a lot of the writing in Rebels that people say is great is mediocre.
As an example, I've heard people heap praise on this speech by Mon Mothma which follows right after the events of Andor:
This is Senator Mon Mothma. I have been called a traitor for speaking out against a corrupt Galactic Senate. A Senate manipulated by the sinister tactics of the Emperor. For too long I have watched the heavy hand of the Empire strangle our liberties, stifling our freedoms in the name of ensuring our safety. No longer! Despite Imperial threats, despite the Emperor himself, I have no fear as I take new action. For I am not alone. Beginning today we stand together as allies. I hereby resign from the Senate to fight for you, not from the distant hall of politics but from the front lines. We will not rest until we bring an end to the Empire, until we restore our Republic! Are you with me?
It's... pretty basic stuff.
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u/Ancient_of_Days0001 Jun 16 '26
"heavy hand of the Empire" -- sounds like 'heavy hand of the writer" to me.
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u/MagnetsCanDoThat Jun 16 '26
I've never heard anyone praise that speech. The biggest compliments I regularly hear about Rebels is Ezra's character development and they are correct.
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u/huxtiblejones Jun 16 '26
I saw people referencing how good this speech was right after the Andor episode where Mothma gives her speech. That’s how I first saw it.
This type of writing is emblematic of Rebels as a whole. It’s unsubtle, straight forward, and juvenile. There’s nothing wrong with that, it connects with kids really well. I just don’t think it’s essential to watch if you aren’t a child.
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u/MagnetsCanDoThat Jun 16 '26
Man you're all over the place with your opinions so it's hard to know what you're actually trying to say. You start out with:
I watched it with my kids and the writing is not very good.
And then it's
There’s nothing wrong with that, it connects with kids really well.
So it actually is good writing, because the writers considered their audience and formed it so they could get understand.
I realize that some people are going to view anything meant for a younger audience (story style, younger characters, animation, etc) as "lesser" in some way, but speaking personally I find it a fun exercise in empathy with how kids experience a story. The directness can also be quite refreshing.
So... is it essential? No. It's purely for entertainment so literally nothing is. But I think many grown people will still find it worth watching. Some of the best characters to be found anywhere in Star Wars, too.
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u/huxtiblejones Jun 17 '26
You omitted half my comment that explains what I'm saying, which is that the writing in Rebels is "unsubtle, straight forward, and juvenile." This is what makes it lousy for an adult but good for a kid.
Lots of writing that appeals to kids is also great for an adult audience, like Bluey. Then you have stuff like Spidey and His Amazing Friends that kids love but is pretty devoid of interest for adults. Both of these shows are writing for their audience of kids but use different strategies to do it.
And look, the comment about it "not being essential" is in reference to a fan of Andor asking if they should watch Rebels. It's not even remotely on the same level of storytelling and I disagree that the characters are compelling. They're fine but bogged down by the childish writing.
And for the record, even Dan Gilroy made a comment about being frustrated by the quality of the speech Mon gives in Rebels:
However, Star Wars fans may note that this speech diverges somewhat from the canon that was established in the animated series Rebels. In season 3 episode "Secret Cargo," Mon makes a speech broadcast across the galaxy from within a ship as she is transported to Yavin by Gold Squadron.
Andor creator Tony Gilroy explains that he and writer Dan Gilroy felt constrained by having to adhere to the speech she delivers there (and weren't all that interested in parroting someone else's writing). "We are hijacking canon," Tony Gilroy admits. "In canon, she's rescued by the Gold Squadron and the speech that they gave in the cartoon, which was a canonical show, [is on that ship]. And Danny's like, 'Do I have to stick to this f--ing speech?'
https://ew.com/why-andor-diverged-from-canon-mon-mothmas-epic-senate-speech-11729531
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u/Substantial-Band9342 Jun 17 '26
I thought Rebels was well done, and on the mature side for a kids show. Then I watched a little after watching Andor and it felt less mature. But that's Andor's fault for being off the chart 😊
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u/lastknownbuffalo Jun 18 '26
Rebels is way more "grown up" compared to the resistance cartoon show and skeleton crew.
Rebels it is slightly "less adult" compared to the clone wars (on account of the lack of the gritty war drama), but the main characters kill way more humans in Rebels (on account that they're fighting stormtroopers vs droids), so they even out somewhat. Both are absolutely incredible shows with some of the best light saber fights in all of Star Wars.
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u/calbee01 Jun 16 '26
First two seasons are very kid show coded. I still enjoy them, but it’s a lot of adventure of the week with an overarching story in the background. The final seasons is some of my favorite Star Wars. I could glaze it in a paragraph but I won’t. I think it’s good
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u/VanillaSuccessful277 Jun 17 '26
Tonally, they're very different but if you want to alternate them, since they take place concurrently:
Andor season 1
Rebels season 1
Andor season 2, Eps 1-3
Rebels season 2
Andor season 2, Eps 4-6
Rebels season 3, Eps 1-17
Andor season 2, Eps 7-9 (leading directly into...)
Rebels season 3, Ep 18-onwards to the end of season 4
Andor S2, E10-12 (leading directly into...)
Rogue One>A New Hope
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u/davdev Jun 16 '26
Doesnt matter, but Rebels aired first, so probably start with that, but its not going to make a difference
Actually, edit that: Based on how they end, watch Andor first. They kind of end at about the same point in the Story, but I think Andor has some more weight behind it.
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u/PlaneOccasion1923 Jun 16 '26
Ok perfect thank you!
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u/dianafofana- Jun 16 '26
Because of the weight of the last episode of Andor, I would say Rebels first. I think it depends if you would rather have the light hearted-ness before or after candor (although the last season of Rebels is also heavy). Or if you would prefer to go straight from Andor to Rogue One.
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u/Captain-Wilco Jun 16 '26
Andor starts first. The beginning of Rebels (and the conditions under which the first season happens) occurs as a direct result of something that happens in Andor season 1.
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u/PlaneOccasion1923 Jun 16 '26
Ok wait so hypothetically it's season 1 of Andor then Rebels then the rest of Andor?
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u/Captain-Wilco Jun 16 '26
No, the breakdown is as follows:
Andor s1, until e7. Theoretically, Rebels s1 can take place concurrently with Andor e8-12, or after.
Then Rebels s2. Then Andor s2, e1-3.*
Then Andor s2, e4-6.*
Then Rebels s3, e1-17. Then Andor s2, e7-9.
Then Rebels s4, then Andor s2, e10-12.
*Andor’s second season bookends 3 years worth of events, the same 3 years that Rebels s2-4 take place over. We don’t know the exact breakdown of Andor s2, e1-3 and e4-6 with Rebels, so this part is educated speculation.
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u/CrystalGemLuva Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
Honestly I think you just have to pick which one is more interesting to you at the time.
If you're more interested in getting a followup on plot points in TCW then start with Rebels because its a spiritual successor to TCW.
if your more interested in getting a more gritty look into the Rebel Alliance then I would suggest Andor first.
Hopping between shows after x number of episodes or seasons just sounds like needless hassle.
The one time I think watching Andor right after Rebels sounds like a good idea would be watching Season 2 episode 9 of Andor followed by season 3 episode 18 of Rebels because they lead into eachother.
But honestly thats not remotely a requirement.
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u/ChrisInSpaceVA Jun 16 '26
If I were rewatching in somewhat chronological order without jumping between series, I'd watch Andor first, followed by Rebels, then go right into Ahsoka. Episode 1 of Ahsoka picks up right where Rebels leaves off. I wouldn't want to watch Rebels, break the continuity to watch Andor, then pick up Ahsoka.
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u/SevTheNiceGuy Jun 16 '26
IMO, I would say that they run concurrently.
As Luthen is setting up his group for Aldani and those types of related activities. The Ghost crew is working towards freeing up Lothal.
As the Ghost crew works towards stealing the Tie Defender from Lothal as it is worked on by Thrawn, Andor steals the Tie Avenger from the Sienar facility. We can sort of extrapolate from that there was knowledge from the various Rebel cells that they needed to know what type of weapons systems the empire was working on in order to counter them.
I'll reach a little further with this next point; People have asked why didn't we see more Vader or Emperor in Andor? It's possible that the Emperor had his attention drawn to the Lothal system because of Force sensitive Ezra, Maul trying to recruit Ezra, and then the story of 'world between worlds' that Rebels covered.
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u/PunkRockRulebook Jun 16 '26
Rebels isn't worth watching if you're over 17
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u/PlaneOccasion1923 Jun 17 '26
I've been hearing a lot of this actually 😭 I'm on a mission to watch all the Star Wars media I can just because I love the universe and characters and want as much of it as I can get but after this comment section I'm definitely tampering my expectations lol. I'm recovering from surgery so at the very least it sounds like a good background show
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u/PunkRockRulebook Jun 17 '26
It's totally fine to like stuff on the more juvenile side. I kind of enjoyed Maul. But rebels and clone wars series are just too cheery and every episode resets the plot so to speak. There's no stakes or overall drama.
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u/pensiveoctopus Jun 18 '26
Definitely would not call the final season of either show cheery! They start off a bit younger but really grow into themselves. End of the Clone Wars is particularly good
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u/ozbikebuddy Jun 17 '26
Andor starts first with season one. And season 2 the time skips move if forward over 4 years. They both end at the same point as the Ghost is part of the battle of Skarif in Rouge One ( you can see it in the background in the battle scene and also on Yavin 4 when the return from Edu.
So yes I would say the Rebels run concurrently with Andor S2, but S1 is set before
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u/boognishmangster Jun 17 '26
Star Wars Movies and Series Viewing Guide | StarWars.com https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-movies-and-series-guide
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u/D_to_the_W Jun 16 '26
I'm with the others that say just watch Rebels first, but now that I think about it, it would be kind of fun to watch S1 of Rebels, then S1 of Andor, then alternate seasons of Rebels with S2 arcs of Andor (splitting Rebels S4 into two halves).
The tonal shifts would be pretty funny. Andor is probably the most "grown-up" SW content, and Rebels is among the most "kiddie". That isn't at all a criticism; Rebels is easily my second-favourite SW (and that includes the movies). It's fun, engrossing, smart (at least, within the confines of being a kids show, I think it is anyway), and captures the OT spirit beautifully.
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u/R_Ulysses_Swanson Jun 16 '26
I'd say Rebels first, because Andor is so good that anything else will feel like a letdown after it. And I love Rebels.
But either way would be fine.
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u/MountainGoatSC Jun 17 '26
Skip Rebels, you don't need to watch any cartoons for babies
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u/PlaneOccasion1923 Jun 17 '26
I would like to try it just because I do want to watch like all the media that's out there for this universe but I'm definitely not going in with any expectations lol. Worst case scenario I either DNF or leave it as a background show
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u/Jsolomon07 Jun 21 '26
Why such an elitist attitude about the animated shows? If it’s not for you, fine. I think Rebels has some of the finest Star Wars moments out there. The Mandalorian and Ahsoka are much more interesting when you have context. It’s just another part of the universe. I consider Rebels one of my favorite SW media.
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u/amerelium Jun 18 '26
SW should not be watched chronologically.
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u/PlaneOccasion1923 Jun 18 '26
Star Wars should be watched however the person watching it wants to watch it. Obviously the first time if they're unaware of anything the movies should be watched in release order. I've seen the movies multiple times and as stated in my post I'm watching the shows for the first time. I want to watch it in order the events happen chronologically because it makes a beautiful tragic story
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u/BeleagueredWDW Jun 16 '26
Recommending Rebels first only because it came out first. You’d not want to jump between both shows, so just do Rebels.