There’s no doubt that Star Wars: Andor is the franchise at its best, telling an underdog story about a group of rebels trying to fight back against their oppressors. However, it doesn’t follow the blueprint of the original trilogy. No Jedi comes to save the day, and the heroes don’t get to go to a medal ceremony at the end of the day. There are constant sacrifices in Andor, and most of them don’t involve death. Characters have to live with their tough choices and don’t get much time to recover because there’s always another battle to fight.
Luthen Rael’s story is all about giving up a peaceful life for a cause bigger than himself. He gets the benefit of operating in the shadows, though, which can’t be said for his agents. Bix Caleen, in particular, finds herself at the mercy of the Empire on multiple occasions, and she loses herself for a time because of it. However, her story is still an important one, especially because it allows Star Wars to tackle a sensitive subject.
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Adria Arjona, who played Bix, explained why her character’s story is so important to Andor. “What happened to Bix in season one is huge, and I think what Tony [Gilroy] brilliantly does, by not letting Bix sort of get away with it, is showcase that trauma is incredibly complex and it takes time. It’s not healed in one year,” she said. “I’ve heard the word ‘victim’ used when describing her – hell no, hell no. Bix is so brave… I think someone who is trying so hard is the hero in their own journey, and I applaud that of Bix.”
Arjona also touched on Bix’s big moment in Season 2, where she has to stop an Imperial officer from taking advantage of her. It was the first time the franchise used the word “rape,” which wasn’t lost on the actress. “If you’re going to tell all sides of one story, then you cannot leave out the abuse of power, because it’s part of our history,” she explained. “The fact that I got to say those words [‘He tried to rape me’] in the world of Star Wars meant a lot. I felt a great honor and I reached out to a lot of women, and I really felt like I had all these women holding my hand through that scene. It was the way that they wish they would’ve reacted if they were in that situation again. Saying those words, that’s not easy.”
Bix Earns Her Peace At the End of Andor
After suffering for so long at the hands of the Empire, Bix makes the selfless choice to leave Cassian behind on Yavin 4 to finish the fight. He can’t make heads or tails of it at first, but he doesn’t have time to dwell on it. He takes on the mission of collecting the Death Star plans alongside Jyn Erso and dies on Scarif alongside his team. Meanwhile, Bix returns to Mina-Rau to raise her child, whom Cassian doesn’t know exists. She has to make one final sacrifice to ensure her partner plays his part in the mission to save the galaxy, and it pays off.
While Cassian will never meet his child, Bix can now raise them in a free galaxy. They’ll never have to watch their backs or call a crummy hideout home for a year. It doesn’t make up for all of the trauma she has to deal with, but everyone has some darkness they’re living with, and at least she gets a peaceful ending out of all of it.
Star Wars: Andor is streaming on Disney+.
What did you think of Bix’s story in Star Wars: Andor? Do you think she got the ending she deserved? Let us know in the comments below!
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