I truly never thought thatStar Warswould give us something even darker than Order 66, butAndorseason 2 just proved me wrong.Andorseason 2 is a standout amongStar Warsmovies and TV shows, in large part because it pulled none of its punches. On the contrary,Andorseason 2, even more so thanAndorseason 1, represented the true brutalities of oppression and the sacrifices that are required during a revolution.
This was far from the first timeStar Warshad depicted such things. In fact, war, oppression, and rebellion have been key themes from the very beginning, and that has persisted throughout nearly all eras oftheStar Warstimeline. This is one wayAndorseason 2 proved thatAndoris one ofStar Wars’best TV shows, if not the single best. It was compelling to finally see realistic, boots-on-the-ground representations of rebellion and the threat of the Empire—butthat shockingly also led to a moment even darker than Order 66 on theStar Warsscreen.
Order 66 Used To Be Star Wars' Most Gruesome Event
Star Wars Has Increasingly Added To The Horror Of This Attack
When Order 66 was first shown inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, it was truly shocking. It was evident that some major catastrophe happened to the Jedi betweenRevenge of the SithandA New Hope, given so few Jedi remained in the original trilogy, but the extent of the violence was jarring. It would have been bad enough to see so many full-fledged Jedi cut down, but seeing even the younglings murdered (some of whom were killed by Anakin Skywalker himself) was another level.
Star Warshas since made this even worse with shows likeStar Wars: The Bad Batch,Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and especiallyObi-Wan Kenobi, which all showed the horrible massacre in even greater detail—including a closer look at Anakin cutting down the younglings. Given how horrific this mass killing was, and how much worse it’s gotten over the years, it seemed doubtfulStar Warswould ever depict something worse and more gruesome than this. However,one event fromAndorseason 2 somehow managed to be even more horrifying than Order 66.
Watching Peaceful Innocents Gunned Down Was Absolutely Brutal
Image via Disney+
Although Order 66 remains one of the most horrible events inStar Wars,Andorseason 2’s Ghorman Massacreproved even more horrifying. During this event,peaceful protesters on Ghorman were effectively mass executed by stormtroopers, droids, and Imperials. The scenes depicting this event also showed in gruesome detail just how brutal these killings were. In addition to being gunned down by blasters, several people were simply picked up and thrown down or thrown at walls by droids, dying on impact.
The scenes depicting this event also showed in gruesome detail just how brutal these killings were.
What made this all the more disturbing was the fact that, when the attack began, the Ghor had switched from chanting to simply singing a song that was meaningful to their people and to their culture.This juxtaposition of the peaceful protest and the beautiful song with the ruthless violence of the Empire was shocking. Yes, seeing the Jedi, especially the younglings, killed during Order 66 was horrible, but seeing the innocent people of Ghorman killed off for no reason other than the Empire needing resources from their planet (particularly in this level of detail) was so much worse.
It Was Crucial For This Massacre To Be This Horrific
Ultimately,it was critical forStar Warsto represent the Ghorman Massacre in this way. From the beginning ofStar Wars, it’s of course been clear that the Empire was evil. That was evident enough in their willingness to blow up the entire planet of Alderaan in the blink of an eye. Yet,Andorwas particularly focused on showing the real impact on everyday people and the violence and cruelty toward even citizens who were not overtly part of the Rebel Alliance.
To fully deliver this message,Andorhad to show this violence in a way that the originalStar Warstrilogy never did (including with the destruction of Alderaan inA New Hope, as that happened from a distance). In the end,Andormore than pulled this off, proving just how heartless, insidious, and cruel the Empire was through this massacre. Although Order 66 will always be amongStar Wars’darkest moments,Andordid what seemingly seemed to be the impossible and presented an event even more disturbing.
