Star Wars’new TV show,Andorseason 2, just set up a fascinating spin-off story connected to the Jedi that would bring something truly new toStar Warsmovies and TV shows. Thus far, only three episodes ofAndorseason 2 have been released, but already, this show has revealed so much more about this era oftheStar Warstimelineand the efforts of the rebels. These elements were fairly expected, givenAndorseason 2’s place in theStar Warstimelineand the fact that it will lead right intoRogue One: A Star Wars Story.
One avenue that was less expected was the deep-dive into Chandrila and Chandrilan culture via Mon Mothma’s story.Andorseason 1 had already explored this a bit, with Mon struggling in her relationships with her husband and daughter, but season 2 has already provided so much more insight into this culture in just the first three episodes—especially in light of her daughter Leida’s wedding.One of the most surprising aspects of this newfound look at Chandrilan culture has been a shocking connection to the Jedi.
There Are Clear Ties Between Chandrilan Custom & The Jedi
The Andor Season 2 Premiere Made That Clear
As mentioned,the wedding of Mon Mothma’s daughter, Leida, provided a much deeper dive into Chandrilan than has ever been shown inStar Warsbefore, particularly on screen. In fact, prior toAndorseason 1, we hadn’t really seen Chandrila inStar Warsmovies and shows. The first three episodes ofAndorseason 2 have built upon the look at Chandrila season 1 offered, revealing so much more about the traditions and customs of the planet.
Leida’s wedding especially showed just how ancient some of these traditions are—in fact, many seem downright archaic. The most obvious example is the fact that Leida is getting married as a teenager, which, in Chandrilan culture, is evidently the standard. Even outside that unsettling storyline, though, the wedding itself depicts several aspects of Chandrilan tradition, from Leida needing to walk into the wedding behind Mon (which Mon informs her of rather curtly) to the elaborate steps involved in the wedding ceremony.
It caught me completely off guard to see such a direct connection to the Jedi in this scene, though. Specifically, at a turning point in the ceremony, when Leida goes from betrothed to wife, a long braid is cut from one side of her head. This braid cutting in the Chandrilan wedding ceremony is strikingly similar to the Jedi Padawan braid being cut off in the Knighting ceremony, which I believe sets up a fascinating connection between Chandrila and the Jedi.
This braid cutting in the Chandrilan wedding ceremony is strikingly similar to the Jedi Padawan braid being cut off in the Knighting ceremony.
I’m Desperate To Know More About How The Jedi Influenced Chandrila
There Certainly Seems To Be Some Relationship There
There’s more to this connection between the Jedi and Chandrila as well.For one, both the Jedi Order and Chandrila seem to struggle with breaking away from traditions, rules, and customs they may have outgrown. This is evident in the fact that Leida is a child bride, but it’s arguably clear in the Jedi’s resistance to attachment as well and the rigidity with which they define the Force (and “balance” in the Force, as seen inthe Chosen One prophecy).
Both Chandrila and the Jedi Order are also thousands of years old inStar Wars. In fact, one of theEaster eggs in theAndorseason 2 premiereconfirms that the Rakatan invasion of Chandrila took place 25,000 years beforeAndorseason 2, meaning that timeline aligns with the dawn of the Jedi Order. Given this,I’m convinced the Jedi and Chandrila both influenced one another, and I am desperate to find out more about what those influences entailed.
This Feels Like A Natural Progression For The Show
Image via Disney+
While it’s unlikely we will get more of that history inAndorseason 2, as this show is explicitly focused on the Rebellion and is separate from the Jedi, I’m hopeful it will at least lay the foundation for a Jedi history spin-off, which could include connections to Chandrila. After all, showrunner Tony Gilroy spoke about wantingAndorseason 2 to open up a new kind ofStar Wars. This history could potentially be explored in James Mangold’sStar Warsmovie, rumored to be titledStar Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, but that remains to be seen.
In either case, I’m intrigued by this very obvious connection between the Chandrilan wedding ceremony and the Jedi Knighting ceremony, especially because both are such coming-of-age events for each of these cultures. What makes this all the more interesting is that we got to see a Chandrilan wedding before a Knighting ceremony was shown on-screen inStar Warscanon (something I’m particularly frustrated about regarding Anakin Skywalker). It will be interesting to see what elseAndorseason 2 reveals about Chandrilan culture, but I do hopeStar Warsfollows up with a Jedi spin-off in the future.
