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Andor season 2 is in full swing, with the final set of three episodes scheduled to be released on May 12, 2025. A prequel to the movie Star Wars: Rogue One, the show follows Cassian Andor's radicalization against the Galactic Empire and the formation of the Rebel Alliance.
The first three episodes of Andor premiered in September 2022. The show received critical acclaim and was praised for its mature tone, compared to other Star Wars movies and shows. One of the most powerful moments in Andor season 1's story was in episode 10, titled One Way Out.
The storyline in that episode was gritty, human, and emotionally resonant, as Cassian and Kino Loy led a successful attempt at a prison break on Narkina 5. The uprising, although fictional, shared striking thematic parallels to the real-life Sonderkommando uprising at Auschwitz in 1944.
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Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for Andor season 1. Readers' discretion is advised.
Andor season 1 episode 10 featured one of the most powerful moments in the show
In Andor season 1 episode 7, a Shoretrooper arrested Cassian and took him to the island prison on Narkina 5. Cassian was sentenced to six years of imprisonment. In the prison, he met the prison floor manager, Kino Loy, and was subjected to awful work conditions along with thousands of other prisoners.
Everyone, including Cassian and Kino, at the prison was serving their respective sentences and doing their jobs in hopes of getting released one day. However, those hopes were squashed in episode 9 when Cassian and Kino learned that no one ever escaped the prison because prisoners were secretly recycled to other prison units.
This revelation convinced Kino to join Cassian in his attempt to escape prison. While Cassian delivered the tactical direction, Kino provided the emotional rallying cry. Kino's speech inspired inmates to join forces and escape the prison.
"You need to run, climb, kill! You need to help each other. You see someone who’s confused, someone who is lost, you get them moving and you keep them moving until we put this place behind us. There are 5,000 of us. If we can fight half as hard as we’ve been working, we will be home in no time. One way out! One way out! One way out!" said Kino.
Most prisoners escaped by jumping into the sea and swimming to the shore. However, in a heartbreaking moment, Kino stated that he could not swim. Whether or not he escaped the prison was left ambiguous, despite the risk he took by leading the rebellion.
Also read: What is the Tarkin Massacre in Andor? Details explored
What was the 1944 Sonderkommando revolt at Auschwitz?
Sonderkommandos were work units of German N*zi death camp prisoners, who were forced to dispose of the dead bodies of those who were exterminated in the gas chambers in the Holocaust.
In the crematoria area of the Birkenau camp, also known as Auschwitz 2, a large group of Sonderkommando members rebelled against the N*zi guards on October 7, 1944. The plan was to blow up the four crematoria (Crematoria 2 to 5) to stop the mass murder operations.
Explosives were smuggled in small amounts with the help of women working in an explosive factory. Although the revolt was carried out, it was not as successful as the prisoners had hoped because Crematoria IV blew up, and that alone took the lives of many.
It was not just the fire that killed the prisoners, but also the indiscriminate shooting by the reinforced German forces who arrived at the site upon learning of the revolt. Over 450 members of the Sonderkommando and three German guards were killed, while some researchers claimed that 27 of the prisoners escaped.
Thematic similarities between Andor's One Way Out and the 1944 Sonderkommando revolt at Auschwitz
Although the contexts of the revolt of Narkina 5's inmates in Andor season 1 and the 1944 Sonderkommando revolt at Auschwitz are largely different, some similarities can be drawn upon a closer look.
The prisoners at Narkina 5 were subjected to brutal working conditions and shock-floor discipline, just like the Sonderkommandos were made to bury the Holocaust victims under the threat of their death. The conditions in both cases were dehumanizing, repetitive, and brutal.
Also read: 10 movies to watch if you loved Thunderbolts*
In Andor, the prisoners wore matching uniforms, which stripped them of their individuality. This was also similar to how the Sonderkommandos were treated— they were destined to be killed sooner or later. Both revolts cost the sacrifices of those who dared to resist.
The revolutions were triggered by desperation for survival because the victims in both cases were aware that survival within the system was impossible. So, they chose resistance.
The series is available to stream on Disney+
