Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, multiple Star Wars projects have been set during the rise of the Galactic Empire. The Star Wars Rebels animated series and Obi-Wan Kenobi showcased the larger threats around the galaxy during this time period, but Disney+’s latest series, Andor, has started out telling a more contained story about how one person is enough to make a difference in the galaxy far, far away.
One aspect of Andor that some early viewers criticized was that it didn’t feel connected to any other Star Wars projects besides Rogue One. The first six episodes didn’t feature battalions of stormtroopers or mention the Jedi or the Force.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for Episode 7 of Andor.
However, just one scene in Episode 7 proved that Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor has garnered the attention of a more prominent figure within the Empire that most fans will remember from The Clone Wars. This means that Andor has not only begun to form connective tissue between itself and another Star Wars show but even tease the possible appearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who is currently expected to make his live-action debut in the upcoming Ahsoka series.
The Return of Colonel Wullf Yularen
In Episode 7 of Andor, viewers were taken back to the ISB headquarters on Coruscant, where the main focus is on Denise Gough's Dedra Meero and Ben Bailey Smith's Lieutenant Blevin.
During the team meeting that was going on in the headquarters, all the attendees were lectured by Colonel Wullf Yularen, played by Malcolm Sinclair.
Many fans will remember the character from the animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, when he was an admiral in the Republic army that worked closely with Anakin Skywalker until the end of the Clone Wars.
However, the character actually debuted all the way back in 1977's A New Hope, where he could be seen in the boardroom on the Death Star alongside Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.
Yularen also appeared in Star Wars Rebels, and while he didn't have nearly as much screen time as in The Clone Wars, he did have a close alliance with Grand Admiral Thrawn. Timothy Zahn's canon novels that center around Thrawn reveal that Yularen was one of the Grand Admiral's biggest supporters, and the pair even aided each other successfully in missions to take out Rebel cells.
Since the two are so closely related to one another in Star Wars canon, Grand Admiral Thrawn could possibly be making his live-action debut sooner than expected. Even though the character is set to be the main antagonist in the upcoming Ahsoka series, Lucasfilm could possibly introduce the character in Andor.
It is also important to note that Yularen directly trained ISB Agent Kallus when the latter was attending the Imperial Academy. Kallus, who is a prominent character in Rebels, was even regarded as a star pupil of Yularen's. Due to the fact that Andor is taking place at the same point in the timeline as Rebels, Yularen's appearance in the Disney+ show could mean that Agent Kallus will also make an appearance of some sort.
What Role Would Thrawn Play in Andor?
When it comes to finding and exterminating Rebel cells, no one is more effective than Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo. The character proved time and time again in Rebels that he was always two steps ahead of his competition and that he was more efficient than anyone else in the Empire when there were Rebels that needed to be dealt with.
Episode 7 of Andor also featured a shockingly high amount of references to Emperor Palpatine, and while that is expected since he rules the galaxy, it is important to remember that Thrawn is almost as close to Palpatine as Vader is. If Palpatine were to get worried about Cassian and Luthen's group of Rebels causing too much trouble, he would surely send Thrawn in as a last-ditch effort.
Even though Yularen only briefly appeared in Episode 7 of Andor, his mere presence is enough to begin speculating on what could come next for the show's protagonists. Yularen is a high-ranking officer in the ISB, and he has strong connections with not only Thrawn but also Agent Kallus. The more Yularen continues to show up in the coming episodes and gets involved with the central conflict, the more likely it is for one, if not both, of the characters to show up.
Episode 7 of Andor is now available to stream on Disney+.
