Tony Gilroy explains why there aren't many aliens in Andor – and it’s surprisingly practical

Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy has addressed the lack of non-humanoid characters in the Star Wars series. Throughout the first season, there were only a few aliens featured – including the Urodels and the Keredians – while most of the action focused on the humanoid characters.

In particular, when Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) ends up on Narkina 5, all of his fellow prisoners are humans. Gilroy, who also wrote much of the series, has explained there’s actually a very practical reason behind this decision.

"In some places, people were saying, 'Why is Narkina 5 all humans?'" he told Collider. "Well, I don't know how you would work out the bathroom on the floor with eight different varieties of genitals or whatever. I mean, it has to be that way, a system like that, maybe there's Narkina 2 where there's different things. We're probably a little bit shy about it because it's such a behavioral show and most of our principles are in this particular world. And certainly, the Empire doesn't have a surplus of aliens on their side."

However, Gilroy also shared plans to explore more non-humanoid characters in the show’s second season, which is about to begin filming. "We'll probably have more," he added. "It's a very strong flavor when it comes in. It's not just a visual flavor, it's a very strong character flavor. You have to deal with it politically."

If you’re still catching up with the Star Wars spin-off, check out our guide to how many episodes there are in Andor season 1. Or if you’re all up to date, why not read our Andor episode 12 review for a deep dive into the season finale?

For more on the future of Star Wars, we’ve also compiled a list of the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows heading your way soon.