Seen this week’s Andor episode? You may have missed a deep cut original trilogy character cropping up among the sterile meeting rooms and grey uniforms of the Empire’s ISB branch.
Following on from the fallout of the heist on Aldhani, the Empire strikes back in swift fashion. Aiding in the retaliation is a high-ranking moustachioed officer, played by Malcolm Sinclair, who lays out the Empire’s new policies across the galaxy. He’s not namechecked in the show itself, but it’s a face who might be familiar to some: it’s Wulff Yularen, a member of the Empire’s top brass who briefly appeared as an unnamed character in A New Hope.
Since that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance, Yularen’s star has been on the rise elsewhere. He appeared in The Clone Wars as Anakin’s admiral and later assisted General Thrawn in Star Wars Rebels. He’s also appeared in other wider Star Wars media and has proved to be a fan favorite in the past few decades. This quick cameo in Andor, however, is the character’s first live-action appearance in 45 years.
That’s not the only ties Andor has to live-action Star Wars films. The Disney Plus series’ sixth episode featured a heartbreaking parallel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Nemik’s instructions of "Climb!" were the last words uttered by both the fledgling revolutionary and Cassian’s droid pal K2SO in Rogue One.
Andor is currently streaming every Wednesday on Disney Plus. For more on what else is coming to a galaxy far, far away, check out our guide to upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.
