The following contains spoilers for Andor season 2, episode 9. Turn back if you're not up to date!
The galaxy has been forever changed.
A huge moment has just occurred in Andor season 2: Mon Mothma has given a speech that takes direct aim at Emperor Palpatine in the aftermath of the Ghorman Massacre.
Now, as some Star Wars fans will know, this moment has actually already been depicted on the Star Wars timeline in the animated show Rebels – specifically season 3, episode 18. But how does that episode match up with Andor season 2?
Below, we break down the events of both episodes to explain exactly how they fit together, as well as how they differ. This is a huge moment for the galaxy that directly leads to the formation of the Rebel Alliance as we know it, so it's worth getting up to speed. We've also got some exclusive quotes from Mon Mothma actor Genevieve O'Reilly on the moment.
So, for all that and more, head to the below.
How does Mon Mothma's Andor season 2 speech fit with Star Wars Rebels?
In Rebels, we don't see the whole speech, just a snippet displayed on an Imperial broadcast watched by the Ghost crew.
"I name the Emperor himself for ordering the brutal attacks on the people of Ghorman," Mon says in Rebels. "Their peaceful world is one of countless systems helpless against his oppressive rule. This massacre is proof that our self-appointed Emperor is little more than a lying executioner, imposing his tyranny under the pretence of security. We cannot allow this evil to stand."
Now, in Andor season 2, episode 9, Mon's speech gets a lot more fiery, so it makes sense the Imperials wouldn't want to broadcast it (though of course, the non-canon explanation is simply that Rebels was released long before Andor season 2, explaining why the speeches don't match up perfectly).
Mon calls what happened on Ghorman "unprovoked genocide" and declares that "the death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil." She then names Palpatine a "monster," just before the power is cut.
"I was so grateful to Tony [Gilroy] for this because there was a speech that was recorded in the animated Rebels that you're referring to and so I didn't think they would be able to write the speech and yet that was the most important moment for me," Mon actor Genevieve O'Reilly told us of the scene.
"That's what this woman [is], that's the risk, that's the moment where she risks everything, risks her whole life, and so how Tony carved out a space and recreated [it] still respecting the lore and and the canon and what has lived before, and yet he carved out a space within our story to allow her to use her voice – and that was everything to me," she added.
What happens next in Andor season 2 and Star Wars Rebels?
Cassian rescues Mon from the Senate and gets her to safety. But, it's pointed out that no one will ever know Cassian was the one who saved her – and, indeed, this is never mentioned in Star Wars Rebels.
What we don't see in Andor, but what happens next in Rebels, is Mon goes on to deliver another speech that unites the Rebellion from the cockpit of the Ghost.
"I have no fear as I take new action," she says. "For I am not alone. Beginning today, we stand together as allies."
She then resigns as a Senator and says "we will not rest until we bring an end to the Empire; until we restore our Republic. Are you with me?" Plenty of ships then appear in space with the Ghost, which Mothma says is "our Rebellion."
From now on in Andor, then, we can expect to see the Mon Mothma we're most familiar with – the fearless leader of the Rebellion.
Andor continues weekly on Disney Plus, and you can keep up with our Andor season 2 release schedule.
For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.
