Andor: Is Luthen Rael a Jedi? Theory explained

A new, wild Andor theory has emerged: is it possible that Luthen Rael is actually a Jedi? Let’s break down the theory – it’s not as crazy as you think.

Andor may be set in the galaxy far, far away, but this isn’t a story concerned with the Dark Side and the light, nor does it seem bothered with the Skywalkers, Jedi Masters, lightsabers, and all the other Star Wars trademarks.

This is a gritty, ground-level story chronicling Cassian’s rise into the Rebel Alliance before the events of Rogue One, amid the tyranny of the Empire in the Imperial Era.

However, mystery still surrounds one character: Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), the Rebel spymaster who recruited Cassian earlier in the series – could he be a Jedi? Possibly.

Andor: Who is Luthen Rael?

What do we know about Luthen? He owns and operates the Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest in Coruscant, a gallery serving as a front for his Rebel activities with Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) and covert conversations with anyone of note, but particularly Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly).

To the politicians and elite of the capital, he’s a jolly, robe-dripped antique dealer. Away from rich eyes, he’s stern, curt, and dedicated to tearing down the Empire with the help of his network of spies and Rebel operatives – but why?

Andor theory suggests Luthen Rael is a Jedi

Could Luthen Rael be a Jedi, or in a wilder twist, a Sith who’s reformed? Let’s look at the evidence.

As we noticed, Luthen’s gallery is full of Jedi artifacts and other Star Wars Easter eggs, including Starkiller’s Sith Stalker armor from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Jedi and Sith holocrons, the Mortis mural, and Indiana Jones’ whip – that last bit is irrelevant, it’s just cool.

In Andor Episode 4, when Luthen is trying to convince Cassian to join his team, he gives him a blue kyber crystal as a deposit. This is a rare, Force-attuned object – and most importantly, kyber crystals are used for lightsabers.

The fact it’s blue is even more significant, as per the Star Wars website. “At the heart of every Jedi lightsaber is a kyber crystal found on several planets, most notably the icebound caves of Ilum. This crystal is attuned to the Force, and connected to a Jedi Knight on a deeply personal level,” it reads.

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“In this way, a lightsaber is an extension of a Jedi’s Force awareness. Because Jedi let the Force guide their selection of the crystal, the vibration that the crystal creates in the lightsaber blade helps Jedi center themselves and find balance in the Force.

“In this way, a Jedi can center his or her attention beyond the distractions of combat. A lightsaber crystal is colorless until first attuned and connected to a Jedi – at which times it glows either blue or green, or in some rare instances, another shade. From that point on, it retains that hue.”

He says the kyber “celebrates the uprising against the Rakatan invaders”, a reference to the events of the Knights Of The Old Republic games – but is it just the symbolism of that battle that means something to Luthen, or is it more than that?

There was another major hint in Episode 11: when he goes to meet Saw Gerrera, he’s found to have a lightsaber on him. Did Luthen take it from his own gallery, or is he actually a Jedi? It’s a compelling theory made even more likely by this moment.

Luthen Rael’s monologue hints he’s a Jedi, theory says

As highlighted by Twitter user @DESTINOOOOOOOO1, Luthen’s monologue in Episode 10 may indicate he’s a Jedi.

He tells Lonni: “I’ve given up all chance at inner peace. I’ve made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts. I wake up every day to an equation I wrote 15 years ago from which there’s only one conclusion, I’m damned for what I do.

“My anger, my ego, my unwillingness to yield, my eagerness to fight, they’ve set me on a path from which there is no escape. I yearned to be a savior against injustice without contemplating the cost and by the time I looked down there was no longer any ground beneath my feet.”

Was Luthen a Jedi Temple Guard when Order 66 was executed? Perhaps – he does have one of their masks in his gallery, after all, and it would explain why he could get away with appearing in plain sight without alerting the Inquisitors.

He could also be a “grey Jedi”, essentially a Jedi who doesn’t follow the Jedi Code, but also hasn’t fallen the Dark Side. This could certainly match up with the rest of Luthen’s monologue, in which he says: “What is my sacrifice? I’m condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else’s future.

“I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude. So what do I sacrifice? Everything!”

With two episodes left in Andor Season 1, let’s hope we find out more about Luthen before the inevitable cliffhanger setting up Season 1.

You can find more of our coverage, including a theory suggesting Kleya is actually Princess Leia, here.