The “Star Wars” universe has never shied away from violence, but its treatment of gendered threats has often remained implied. As one viewer put it, “In the Star Wars universe, there’s been no shortage of suggested violence against women (we don’t even want to know what Jabba was planning to do with ‘Slave Leia’).”
But “Andor” Season 2, Episode 3 crosses a new line for the franchise: it directly portrays an attempted rape. It’s a moment that’s not just shocking, but deeply significant—and it’s sparking intense conversation about trauma, power, and responsibility in storytelling.
“Andor” Scene: Pivotal Moment in “Star Wars” History
As Imperial forces descend on the planet where Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) is hiding, she finds herself alone in her safe house—until she’s cornered by Imperial lieutenant Krole (Alex Waldmann). He tells her, “I know you’re illegal. We’ve been counting visas. It’s a tough spot for everyone,” before proposing a repulsive deal: sleep with him, and he won’t turn her in.
When Bix begs him not to do this, he ignores her pleas and begins to force himself on her—until she lashes out in self-defense, bludgeoning him with a wrench as the scene descends into a violent struggle.
Behind The Scenes of “Andor”: Creating the Scene with Care
Despite its brutality, the moment was handled with precision and sensitivity behind the scenes. Arjona praised director Ariel Kleiman and the stunt team for ensuring the environment felt safe: “We had an amazing stunt team and partner in Ari as a director, who shot that scene scientifically and in such a precise way so as to save us from doing a million takes,” she said to Entertainment Weekly.
“It was challenging because everyone involved… felt the importance of what this scene meant, not only for the show, but for Star Wars,” she added. “But I also felt incredibly safe and cushioned in the process of doing it. It’s something Tony Gilroy does. He brings this mirror effect that [shows] the things that happen in our world can also happen in a galaxy far, far away.”
Bix doesn’t just suffer in this scene—she’s already unraveling from the trauma of season one’s torture. She’s having nightmares, showing signs of PTSD, and when Krole circles her like a predator earlier in the episode, she tries to protect herself with a familiar defense: “My husband’s coming.”
Arjona clarified that this wasn’t a hidden plot twist: “It’s a way of escaping,” she explained. “It’s very different for her to say, ‘My boyfriend is coming.’ She might feel that he won’t respect her, right? But if she says, ‘my husband,’ there’s power to that. There’s respect to that. She hopes in her wildest dreams that he respects that. Of course he doesn’t, but she feels incredibly cornered at that moment.”
“It’s more complex than a cute wedding in the gap year,” she continued. “She’s trying to get out of a very tricky situation that, as women, we unfortunately are stuck in quite a bit.”
Representation, Resilience, and Responsibility in “Andor”
For Arjona, the emotional preparation for the role was intense. “I felt like I went through the acting Olympics,” she said. “The research was heavier. I’ve read so many interviews and I saw so many videos of people that have actually gone through this.”
She focused on five specific survivors’ stories to ground her performance. “That process was the most draining,” she said. “And it stayed with me. By the time that I was doing the scenes, it felt like I was telling a little part of the story of the five individuals who I really honed in on… It felt like I was making them proud. They have no idea who I am, but it was a little homage that I was carrying through.”
The reaction to the scene has been mixed. Some viewers applaud “Andor” for addressing sexual violence with seriousness and care, while others question whether this kind of realism belongs in Star Wars. But that very tension reflects the power of the moment—it’s pushing the franchise to evolve.
“Andor” takes a risk by confronting real-world horrors within its sci-fi framework. In doing so, it not only deepens the character of Bix Caleen—it also sets a new precedent for what kind of stories Star Wars is willing to tell.
In a galaxy far, far away, a scene like this reminds us how close these stories can hit. And maybe that’s the point. As Arjona said, “It’s something Tony Gilroy does. He brings this mirror effect that [shows] the things that happen in our world can also happen in a galaxy far, far away.” “Andor” is streaming on Disney+.
