Here’s The Only ‘Star Wars’ Show That Gained Viewers Instead of Losing Them

Most Star Wars shows on Disney+ have followed a pretty clear pattern. They start off strong, bring in lots of viewers during the first week, but then slowly lose people by the end of the season. That’s been the case with The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and The Acolyte. But one show has managed to do the opposite, Andor.

Andor, the series that follows Cassian Andor before the events of Rogue One, actually got more popular over time. According to data reported by The Wrap, its viewership jumped nearly 40% from the end of season one to the end of season two. That makes it the only live-action Star Wars show on Disney+ that didn’t lose viewers as the series went on.

Season one of Andor premiered on September 21, 2022, and wrapped up in November that year. The second and final season dropped on April 22, 2025, with three new episodes each week until May 13. While other shows saw their numbers dip week by week, Andor kept gaining fans and attention.

The show got a lot of love from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 96% approval rating from 609 reviews, with an average score of 8.55 out of 10. The site’s critic summary called it “a gritty adventure told from the ground perspective of the Empire’s reign” and described it as “an exceptionally mature and political entry into the Star Wars mythos, and one of the best yet.” Over on Metacritic, it scored a 74 out of 100, which means “generally favorable reviews.”

The show was praised for being different from the others. It had a more serious tone, focused on real people instead of Jedi and lightsabers, and leaned into politics, resistance, and personal struggles. It also earned 22 Emmy nominations over its two seasons, including nods for Outstanding Drama Series both times.

By comparison, other Star Wars shows struggled to keep their audiences. Obi-Wan Kenobi started with over a billion minutes watched in its first week, but dropped to 860 million by the end. Ahsoka lost about 31% of its viewers during its first season, and The Acolyte dropped almost 33%. Even The Mandalorian, which was a massive hit at first, saw interest drop with later spin-offs like The Book of Boba Fett.

One studio marketing executive told The Wrap, “When you went to a Star Wars movie, it used to be special. But there’s a difference between having a movie every four years versus having three shows all the time and a movie every year.”

With so many Star Wars shows flooding Disney+, some fans and critics started feeling tired. Now, Disney is planning to move back toward theatrical releases. Next year, we’ll see The Mandalorian and Grogu hit theaters, followed by Star Wars: Starfighter in 2027, starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Shawn Levy.

Still, Andor stands out. While other shows faded, it gained momentum. Critics loved it, and fans kept coming back. In a sea of Star Wars content, Andor proved that telling a great story, even without Jedi, can still win over audiences.

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