‘Andor’ vs. ‘The Mandalorian’: Which Show Is Better? Here Are Our Reviews
There are a lot of different successful Star Wars shows that you can watch on Disney+, and two of them are Andor and The Mandalorian. While Andor is fairly new compared to The Mandalorian, it has already become quite popular among diehard Star Wars fans. Meanwhile, fans of The Mandalorian have been sticking with it since its first season and have already begun speculating about what will come next for Din Djarin and Din Grogu. But which between Andor and The Mandalorian is the better show?
Both Andor and The Mandalorian are great in their own right because they both have different target markets. Andor is more of an action-drama series set in the Star Wars era. Meanwhile, The Mandalorian goes back to the classic Star Wars action-adventure format that fans have always loved.
Even though they are both very different from one another, Andor and The Mandalorian have storylines that are directly connected to the things that are going on in the galaxy and to the larger narrative happening in the Star Wars universe. That’s why they are both great shows with different storylines that fans will love. Now, let’s look at which between Andor and The Mandalorian is better.
Plot
The plot of the Andor storyline happens right in the middle of the height of the Empire’s reign, just a few years before the start of the Rebellion. It starts with the introduction of Cassian Andor and his story before he became a Rebel and one of the most important unsung heroes in the Rebellion. Andor tells the story of how Cassian could change from someone who never gave a damn about other people to someone who ended up sacrificing his life for the sake of the entire galaxy.
The story of The Mandalorian is unique in that it started without any direct connections to any of the previous Star Wars stories. Set just five years after the events of the original Star Wars trilogy, The Mandalorian follows the story of a Mandalorian bounty hunter named Din Djarin and the different adventures he takes while protecting a young Yoda-like child named Grogu. Din and Grogu face different challenges together and learn more about themselves and each other.
While Andor may have a good plot that’s directly connected to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and, by extension Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the plot of The Mandalorian is new and refreshing due to how no one knows what will happen to the main characters. That’s why we are giving this one to The Mandalorian.
Andor 0, Mandalorian 1
Atmosphere
Even though Star Wars has always been kid-friendly in that it is quite adventurous and fun, Andor is more of a drama series than an actual Star Wars action-adventure storyline. That’s because the atmosphere of Andor can be quite dark and bleak, as fans already know what will happen to Andor. Of course, the reason why Andor carries such an atmosphere is that it dwells in the grey areas of the Rebellion and shows us that not all Rebels during that time were different from the Imperials that they hated.
The Mandalorian returns to the classic sci-fi Old Western roots that made the original Star Wars trilogy popular among fans. It follows a character that may dwell in the grey areas of morality. Eventually, it develops into a man that fans would want to root for in a storyline that is true to the action-adventure genre that has always made Star Wars one of the biggest franchises in the whole world. In that regard, it has an atmosphere that’s quite friendly for younger audiences but can also be quite serious in certain moments.
This boils down to preference because some fans may prefer Andor’s darker and bleaker storyline, whereas some fans love the classic Star Wars approach that comes with The Mandalorian.
Andor 0, Mandalorian 1
Writing
Andor is one of the best series in terms of writing, regardless of which genre you prefer, as the writers just did a great job in handling the different subplots, storylines, events, and scenes that happened in the series. Every word, scene, and line was meticulously thought of and had a role in the greater scheme of things in the series. Even the smaller characters have roles to play in the storyline and profoundly impact how the message of the series is delivered.
The writing of The Mandalorian is superb because it steadily unraveled the connections between this timeline in the storyline of Star Wars and the future events of the franchise during the era of the sequel trilogy movies. As such, the things happening in the storyline are all connected to future events. But the series’ writing can vary from one episode to another, depending on the characters and sub-plots involved. Nevertheless, The Mandalorian has always been a well-written series that fans often discuss online.
Even though The Mandalorian’s writing trumps the writing of both the prequel and the sequel trilogies, the thing is that the writing did take a slight hit in season 3 due to how the series became more of a fanservice show for fans. On the other hand, the writing of Andor just keeps getting better and better.
Andor 1, Mandalorian 1
Delivery
Andor’s delivery is top-notch because the series takes a more dramatic approach to deliver its storyline. As mentioned, Andor is more of an action-drama series that allows us to get into the different characters’ minds. That is why the series has more drama than action, and we can’t fault it. All of the characters did a great job in introducing their personalities and motives, especially when it comes to what they are looking to achieve with the different actions that they have been taking in the greater storyline of the Rebellion.
The Mandalorian is often said to have combined delivery and writing well enough for fans to love it, just like how the original trilogy combined both aspects incredibly well. Every scene was delivered in a manner consistent with The Mandalorian’s approach, which is why some fans often say that it was a refreshing return to the roots of what made Star Wars so popular. The acting, costumes, special effects, and music blended well with each other to create an almost perfect storm.
Even though the delivery of The Mandalorian is spot-on, we can’t say anything bad about how perfectly delivered Andor is, especially regarding the side characters that have become quite popular among fans. That’s why Andor takes this round.
Andor 2, Mandalorian 1
Impact
We know that the storyline of Andor is more connected to the rise of the Rebellion and the events that transpired in the Rogue One movie. In that regard, it allows us to see the things that eventually turned Andor into the unsung hero of the Rebels while giving us a clue of how the Rebels operated behind the scenes before the full-on Rebellion that transpired in the main storyline of the Star Wars movies. But the impact of Andor, as far as we know, extends only as far as the events of Rogue One.
At the start, the impact of The Mandalorian on the overall storyline of Star Wars seemed minimal. But as the storyline progressed, it became clear that The Mandalorian was supposed to serve as one of the shows that would answer some of the plot holes left behind by the sequel trilogy movies. That is why The Mandalorian served as a bridge that connected the events of Star Wars Episode VI with the events of Star Wars Episode VII, considering that 30 years were left uncovered between these two movies.
There is no doubt that The Mandalorian has a bigger impact on the overall state of affairs of the galaxy in the Star Wars universe because it serves as a way to fill in the plot holes between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. That’s why The Mandalorian has a bigger impact than Andor.
Andor 2, Mandalorian 2
Which Show Is Better?
Ultimately, it all boils down to the person’s preference because both Andor and The Mandalorian are masterpieces in their own right and are the cream of the crop when it comes to the Star Wars shows you can watch on Disney+. Andor should be right up your alley for those who prefer a more serious tone that dials down on the action and focuses more on the drama and the dialogue. But if you want a classic Star Wars adventure that introduces new characters and follows the same action-adventure delivery that has made Star Wars a global phenomenon, then The Mandalorian should be the better show.
