"Andor: Season 2" New Trailer: Hope and Sacrifice Drive the Rebellion in This Eagerly Awaited Finale Starring Diego Luna, Adria Arjona and Ben Mendelsohn

The final season of Tony Gilroy’s acclaimed Star Wars prequel series sets the stage for Rogue One—with returning fan favorites, rising tensions, and the birth of hope.

When Star Wars creator George Lucas first sat down to write his screenplays, we imagine he wasn’t overly concerned with the logistical mechanics of launching an intergalactic rebellion against an evil space empire. But much has been written about how Lucas’s inspiration was rooted in his staunch opposition to the Vietnam War of that era.

Lucas himself has revealed that the “rebels” in his original Star Wars films were more inspired by the Vietcong than by the so-called American Empire during its campaign in Vietnam. Like many in his generation, Lucas understood the arrogance and bravado that can come from a powerful military government armed with all the latest technological advancements—especially when pitted against a scrappy, under-equipped force of determined underdogs.

This is why Andor feels like such a terrific addition to the Star Wars franchise. A prequel to the original trilogy, the series offers deeper insight into the origins of the Rebel Alliance—filling in the gaps rather than rewriting or altering canon. It’s clear the creators behind Andor are far more interested in exploring how a rebellion like this is not only initiated, but how it takes root and evolves into an organized armed resistance.

Disney has just released the brand-new trailer for Andor: Season 2, offering another glimpse into the eagerly anticipated series’ finale. One of the central themes in this new trailer is the idea that hope—specifically, the belief that victory is possible—may be the unifying force needed to bring together scattered rebel factions across the galaxy. If one must sacrifice themselves, they must at least believe their side will win … eventually. Hope is, indeed, a powerful thing.

And while Andor may have originally been conceived as a not-so-original way to bring back Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) for his own spinoff series leading up to the events of the hit standalone prequel Rogue One (2016), the show has become something else entirely. It proves that there are creative voices within the Star Wars universe who genuinely want to carry forward George Lucas’s vision—using his sci-fi fantasy landscape not just for spectacle, but as a space to tell metaphorical stories that speak to the real world and the very real issues we face today.

Created by Rogue One co-writer Tony Gilroy, the series comes to a close with its second season, as Cassian Andor completes his personal journey—from a thieving scavenger with nothing to lose to a full-fledged Rebel Alliance spy leader with everything to fight for.

Joining Diego Luna in the returning cast are Adria Arjona as Andor’s loyal ally Bix Caleen, Kyle Soller as Imperial Inspector Syril Karn, Denise Gough as Imperial Security supervisor Dedra Meero, Genevieve O'Reilly as Senator Mon Mothma, and Stellan Skarsgård as mysterious Rebel operative Luthen Rael.

And since the series is leading directly into the events of Rogue One, fans can expect to see a few familiar faces from the film, including Forest Whitaker as rebel militant leader Saw Gerrera and Ben Mendelsohn as Galactic Empire Director Orson Krennic—one of the key architects behind the creation of the Death Star.

But if you ask us what we’re most excited about—it’s got to be Andor’s first encounter with K-2SO, the Imperial droid he reprograms to become his snarky, loyal sidekick and co-pilot (once again voiced by Alan Tudyk).

Andor: Season 2 (The Final Season) premieres Tuesday, April 22 on Disney+. Watch the new trailer, above.