The following contains spoilers for Andor Season 1, Episode 12, "Rix Road," now streaming on Disney+.
Stormtroopers have been the staple henchmen of the Star Wars saga since it all began in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. These nameless, faceless enforcers of the Empire are meant to be the intimidating face of oppression throughout the galaxy. Unfortunately, due to their well-documented inability to hit a single main character with their blasters, they've gained something of a reputation for being a bit of a non-threat. Of course, audiences are used to seeing stormtroopers fall foul of the likes of sharp-shooting Rebel heroes like Han Solo, or powerful Jedi Knights like Luke Skywalker. Andor shows stormtroopers from the perspective of ordinary people in the Star Wars galaxy.
The first few episodes of Andor were surprisingly light on stormtroopers, but when they did start to appear, the Empire's iconic white-suited troopers radiated as more menacing than ever before. No longer were stormtroopers being shown opposite equally well-armed and infinitely more skilled swashbuckling heroes. Instead, they were walking amongst ordinary citizens, who had no choice but to look on in fear and silent compliance. The Season 1 finale, "Rix Road," saw stormtroopers opening fire on ordinary citizens rising up against the Empire. While it showed the stormtroopers finally on an even footing with their opponents, some moments also highlighted just how ineffective the Empire's troops really are.
How Andor's Stormtroopers Intimidate Civilians on Ferrix
The Andor Season 1 finale saw the people of Cassian Andor's adopted home planet, Ferrix, inspired to rise up against the Empire at the funeral of Maarva Andor -- Cassian's adoptive mother. Imperial troops turned out en masse at the funeral, along with other figures expecting Cassian to show up there. During the proceedings, Maarva's droid, B2EMO, projected a hologram of Maarva giving a post-mortem speech in which she called upon the people of Ferrix to fight the Empire. An Imperial Officer kicked B2 over to try to silence Maarva, inciting a riot in response.
The funeral attendees clashed with Imperial forces. As the violence escalated, stormtroopers were ordered to open fire on the rioters. These citizens were mostly unarmed, fending off the Imperials with fists and blunt instruments. When the stormtroopers unleashed a barrage of blaster fire on the crowd from various vantage points, many were easily picked off. The moment marked a rare instance in Star Wars in which stormtroopers lived up to their intimidating potential, raining blaster fire down upon the vulnerable masses.
How Andor Depicts the Stormtroopers' Inefficiency
Despite the Stormtroopers finally living up to their intimidating reputation, the moment isn't without a reminder that the Empire opted for quantity over quality when it came to stormtroopers. Fighting his way through the chaos, Brasso knocked out one stormtrooper with a good swing of Maarva's funerary brick and took down another with a headbutt.
The fact Brasso was able to defeat a helmeted stormtrooper with only his own head probably left a few troopers -- and audience members -- wondering why the Empire's finest bother wearing their armor at all. Of course, stormtroopers are part of the Empire's strategy of ruling through fear: faceless, omnipresent soldiers designed to intimidate civilians into submission. As such, it's perhaps not too surprising the Empire opted for a cheaper option when it came to their armor.
Andor Season 1 is now streaming on Disney+, and Season 2 is expected in 2024.