The following contains spoilers for Andor Season 1, Episode 7, "Announcement," now streaming on Disney+

In the Star Wars franchise, many fans believe Princess Leia is the heartbeat of the Rebellion. They'd have a good case for it, given how she's fought tooth and nail for decades for the movement. In the process, she gave up her Jedi training and also, cut time spent with her family, all to help ensure the mission that started with the Empire would end with the death of the First Order.

Leia, of course, has done a tremendous job fighting in resistance movements. Her role as a Rebel is the reason loyalists are currently embracing her earlier days in Marvel's current comics, as well as what was on display in the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV show. While Leia has been a key player, Andor is slowly revealing she wasn't the core that pushed the ship. This honor actually belongs to two people who were fundamental in laying the foundation Leia would build on, and who made a bigger impact than anyone else at any period.

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Andor's Luthen is Sacrificing Blood for the Pillars

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In Andor Episode 7, "Announcement," Luthen makes a startling statement to Mon Mothma after she learns of the heist on Aldhani. He's giddy Cassian and the crew stole Imperial funds, but Mon Mothma is adamant such harsh, obvious dissidence will warrant reprisal. So much so, she can tell Palpatine himself is upset and wants more aggression towards infidels. Luthen, however, admits he doesn't mind because the more people the Empire kills, the more Rebels will sway to the cause. As such, it's a sacrifice Luthen is willing to make

Per Luthen's logic, by paying this price in blood, they're going to get more Rebels enlisted. While Luthen possesses a disturbing way of thinking about the war, at the same time, during such dark times, hard-edged measures are needed. It's not a fair galaxy, especially when so many people linger in fear. As such, Luthen has to find a catalyst to shock these individuals into action. He doesn't mind being the bad guy because, eventually, the endgame matters most. This is a move neither Leia nor Mon Mothma would make, but it's one that will give the Rebellion the spark it needs.

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Andor's Mon Mothma is Risking Everything to Manipulate Palpatine

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Luthen is not the only one making risky moves, however, Mon Mothma is also risking a lot by meeting with Tay Kolma to reveal how deep she's embedded in the trenches. She confesses she knows the Empire has spies in her home and at her job, ensuring her charity work for the Senate doesn't mess with their plans. Interestingly, however, Mon Mothma is using that as a smokescreen so that she can recruit investors for the Rebels. In other words, she's in the open, disguising herself and manipulating the Imperials using their own weapons.

Mon Mothma's play is a genius strategy, but the gambit is deadly. Many think she's at the zenith working politics, but she admits she's at the nadir. She's struggling to access her family's wealth, while not even trusting her own husband and daughter. In that sense, she's betraying them. This is a stark opposite to Leia, who was always open with her inner-circle, and who preferred to operate from the shadows. Mon Mothma, however, is making herself a symbol, and like Luthen, the other half of the engine: getting money to fund the men and women Luthen's rallying to the cause. Without these light and dark sides, Leia and the others to come wouldn't be able to succeed, reinforcing the hard decisions these veterans had to make.

New episodes of Andor stream on Wednesdays on Disney+.