Do you need to watch something before Andor Season 2? Watching order explained

Andor Season 2 is all set to premiere its first three episodes today in just a few hours at 6 PM PT (Tuesday, 22 March). The first season of this prequel hooked audiences right away when it was originally released. Fans have been desperately waiting for the second season for the longest time. The first season was set 5 years before the timeline of Rogue One, but the second season is set to span the four years before the Battle of Yavin and drop fans directly into the film's timeline.

Before watching the brand-new episodes of the Star Wars series, there are some things that you need to watch to get the best experience of the series. This list could span the entirety of the Star Wars franchise, but since Andor and Rogue One are standalones in the franchise, it is pretty short. So, it's pretty easy to catch up on Cassian Andor's story before you get into the upcoming second season of this prequel series to Rogue One.

Here's what you need to watch before you watch Andor Season 2.

Things you should watch to prepare for Andor Season 2

Andor Season 1

The one thing that you must absolutely watch before watching Andor Season 2 is, of course, the first season of Lucasfilm's prequel Star Wars series. Season 1 is 12 episodes long and grips onto all your attention throughout those 12 episodes. It narrates a tense tale of the growth of the rebellion in the time before the battle, without relying on any big cameos to hold the show up. The series has grown into an important piece of the Star Wars universe.

To understand the situations around which the rebellion came to be, it is extremely important that you watch Season 1 before gearing up for the second season. Additionally, it will give context about the safe routes, Luthen Rael, Dedro Meero, and several characters. Andor Season 2 will probably pick up where the final episode of Season 1 left off, so catch up before diving into the new episodes.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Andor is a prequel to the 2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, so it is of utmost importance that you watch this movie before diving straight into Andor Season 2. If you are yet to watch Andor Season 1, this film needs to be on your watchlist before you start Andor.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story features Cassian Andor's journey and where he ends up as the rebellion grows. Understanding where Cassian ends up in his journey of sacrifice and rebellion will make the experience of Andor even more touching. The film synopsis from Star Wars reads:

"In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves."

However, if you wish to go into Andor Season 2 without any knowledge about what will inevitably happen and are lucky enough to have not seen Rogue One yet, it might be a good idea to only watch Season 1 and wait to watch the film after all the episodes of Andor Season 2 are released.

When it comes to essentials, these are the only two things you need to watch before Andor Season 2 comes out.