What does Rhydonium mean in Andor Season 2? Details explored

Andor Season 2 recently dropped Episodes 4-6, featuring the second arc in Cassian's journey to Rogue One and striking the Empire. While he was sent to planet Ghorman by Luthen to assess its rebel army, Saw Gerrera had his own explosive plans for the rebellion.

Andor Season 2 Episode 5's final moments featured Saw on D'Qar where he tells the engineer Wilmon about a dangerous gas called Rhydonium or Rhydo. Considering Saw's plans and obsession with the gas, Rhydo seemed important for the rebellion and what he plans to do next with it.

Rhydonium has a long history within Star Wars, and its mention in Andor is nothing new. It is a dangerous starship fuel that is extremely flammable and volatile and can also cause mass havoc through explosion and severe effects on humans' health and skin. However, Saw's obsession with Rhydonium suggests that the gas is also addictive.

More on Rhydonium in Andor Season 2 in our story.

What is Rhydonium in Andor Season 2? Exploring Saw Gerrera's obsession with the dangerous gas

Talking about his relation and first contact with Rhydonium, Saw tells Wilmon in Andor Season 2 that he was forced to work at a camp as a child where this dangerous gas was harvested. He revealed how the radiation caused by the gas was so severe that their clothes would melt off their bodies.

But as time passed by, Saw started associating his rebellion streak with the highly volatile gas and became addicted to it, as he tells Wilmon:

“She is my sister, Rhydo, and she loves me…. You feel how badly she wants to explode?”

Rhydonium is a highly toxic gas, and as Saw explains, it can cause blisters on the skin upon immediate contact. Once inhaled, it can also cause mental degradation, early signs of which can be seen in Saw himself as years of inhalation have taken a toll on his physical and mental health.

He also urges Wilmon to take a huff, after which he has an out-of-body experience in Andor Season 2 Episode 5, suggesting the addictive qualities of the Rhydonim gas, like a drug. As seen in the latest batch of episodes, Saw plans to steal the gas and use it to cause an explosion, which will likely have lasting repercussions for the rebellion.

Exploring Rhydonium's history in Star Wars

Rhydonium is a dangerous fuel in Star Wars and Andor Season 2 is certainly not the first time it is mentioned in the franchise. Ardent fans might also remember it from an important sequence in The Mandalorian Season 2.

Din and Mayfeld disguise themselves as workers to transport Rhydonium and after they are chased away by pirates, Mayfeld uses the fuel to cause an explosion and escape.

The first canonical mention of the volatile gas is in the 2021 comic series Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures. When Greta attacks the High Republic after its partner is captured there, one of the townspeople accidentally shoots a Rhydonium canister, causing an explosion. The catastrophic event leads Pela to inhale its fumes, which render her deaf and with mental impairment.

Rhydonium is also mentioned in the Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars comic series.

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Also Read: Andor Season 2 Episodes 7, 8 & 9: Release date

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