Andy Serkis Talks Kino Loy Future

Television

Prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Andor actors Andy Serkis and Genevieve O’Reilly sat down with Entertainment Weekly’s Dagobah Dispatch podcast. Amongst the topics was Kino Loy’s future, if he has one. This fan-favorite character is Serkis’ return to Star Wars following his disappointing turn as Supreme Leader Snoke in the sequels. He features in the jailbreak story arc near the end of season 1, showing Cassian (Diego Luna) what a leader should look like. When asked about a potential return for Kino, Serkis had this to say:

“Well, there weren’t really many discussions about the afterlife of Kino. All that we do know is that he survives. I mean, we don’t see him die. We see him left for a further life of the character. But prior to that, there were no discussions at all about [what] might happen afterwards. I was just excited enough about the arc that I had to play, which was a really beautifully crafted illustration of a man who has a belief system that gets broken that then has nothing to believe in, that then gets kind of reignited by someone who inspires him to find himself again, and then self-sacrifices.”

“So it was a really extraordinary journey to go on within a prison setting, and a very sterile prison setting — quite a heartfelt journey considering the environment that they’re in. But that’s the brilliance about Tony Gilroy’s writing. He provides these environments for characters to thrive and survive in. And you learn about their internal journey, their psychology, their complexities and flaws in response to the world that they’re in.”

The ambiguity of Kino’s future is more powerful and affecting than anything they could show us. He became such a likable, well-fleshed-out character over the course of only a few episodes. Worrying about what becomes of him seems scarier than actually seeing it, and Andor is hardly a show about happy endings. This series stars a character we all know is going to die. The suspense and some of the best drama involve new characters, and surprisingly, Mon Mothma. Still, everyone doesn’t need to make it out alive or unscathed. And I don’t think that’s Gilroy’s intention, anyway. As much as I enjoyed this character, I think leaving this loose end in place would be better. 

But what do you think? Do you think we’ll see Kino again, or do you even want to? Let us know in the comments!