Andor's 12 Saddest Character Deaths, Ranked

"Andor" may be set in the "Star Wars" universe, but in many ways, it's a big departure from the mainline films. While "Star Wars" has never shied away from dealing with darker material, particularly in "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith," "Andor" takes things a step further. With a weighty, dramatic, and somewhat depressing tone throughout, the show's vision of a galaxy at war feels much more realistic.

The first season of "Andor" went down well with the critics, with a lot of praise directed at the strong ensemble cast. While Cassian Andor is the title character, the show has no shortage of characters who are complex and compelling to watch. Relatively minor characters with only a few episodes are given realistic motivations, which can make their deaths hard to stomach. Even the less heroic and more flawed characters can make an impact on viewers, because the story of "Andor" is more complicated than just good versus evil.

Now that the first season of "Andor" has come to its dramatic conclusion, we're taking a look back at all the deaths that occurred to see which ones were the saddest. This ranking will only include deaths that were confirmed, so a certain character who can't swim will not be on it. Spoilers ahead.

A member of the Aldhani group, Arvel Skeen gets killed by Cassian Andor midway through the first season. When Cassian joins the group, Skeen is immediately wary of his presence, finding the timing of his arrival and his lack of enthusiasm for the cause suspicious. Skeen gets along well with the young Karis Nemik, despite thinking that he's too naïve for his own good. Later, Skeen tells Cassian a story about his younger brother. He says that he joined the rebellion because his civilian brother took his own life after an Imperial prefect flooded his land and stole his livelihood.

Things changed for Skeen after the Aldhani mission. He was one of the few that managed to survive the mission, but when Nemik got crushed by a large credits payload, his demeanor changed. When Skeen asks Cassian if he wants to steal the credits and split them 50/50, Cassian asks about his brother and Skeen denies ever having one, leading Cassian to kill him. He ultimately let his greed get the better of him and died because of it. Nevertheless, it is sad to see him lose his life this way, especially considering how big of an asset he could have been to the rebellion.

Salman Paak's death at the hands of the Empire may have happened offscreen, but it still stands as one of the series' most terrifying. Paak lives on Ferrix where he operates Repaak Salyard, a local junk and salvage shop. He works closely with Bix Caleen, hiding a communication box in the junkyard for Bix to use to contact the rebellion. According to Dedra Meero, he had at some point attended separatist meetings as well.

Unfortunately, after the Empire occupies Ferrix and the ISB investigates the town, Paak is taken into custody. He is tortured for days on end, and the sight of him post-torture is used to intimidate Bix once she is brought in for interrogation. After some time in Imperial custody, Meero signs off on having the poor man hanged in the streets to send a message to anyone else in the town that might be withholding information.

While his death is never seen, it is confirmed by his son, Wilmon. Furious over the Empire's treatment of his father, Wilmon gathers some homemade explosive devices to use against the Empire during Maarva's funeral. Thankfully, Wilmon is not killed by the Empire during the riots.

Poor Xanwan. He's a man who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and this ultimately costs him his life. Like many of the show's recurring characters, Xanwan is a resident of Ferrix, a good friend of Brasso and Cassian. He owns a transport business on Ferrix, and seems to be very in touch with the community around him.

Xanwan gets a call from Cassian before Maarva's funeral. Cassian isn't aware that Maarva died while he was a prisoner on Narkina 5, so Xanwan breaks the news to him, which in turn gives him the indication that Cassian may try to come back for the funeral. He accidentally lets his communication with Andor slip while talking to Nurchi, not knowing that the latter intended to tell the Empire.

Cassian's potential arrival, along with the Empire's attempts at stopping Maarva's funeral, leads to a full-blown riot on Rix Road. Many protesters are killed by Imperials during the riots. Sadly, one of those protesters is Xanwan, who is shot down by blaster fire. It's a sad moment, both for the characters and for the viewers at home.

Ulaf is another prisoner at the Narkina 5 Imperial Prison Complex assigned to Unit Five-Two-D. He works at Cassian's table and is one of the oldest men in the prison. During Cassian's stay on Narkina 5, Ulaf's health begins to slowly decline. He starts having a hard time completing the mechanical work, with his teammates often filling in and finishing his work for him.

Near the end of one of his shifts, only forty days from his supposed release, Ulaf suddenly collapses. Dr. Rhasiv, another inmate, is called to check on him. He is sadly pronounced braindead, and Dr. Rhasiv ends his life. When Loy expresses his sadness over Ulaf passing so close to his release, Rhasiv tells him the shocking news that no one ever leaves the prison, causing Andor to set in motion the riot that allows them to escape.

While Ulaf never lived to see the prisoners escape, his death was in many ways an important catalyst that pushed the prisoners to finally make a move against the Empire. Ulaf was well-liked by everyone that worked with him, so his mistreatment and untimely death helped motivate them to fight for their own lives.

The only character on this list to have died before the events of the show, Clem Andor was the husband of Maarva Andor and the adoptive father of Cassian. He is first seen during a flashback segment in which he and Maarva find a young Cassian Andor aboard a downed starship on Kenari. Knowing that the Empire planned to destroy Kenari, they took Cassian and adopted him. Cassian became close with both Clem and Maarva, seeing them as his parents.

It may be apparent from his absence early on that Clem died before the events of the show, but it isn't revealed until later that he was killed by the Empire. During a riot on Rix Road, protesters began to throw stones at Imperial troopers. Clem tried to calm the protesters down but was mistaken for one himself. He was captured by the Empire and hanged on Rix Road, enraging Cassian and causing him to charge a group of Stormtroopers with a stun baton.

While Clem didn't have much screen time in "Andor," his death is felt in many of Cassian's actions and decisions. He adopts Clem's name as his codename during the Aldhani mission, and he talks to Clem's brick after returning for Maarva's funeral. His death helped to stoke Cassian's hatred for the Empire, and will likely be instrumental in his decision to join the Rebel Alliance.

Unlike most characters on this list, Maarva Andor's life is not cut short by the horrific actions of the Empire. Instead, she dies after a long battle with an unknown illness at a relatively old age, but her passing is no less sad or traumatic as a result.

Maarva is one of the most selfless characters in "Andor." She took Cassian in and adopted him after he lost his home, and she devoted much of her life to helping better Ferrix by working with the Daughters of Ferrix. Toward the end of her life, Maarva began to wish that she had done more to fight the oppression of the Empire. She recorded a message to the people of Ferrix urging them to rise up against the Imperial occupation, and it had the desired effect.

The impact of Maarva's death is felt heavily by everyone on Ferrix. Seeing her droid, B2EMO, trying to deal with her passing is easily one of the show's most heartbreaking moments, though seeing the community on Ferrix rally around to take care of him is heartwarming. The most devastating thing is that Cassian was not able to see her before she passed, as he was serving a long sentence on Narkina 5. By the time he escaped, she had already died, leaving him without any living family.