Adria Arjona got a tattoo of an “X” on her last day of shooting “Andor” as a way to commemorate her performance as Bix Caleen. The second and final season of “Andor,” Lucasfilm’s Peabody Award-winning “Star Wars” series, launched on April 22, 2025, with Episodes 1 through 3. In the Season 1 finale, Bix is rescued by Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) after suffering through debilitating torture at the hands of the Empire. When the Season 2 premiere picks up a year later, she’s living on the agrarian planet Mina-Rau as an engineer who is often referred to, quite pointedly, as “undocumented.”
Arjona notes that she shot the Mina-Rau episodes a year and a half ago, but the (unintended) relevance to the Trump administration’s relentless war on so-called illegals is not lost on her. “It’s just mirroring that we keep stumbling on the same rock,” she says. “It’s one of my favorite parts about the show. It’s relevant now, and it’s going to be relevant in five years and 10 and 20 and 50 years because we keep doing the same thing.”
In Episode 3, also written by creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy, an Imperial officer, Lt. Krole (Alex Waldmann), shows up unannounced at Bix’s home when she’s alone and announces that he knows her immigration status — underlining the power he holds over her future. “I’m always looking for ways to…relax,” he tells her. “My shoulders get sore. All that hard work, you must have strong hands.” He takes her hand and then pushes her up against a wall, forcing himself on her. “You want to think this through,” he says, his face up against hers. “Please, I’m begging you,” she replies. “But it’s such a simple choice,” he says. “I said no!” she screams, at which point she fights back, ferociously, smashing Krole’s head with a hammer, ultimately killing him.
Any ambiguity about what’s transpired is erased when Bix shouts at another officer, “He tried to rape me!” It’s at once a harrowing new storytelling frontier for “Star Wars” and a method of oppression as old as human history. “I remember reading that, and within the truth of that moment of the abuse of power, being really scared to go into that scene,” Arjona says. “But there was also something — I’m going to curse — really fucking powerful about the fact that I get to showcase this in a galaxy far, far away. The fact that Tony gave it to Bix was a big honor — and it was right. She’s in the most vulnerable state she can possibly be in, and someone tries to take advantage of her. We’ve heard that story many times.”
Arjona was especially affected by saying the word “rape” in a “Star Wars” production. “The fact that I get to speak it out [loud] — I felt so much power in that,” she says. “I felt it throughout the day. I felt it when I finished filming, and I went home.” So much of Bix’s storyline this season called on Arjona to dig deep within herself. Starting in the first episode of the season, she’s wracked with PTSD-fed nightmares about the auditory torture she suffered at the hands of the Empire, exacerbated whenever Cassian, now her romantic partner, is away on a secret mission for the Rebellion.
For research, Arjona says she “went down this black hole” about people suffering from severe tinnitus “and how it affects your mental state.” “I’ve had my fair share of panic attacks,” she adds, noting it’s been roughly five years since her last one. “Like many people, I’ve gone to the hospital thinking I was having a heart attack. So it was scary for me, going back into that headspace — but I was in a very safe environment. With all the research that I accumulated, I just hope that I could pay tribute to it. It was probably some of the hardest stuff I’ve had to do.”
Reflecting on the experience of making Season 2 brings Arjona back to Gilroy’s decision to cast her in the first place, and what it meant for her to join the “Star Wars” family. “Tony saw something in me that I didn’t even know I was capable of,” she says. “I remember watching ‘Star Wars’ and really wanting to transport myself into these universes, but I never really saw myself in it. So it means the world. We belong in ‘Star Wars.’ The more ‘Star Wars’ is expanding, the more it’s becoming a mirror of our real world, and it’s beautiful.”
Star Wars fans were left reeling this week as the third episode of the second season featured a traumatic scene involving Bix Caleen. Audiences were taken aback when the Star Wars narrative ventured into unprecedented mature territory through the entrance of Imperial officer Lt. Krole. Krole confronts Bix, aware of her status as an unauthorized immigrant, then tries to sexually assault her as she pleads for him to stop. What follows is a desperate struggle wherein Krole persists with his attack, climaxing in Bix taking his life with a forceful strike to the skull.
To erase any doubt from the minds of fans, she then proclaims to another officer, "He tried to rape me!" Star Wars aficionados were left stunned not just by a particularly intense scene but also by the unexpected utterance of the word "rape" by a character, signaling a bold new turn for the traditionally family-oriented space saga. Social media users have been vocal about their reactions, with one astonished viewer posting on X (formerly Twitter): "Caught a part of andor season 2 out of context and I gotta say I never expected the word rape to be uttered in a star wars thing."
Another fan expressed disbelief: "Wow, Tony Gilroy's not holding back with the writing. Viewers are going to feel some way about the rape attempt scene in episode 3, and that's by design. The show is meant to shed light on the ugliness and horrors of WAR. I'm more surprised Disney okayed it." A third was equally taken aback, commenting: "Never did I ever think they would say rape in Star Wars.." The contentious scene led some followers to express strong disapproval, with one saying: "I don't mind having mature #StarWars but I'm not ok with it going so far as depicting an attempted rape. Or saying the word 'rape'. I'm actually quite disgusted with the #Andor series right now."
Conversely, there were those who commended the series for its candid portrayal of war's brutal realities. "Have to hand it to the writers of #Andor how they can handle such heavy real world topics with care... while also at the same time not mincing words," shared one telly enthusiast. "Call it what it is. Do not minimize it. The words 'rape' and 'undocumented' were uttered in Star Wars, and their weight was felt." Tony Gilroy's Andor, often hailed by supporters as "Star Wars for adults," has sparked much talk, with speculation that the show's second season may delve deeper into mature themes in the weeks ahead. Andor season 2 continues Wednesdays on Disney+.
