Warning! Spoilers ahead for Andor episode 7.
Andor debuts a rather familiar droid, raising questions as to whether this marks the appearance of K2-SO in the series. As seen in Andor episode 7, Cassian (Diego Luna) is on the run after becoming a fugitive and fulfilling his job on Aldhani for Luthen Rael. Despite finding refuge on the resort planet of Niamos, Andor runs afoul of the Imperial presence on the world, getting arrested by a KX-series Imperial security unit, the same model as Cassian’s future droid ally K2-SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk).
It’s easy to initially assume that the droid in Andor episode 7 is none other than Kaytoo himself, the reprogrammed KX droid who had a key role in securing the plans for the first Death Star as seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. However, the canonical timing and the fact that KX droids are designed to look very similar strongly suggests otherwise. Here’s the history behind the Empire’s KX series units, what’s known about Cassian and Kaytoo’s first meeting in the current canon, as well as the possibility of Kaytoo making a bigger appearance in future episodes of Andor.
KX Droids In Star Wars Canon Explained![KX Droid Unite in Andor Episode 7]()
While the Imperial Senate prohibited the use of battle droids by the Imperial Army and Navy, the KX-series were manufactured and marketed as security droids. Tasked with supporting the Empire’s human forces such as the Imperial infantry and stormtroopers, KX droids were incredibly strong and capable of performing a variety of tasks. They also carried a direct access link to the Imperial datanet and could interface with a variety of communication devices and frequencies.
Although Rogue One’s K2-SO is the most notable of these droids, the incredibly strong and often brutal droids can also be seen in the Jedi: Fallen Order video game as well as formidable opponents to be faced by Jedi survivor Cal Kestis. The KX units can also be seen The Book of Boba Fett’s flashbacks to the Great Purge of Mandalore, dispatched by the Empire to eliminate any remaining life after the planet was decimated by legions of TIE Bombers.
How & When Andor Meets K-2SO In Star Wars Canon![K2-SO Fighting Stormtroopers]()
Regarding K2-SO himself, the droid does not encounter and get reprogrammed by Cassian until after Andor becomes an official member of the Rebellion. As seen in Rogue One – Cassian & K-2SO Special #1 by Duane Swierczynski and Fernando Blanco, Kaytoo and Cassian met during Andor’s mission to retrieve critical data from a decommissioned Star Destroyer on the planet Wecacoe. Discovering Cassian and his two Rebel allies, the trio manages to deactivate and reprogram the brutal droid. While it took multiple attempts and his homicidal personality still remained, Kaytoo becomes a major asset to the Rebellion due to his access to the Imperial databases, becoming Andor’s companion and bodyguard up until K2-SO sacrifices himself to save Andor in Rogue One.
Considering this comic, it’s highly unlikely that the KX unit seen choking and arresting Cassian in Andor episode 7 is Kaytoo (or the identical security droid seen in the background rounding up other citizens). Likewise, Cassian still has quite a bit of time before he becomes an official Rebel captain, as he is when first encountering his future companion. Currently, Andor has zero interest in Luthen’s cause or the growing resistance forming in the face of the Empire’s massive oppression.
Will K-2SO Appear In Andor?
More of Cassian’s story needs to be told before his canonical meeting with Kaytoo, so a future appearance in Andor season 1 seems very unlikely. Thus far, the Rebellion has barely begun to coalesce, meaning the show would need to excel at a rapid pace for Cassian to be an established captain by the conclusion. Instead, It’s far more likely that Andor encounters K2-SO in Andor season 2, which has already been confirmed to be in development.
That being said, the possibility also exists that Andor will choose to ignore the comic and effectively retcon how Cassian and Kaytoo’s first meet. A similar method occurred with The Bad Batch, where the show rewrote the canonical origins of Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume seen in the comics, who in the future becomes the Rebel known as Kanan Jarrus. At any rate, the appearance of any Imperial KX-series security droid in Andor episode 7 an exciting tease and a bit of fun foreshadowing for Andor’s future droid companion in the Star Wars galaxy.
New episodes of Andor release on Wednesdays on Disney+.
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