Star Wars Andor: How Fascism Creates Its Own Supporters
What drives someone to become complicit in fascism? We explore Syril Karn’s arc in Star Wars: Andor and what it reveals about how authoritarian systems manipulate their supporters.
How does fascism differ from authoritarianism? We examined the central leader cult of personality that defines fascist systems, with Emperor Palpatine as the prime example.
What makes Syril believe in “law and order”? His rigid worldview and imperial propaganda blind him to corruption, driving his obsession with Cassian Andor and participation in the Gorman massacre.
Why do fascist systems encourage infighting? The Empire deliberately pits officials against each other to prevent anyone from challenging the Emperor’s power.
Can we sympathize with villains without excusing them? We discussed humanizing Imperial characters while holding them accountable for their violent choices.
Other Topics Covered:
- Syril’s parallel to Javert from Les Misérables
- How the Rebellion operates differently than the Empire
- The Emperor’s invisible but constant presence in Imperial decisions
- Why redemption arcs should be rare for fascist collaborators
- Violence as the true governing principle under authoritarianism
Understanding characters like Syril isn’t about excusing fascism—it’s about recognizing how ordinary people can be drawn into extraordinary evil and the importance of making moral choices when systems encourage us to look away.
