Andor Star Reveals the Secret Backstory of Kino Loy

Following Andy Serkis’ portrayal of Kino Loy in Star Wars’ hit Disney+ series Andor, the actor shared new information on the hero’s secret backstory.

Serkis was brought back to the Star Wars universe in shocking fashion following his run as Supreme Leader Snoke in the Sequel Trilogy, giving him a meaningful role as part of the Rebellion against the Empire in Season 1 of Andor.

Becoming an instant fan favorite as he helped Cassian Andor escape his imprisonment on Narkina 5, Loy was a pivotal part of that three-episode arc as fans saw him help an entire group of inmates find their freedom.

Kino Loy’s Star Wars Origins

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Andor star Andy Serkis shared new details about the backstory of his character from Season 1, Kino Loy.

The actor came up with his own backstory for the hero, deciding he was “someone who had a family and was a firebrand union shop steward” that usually would “stand up for worker’s rights,” but he was beaten down and silenced by Narkina 5.

Showrunner and head writer Tony Gilroy highlighted the moment when Loy told Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor that there were “never more than 12” guards on each floor, which came after Andor’s repeated attempts to convince Loy to go along with the breakout plan.

He highlighted how organic that moment felt while also touching on how he wasn’t prepared for how fans would react to the scene:

“The really great lines are ones that feel like they’re organically there and you love them, but you don’t feel like the writer is there too,” he says. “That one was causal and strong, but no, I was not prepared for the reaction [by fans].”

Serkis also commented on how much filming those scenes made him and his castmates truly feel like they were in the moment thanks to how hostile the set was “in its clinicalness” and how it did “strange things” to their minds:

“The desensitization of wearing a paper suit and walking in bare feet was the most strange thing about the process. Week in, week out, everybody looking like a carbon copy of yourself, you feel like you’ve lost your identity. And everything about that set was hostile in its clinicalness. It did strange things to your head, like it was designed to do.”

How Will Kino Loy Evolve in Andor Season 2?

Disney shocked fans with the announcement that Kino Loy would return in Season 2 of Andor, especially considering the way he said he couldn’t swim before jumping into the water and escaping the prison in Season 1.

Lucasfilm has even gone as far as saying that Andy Serkis will be one of the main cast members of Season 2, indicating that Loy’s story will get a big expansion when the show eventually returns.

Serkis himself teased that Kino Loy is currently “working out his next move,” leaving fans in the dark about where exactly he is and how he survived the jump into the ocean.

And with plenty of changes seemingly in store from Season 1, there is still plenty of mystery in place not just for Andy Serkis’ comeback but the entire rest of the adventure as well.

Season 1 of Andor is available to stream on Disney+.