The Hidden Meaning in Andor's British Accents
Channel: Matthew Loffhagen
Date: 22/09/2022

There’s something interesting going on with the British accents in Andor.
There are no spoilers in the video, by the way – I don’t consider it a spoiler to say “Someone in Star Wars is British”.
But while you’re used to hearing British people who sound like, well, me, in Star Wars, Andor has a collection of regional accents from across the UK, and these have a hidden meaning.
My accent, the accent typically associated with the Empire in Star Wars, belongs to well-educated people in the south of England, the richest region in the country, where a lot of the politicians come from, and where, coincidentally, public services have the most money.
In contrast to this, many of the British accents in Andor are from the North of England and across Scotland – regional accents that often suffer from negative discrimination within the workplace.
These areas are far from the seat of power, and have a lower standard of living. These are people who are within the Empire’s orbit, but not close enough to benefit from all their ill-gotten gains. They’re not exactly going to be invited to the Emperor’s birthday party.
It’s the smallest of small touches, but it adds a wealth of subtle worldbuilding.