Few “Star Wars” entries have matched the elegance, urgency, and emotional clarity of “Andor,” which returns for its final season under the direction of showrunner Tony Gilroy. The 12-episode second season picks up between the events of “Andor’s” Emmy-nominated debut and “Rogue One,” as Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor continues his transformation from reluctant outlier to key architect of the Rebel Alliance.
This final season is elevated even further by the striking, politically infused score from Emmy®-winning composer Brandon Roberts. Known for his work on “World War Z,” “Free Solo,” and “Thanksgiving,” Roberts brings a propulsive energy and emotional gravity to “Andor’s” spy-driven narrative. From newly introduced planets like Mina Rao and Ghorman to the return of the iconic Yavin 4 base, Roberts expands on the sonic foundation laid by Nicholas Britell in Season 1 while infusing the show with new themes that deepen character arcs and reflect the series’ growing scale. It’s a career milestone Roberts calls full-circle: “One of my earliest memories was being in the theater with my mom seeing ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’” he says. “’Star Wars’ is ingrained in my DNA, and it’s the reason I got into film composing in the first place.”
Rebel characters returning this season include Adria Arjona (Bix), Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma), and Stellan Skarsgård (Luthen), while the Empire’s increasingly oppressive grip is embodied by Denise Gough (Dedra) and Kyle Soller (Syril). As seen in the trailer, fans can also expect a few key cameos from the “Rogue One” crew. But what truly sets the show apart is its character development—even the most minor players are given arcs and emotional weight, a testament to Gilroy’s brilliance. Call it a hot take, but this particular chapter—spanning “Andor,” “Andor Season 2,” and “Rogue One”—may be the strongest trilogy in the entire “Star Wars” space opera.
The show’s identity as a grounded, morally complex spy thriller is even more fully realized this season. We’re transported to new worlds like Mina Rao, with its golden wheat fields and Americana-inspired music, and Ghorman, whose rising tensions carry emotional resonance for the broader Rebellion. We also return to the famed Rebel base on Yavin 4, which Roberts scores with a deconstructed motif that evolves as the base grows into what we remember from “A New Hope.”
While paying tribute to Nicholas Britell’s work—particularly in moments of urban unrest—Roberts introduces new motifs that deepen the show’s sonic world. Mid-season sequences in particular benefit from pulse-pounding textures that mirror the emotional crescendo of Cassian’s arc. Roberts’ work feels tailor-made for “Andor.” With a background in thrillers and horror, his musical instincts lean toward tension, rhythm, and psychological atmosphere—an ideal fit for Gilroy’s world of espionage and existential stakes.
Importantly, Roberts never leans on the iconic themes of John Williams. His score is distinct and emotionally potent, rooted in a modern palette yet imbued with the DNA of classic “Star Wars” storytelling. By sidestepping nostalgia and embracing narrative momentum, Roberts delivers one of the most original and effective scores the franchise has seen in years. While he avoids the temptation to create a traditional character ballad, by the end of the season there’s a clear Cassian motif—one that reflects not just his steely determination, but the spark of hope he ignites within the Rebellion.
With all 12 episodes rolling out in four narrative chapters, and the score arriving in four volumes via Walt Disney Records, “Andor Season 2” is both the musical and narrative bridge between the series’ moral ambiguity and the fateful mission of “Rogue One.”
Awards Focus spoke with Brandon Roberts about how he joined the project, what it was like to expand on Britell’s foundation, and why composing for Yavin 4 meant building something bold—and then tearing it down.
Awards Focus: Brandon, great to meet you. You’ve spoken before about your deep love for “Star Wars” and the impact “The Empire Strikes Back” had on you. So let’s begin at the beginning: who first approached you about this project, and what was going through your mind in that moment?
Brandon Roberts: Oh, okay. Well, that’s an easy one. It was like winning the lottery. I had a relationship with music editor John Finklea going back to “World War Z.” Because of scheduling conflicts, he asked, “Are you available for the next 9 to 10 months? I can’t tell you why or what it’s for.” I said, “Okay.”
There was a vetting process, trying to convince Tony Gilroy and everyone else that I was the guy for the job. We had a meeting, it went well, and everyone was on board. But yeah, it was one of those full-circle moments. “Star Wars” is the reason a lot of people my age got into film composing—especially “Empire Strikes Back.” That’s one of my favorite John Williams scores.
AF: Was there a particular piece of work you’d done that they pointed to and said, “That’s what convinced us you were the right fit?”
Roberts: I think it was actually some of the work I’d done over long dialogue sequences. A lot of my work can be pretty minimal, and because Tony’s a writer, I think he’s very sensitive to how music sits under long stretches of dialogue. That probably helped. I mean, yes, I have big cinematic moments in my past, but I think it was the restraint and nuance that clinched it.
AF: So you’re coming into season two of a show that already has a really distinct sonic identity. What was your approach to evolving that palette while keeping in mind the legacy of John Williams, “Rogue One,” and “Andor” itself?
Roberts: Yeah, it was definitely a juggling act. I’ve always been a stickler for musical continuity—even as a kid, if a show swapped out a composer mid-season, I noticed. So my first priority was to maintain continuity. Ego aside, whatever the scene or show needed, I was in—whether that meant using Nick’s themes or creating new material for new characters or planets.
I did a deep dive into Nick’s season one score—not just thematically but also his palette. So by the time I jumped in, I felt pretty prepared. I’ve worked collaboratively with other composers before, so that helped. But yes, it was a little daunting being wedged between some giants. Still, I just focused on doing the work.
AF: Looking at the volume release schedule, it seems like you actually scored a significant chunk of the early season, while Nicholas Britell appears in credits on the back half. How did that collaboration or handoff work in terms of who composed what?
Roberts: First off, episodes were completed out of order. Nick had composed for episodes four, and parts of five and six. Then he had to depart. So I stepped in to complete those, and then took on episodes one, two, three, finished five and six, and then did seven through twelve.
There are moments where I use Nick’s themes in my cues when it makes sense. One notable piece is the anthem for Ghorman that Nick and Tony wrote—way before production even started—that appears in episode 208. But yeah, episodes one through three and seven through twelve were mine.
AF: Cassian’s arc is evolving in this season—we know where it’s going with “Rogue One,” but it’s clear this season pushes him further toward becoming the heart of the Rebellion. Did your score reflect that transformation?
Roberts: Yes, absolutely. Everything grows—musically, emotionally, and narratively. But I’d say the most important shift is that everything becomes more emotional. Bigger losses, deeper stakes. So the music reflects that—it gets more intense, more heartfelt.
AF: I know you created some new thematic material for Yavin 4, which we see a lot more of this season, and for the planet Mina Rao. Can you walk me through the identities you were crafting for those worlds?
Roberts: For Yavin, Tony said, “We need a Yavin theme.” And because I know the original trilogy score so well, I knew there really wasn’t a dedicated Yavin theme—just the Rebel theme. So we needed something that could exist in the “Andor” world but also feel like it could belong in the original trilogy. It had to feel grand, hopeful, but also incomplete—because Yavin is still under construction. So I wrote a full theme and then deconstructed it so it felt like a base becoming something greater.
For Mina Rao, it’s a planet of wheat fields—very rural. I went for an Americana feel, something earthy and grounded. Almost Copland-esque. That helped set it apart tonally from everything else.
AF: The show often feels like a great political thriller that just happens to be set in the “Star Wars” universe. Did that influence your approach?
Roberts: Totally. You could lift it out of “Star Wars” entirely and it would still work—that’s how strong the writing is. And actually, that made the scoring process easier. Sometimes we’d hold off on adding music because the dialogue and tension worked so well on their own. There are whole four-minute scenes that play beautifully without score. That restraint was a big part of the overall tone.
AF: You’ve done a lot of thrillers, documentaries, and a good amount of horror. How did that experience shape your work on “Andor”?
Roberts: I’ve been lucky to work across so many genres. I think I came into “Andor” at the right moment, with the right toolset. I had what I needed to tackle different worlds and character arcs, but also the source music—like the diegetic stuff. For Ghorman we used dulcimer and cimbalom. For Yavin, we were banging on hubcaps and wheel hubs. I pulled from a lot of my past experience.
AF: As the series wraps up, what do you hope audiences feel when they hear your score alongside this final chapter?
Roberts: I hope they feel the emotional weight of these characters’ journeys. I didn’t shy away from going big when it called for it—or from the quieter, more intimate moments. Whether they’re consciously aware of it or not, I hope the music helps them feel the full impact of the story.
AF: Unlike much of the recent Star Wars content, “Andor” and “Rogue One” have managed to unify fans and critics alike. What do you think it is about this storyline, or maybe your approach to it, that resonates so deeply?
Roberts: Tony Gilroy. That’s the short answer. He’s a master storyteller, and he had the whole arc in his head from day one. I was nervous about season two like anyone would be—but I think they nailed it. I really do.
AF: Any other projects coming up that you’re excited about?Roberts: Yeah, it’s a wild month for me. I’ve got two films dropping in early May that couldn’t be more different. One’s called “Clown in a Cornfield,” a self-aware slasher I co-scored with Marcus Trumpp. The other is “Forgive Us All,” a post-apocalyptic horror-western shot in New Zealand. Completely different from each other—and from “Andor”—but both really fun in their own way.