Andor season 2 secretly set up a major Luke Skywalker retcon, one with a particularly notable impact on The Empire Strikes Back. Tony Gilroy’s Andor was something rare in Star Wars; a relatively self-contained story, albeit leading into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

It’s easy to miss, though, that one subtle element of Andor season 2 has a significant impact on Luke Skywalker’s story in the original trilogy. This is the beauty of Star Wars; everything is connected to everything else, and the smallest detail can subtly reshape larger parts of the narrative.

Luke Skywalker Knew More About The Force Than We Thought

Luke Skywalker knew precious little about the Jedi before he left his homeworld of Tatooine. He knew even less about the Force, with Obi-Wan Kenobi essentially giving him a “Force for Dummies” lesson during the trip to Alderaan. But Obi-Wan died on the Death Star, leaving Luke without a mentor.

Andor revealed that allies of the Rebel Alliance were actually very familiar with the Force. In fact, there was even a Force Healer sensitive enough to the Force to sense Cᴀssian Andor’s destiny. She was still on Yavin 4 shortly before the Death Star battle, meaning it seems impossible to imagine a scenario where Luke didn’t wind up going to her for lessons.

It’s true that the Force Healer couldn’t really teach Luke how to become a Jedi. But this Force Healer would surely be able to tell Luke a little more about the cosmic energy field he was tapping into, and it’s fascinating to imagine what she saw when she looked at Luke. If she perceived Cᴀssian’s destiny, Luke would have definitely impressed her.

The Force Healer Set Luke On A Very Different Path

Luke would ultimately learn what it meant to be a Jedi from Yoda. But it’s notable that the Jedi Master always showed great respect to other Force traditions, and he was willing to learn Force powers and lore from them. One of Luke’s most impressive feats – projecting himself across the galaxy in The Last Jedi – was learned from the Jensaarai.

Andor‘s introduction of a Force Healer suggests Luke began in this vein much sooner than we thought. It’s a hint that his first mentors in the ways of the Force incldued members of other traditions, meaning he was putting Yoda’s lessons into a subtly different context. It’s little wonder Luke would blaze his own trail in Star Wars.