Andy Serkis made a huge impression when he appeared in Andor and now, the actor has confirmed the fate of his character Kino Loy after the series left it up in the air.
*WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Andor* — Andy Serkis’s three-episode appearance as Kino Loy in Andor will forever be remembered as one of the greatest in Star Wars history and while his character’s fate may have been left uncertain in the Disney+ series itself, the actor has recently confirmed whether Kino lived or died.
Kino Loy’s emotional farewell in Andor
After his surprise introduction as a stern floor manager in the Imperial prison on Narkina 5, Andy Serkis’s Kino Loy embarked on one of the best character arcs we’ve seen in Star Wars.
As the true horror of the prisoners’ situation became clear, that they were never going to be allowed their freedom, Kino began to rally to Cassian Andor’s cause and agreed to help the other inmates escape.
In episode 10, titled One Way Out, Cassian, Kino and the Narkina 5 prisoners put their escape plan into action and managed to incite wider unrest throughout the facility as they climbed their way to the upper levels of the prison where they could finally make it to freedom.
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However, the euphoria of seeing the prisoners leaping into the ocean below was quickly halted thanks to one heartbreaking line of dialogue, “I can’t swim.”
While waves of inmates pour out through the open doorway, Kino stood to one side, mournfully telling Cassian and Melshi that he can’t swim. The tragic moment is made even more so when you realize that Kino would have known about this from the start but he put his own worries to one side and decided to help the other prisoners escape regardless of whether he would have been able to.
Andy Serkis confirms Kino Loy’s fate
Speaking on Entertainment Weekly’s Dagobah Dispatch podcast, Andy Serkis revealed that Kino Loy is still alive following his last appearance in Andor episode 10.
“There weren’t really many discussions about the afterlife of Kino,” he began. “All that we do know is that he survives. I mean, we don’t see him die.”
“We see him left for a further life of the character. But prior to that, there were no discussions at all about [what] might happen afterwards.”
“I was just excited enough about the arc that I had to play,” he continued. “Which was a really beautifully crafted illustration of a man who has a belief system that gets broken that then has nothing to believe in, that then gets kind of reignited by someone who inspires him to find himself again, and then self-sacrifices.”
There we have it, while Kino Loy may not necessarily be set for another on-screen appearance, unless there’s a cameo planned for Andor season 2, we know that Andy Serkis’s character is currently alive. We like to imagine that someone found him a life jacket or an inflatable ring so that he could get to safety despite his inability to swim.
Serkis was initially hesitant to join Andor
Despite the fact that Kino Loy became an instant fan favorite, Andy Serkis has revealed that he was initially hesitant to appear in Andor.
Speaking at Star Wars Celebration earlier in 2023, Serkis said: “When Tony Gilroy first talked to me about it and I was offered the role, I was really worried about taking another Star Wars role because there had been so many theories about Snoke and I just thought, ‘oh no, people are going to start thinking that somehow Kino Loy is related to Snoke, or that he is some sort of weird uncle of him.’
“I was really concerned. And then I thought ‘Oh no.’ The writing was so beautiful and the character. That was the great thing about Andor, the crafting of the series; the writing, the structure, that every single character has such a complex psychology and emotional journey and I think that’s why it was so popular. And so I could not refuse this character that comes in.”
Serkis also addressed the fact that his character was kept under wraps ahead of his appearance, saying: “I was told, ‘We’re going to keep you a secret,’ and I was relieved about that because I spent such a long time with Snoke deflecting all the different theories so it was really great and I really love the character and was delighted to come back.”
Season 1 of Andor is available to stream on Disney+ while production on season 2 is currently paused dur to the ongoing actors’ and writers’ strikes.
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