Andy Serkis Teases Dead 'Star Wars' Character's Return

Beloved film icon Andy Serkis, who played both Supreme Leader Snoke and Kino Loy in the Star Wars universe, recently revealed that one of the characters could be making a surprise return from the dead.

Supreme Leader Snoke from Star Wars The Last Jedi smiling in his throne on a red background — Credit: Lucasfilm

Andy Serkis is responsible for some of the greatest characters in film history. He is responsible for Gollum/Smeagol in The Lord of the Rings, the titular ape in Peter Jackson’s King Kong (2005), Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot series, Ulysses Klaue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman (2022). Basically, if you love any nerdy film universe, Andy Serkis is somehow involved.

This includes Star Wars, where Serkis played not one, but two characters: Supreme Leader Snoke in The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), and Kino Loy in Andor (2022-present) on Disney+. While both characters are believed to be dead, the talented British actor recently hinted that this may not be the case.

Andy Serkis on ‘Star Wars’ Return: “All That We Do Know is That He Survives.”

Andy Serkis crying as Kino Loy from Andor — Credit: Lucasfilm

In an appearance alongside Genevieve O’Reilly on the Dagobah Dispatch podcast for Entertainment Weekly, Andy Serkis slipped that his character, Kino Loy from Andor, may not actually be dead.

“Well, there weren’t really many discussions about the afterlife of Kino. All that we do know is that he survives,” said Serkis. “I mean, we don’t see him die. We see him left for a further life of the character. But before that, there were no discussions at all about [what] might happen afterward.”

He continued, “I was just excited enough about the arc that I had to play, 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.”

Andy Serkis as Kino Loy smiling in Andor — Credit: Lucasfilm

It has been a long adage in superhero movies that if you don’t see a character die on-screen, there is a good chance that they’re not dead, so that could apply in this situation. That being said, plenty of Star Wars characters have been brought back to life after audiences watched them die, including Emperor Palpatine, Darth Maul, Boba Fett, and even Ahsoka Tahno. And don’t even get us started on Force Ghosts.

This is undoubtedly exciting news for anyone who is a fan of Andy Serkis and/or Andor. While Kino Loy’s character arc wrapped up nicely by the end of the first season, a return would be welcome since the character is so fascinating and Serkis is so talented. However, the team has to be careful. This choice could just as easily ruin the character. Just look at the effect bringing Palpatine back in The Rise of Skywalker (2019) had on the sequel trilogy.

What would you think of Kino Loy returning in Andor season two? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!