Syril Karn Character Analysis: Was He Wasted in Andor? 

i didnt feel like he was wasted, he was always there, and literally saved the main villain, considering there will be a second season, then he still has time to develop

I don't think Cyril was wasted. He was doomed to fail from the get go, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how his relationship with his mother was shown. I wasn't expecting maternal abuse and its effects to be shown in a Star Wars show! See how his face lights up (excellent acting) when Mosk compliments his work ethic, it shows he craves attention to stroke his massive ego which I guess stems from the childhood neglect and abuse from his mother. That's why he's so fixated with Dedra now. The relationship between Cyril and his mother is juxtaposed perfectly with Cassian and his mother's.

I have a feeling that he will play a bigger role in Season 2, especially with regards to Dedra. He's always been someone who's obsessed with his definition of justice and doing the right thing, and meeting up with Dedra is going to get him into a higher position that will make all that more possible. I predict that Dedra's downfall won't be due to Andor, Luthen, or any of the rebels. It will be from Syril. Edit: Also this is the 2nd time I've seen someone compare the show to The Wire and I cannot understate how much I agree 😆

Hands down not wasted at all. It's a two-season show, titled after Cassian Andor, and it's his arc we're following through it, even if that arc has some significant intersects with the arcs of other main characters. Loved what we got of Syril during season 1 and very much looking forward to seeing his arc complete during the season 2 storyline. He's one of my favorite characters in the show and I don't wish anything was done differently (only that season 2 will get here sooner).

He’s also partly what a realistic ending looks like for “heroes”. Imagine if anakin’s ridiculous escapades in battle didn’t work out.

I love his character, i don’t think he was wasted. Seeing him fester at home with his mom was perfect. I can’t wait to see what he does in season 2.

The character of Syril is very important for two reasons: his choice to disobey his boss and pursue Cassian directly sets the plot in motion; and most importantly, he's the foil to Cassian. As the foil (and not strictly the direct antagonist) we see another way that Cassian's life might have gone. Cassian grew up in a large and tight knit community, but Syril's world is small and isolated; Cassian has adoptive parents who are supportive, and, this is the big one, a mother who loves him unconditionally. So everything that Cassian has in terms of environment, family and love, Syril lacks.

Nope, he is pretty subtle and intriguing and he has lots of potential that I’m sure will be developed and realised in season 2.

Syril is a unique twist on a Imperial. From working for a 3rd party firm for the Empire to a Imperial govt desk job, he represents the more common Imperial believer. Also Im 1000% on board for the Syril/Dedra power couple of S2.

I adore Cyril. Yes, it is simple and unremarkable against the background of the same Mon Mothma or Luthen, but this is its peculiarity. Through him, they show who the average follower of the Empire is and by what methods he achieves success. When he caught Dedra at the entrance to work, it was one of the funniest, and at the same time unexpected turns in Disney's "Star Wars". I'm really looking forward to his line in season 2, as he is a man who will never stop. He is a mad dog who will demolish everything in his path if the task requires it. And at the same time, it is curious what his further interaction with Dedra will be. .

I think cyril isnt so much painting himself as a victim when being interrogated by Dedra. I think there was an organized cadre, including all the banging as warning and Brasso destroying their shuttle. It is believable he was genuinely pushing back against lazy/falsified reports. I havent seen the Wire but corruptncops doing bad paperwork is common enough of a concept that his reaction makes sense.

I never felt like Syril was wasted. He was ruthless in his devotion to his job, and to catching Cassian. As an antagonist I thoroughly enjoyed Syil, he wasn't a lead antagonist, but he was always that thorn in Cassian's side 😊.

Though I liked him a lot, I thought Syril was a little underutilized on my first viewing, but on rewatch, I've grown to appreciate him a lot more. Definitely one of the best written Star Wars antagonists. I personally think that Reva from Obi-Wan had the same amount of potential with her character, but unfortunately she was dragged down by poor writting and directing. Nothing against the actress, of course. Moses Ingram is very talented, and I just wish she could have been in a better Star Wars show.

I think Syril's lack of insight regarding his own flaws and mistakes will be his downfall. At the end of the show he lucked out and managed to save Dedra from a mob. She'll owe him a debt of gratitude and elevate him to a better position, probably within the ISB. Syril will feel vindicated, that justice has been done and that he was right all along, while ignoring the mistakes he made along the way. When he ignores his mistakes, he fails to learn from them, so he'll repeat them. But doing so in the ISB is a great deal more severe than in Corporate Security. On another note, I think neither Syril nor Dedra understands how significant it was that he was apprehended by the ISB, taken in for questioning, then released unharmed with kind words from an ISB officer on top of it all. His coworkers probably thought he was as good as dead, but no, "He was of great help to the Empire". No wonder he got promoted, his superiors must be convinced that he's connected, and want to be on his good side (and definately not on his bad one).

So great that you can learn more about the characters in this show on a second watch.

Really interesting perspective - enjoyed that a lot! Like you I thought I wouldn't see any more of Cyril after his initial defeat, so I was surprised when we saw the series cut back to him regularly. I think it did so to show the consequences of both his and Andor's actions - as to me this show seems to care more about consequences both big and small and how they end up affecting bigger events down the line. I do disagree on some of your character observations of Syril though - I think he *thinks* he's competent - but really isn't. He expects to succeed, but doesn't, partly because he will never learn how to succeed if he never admits he was ever wrong because it was 'just bad luck', or incompetence on the part of others. He has a tragic mix of self-importance and self-belief that crumble as soon as reality has a say.

Syril and his mother are supposed to be ideal subjects of the Empire's fascist state. This is a glimpse into the social base that supports the Empire politically. Syril is a true believer in the philosophy of the Empire, order and strength imposed via force. His shortcomings, arrogance and resentment are supposed to reflect similar forces and people without our own societies and demonstrate the very human vulnerability to fascist politics. Fascists aren't just guys in robot suits and capes, they are living and breathing individuals, motivated by much of what motivates any of us. That's what makes men like Syril so dangerous.

Just discovered your channel this morning. Already subscribed and on a binge, you have a great eye for good story telling.

Syril Karn was one of my favorite parts about the show. That first scene with him and the chief inspector had so much subtext going on and it's still one of my favorite scenes in the show. I'm really looking forward to seeing how he develops in Season 2. The only think I'd point out is that he didn't technically work for the Empire; he worked for the Corporate Sector (specifically the CorpSec Authority), which I believe was a special economic sector established by the Republic and allowed to continue by the Empire until the events of the show. They were semi-autonomous, so long as they didn't mess up enough to give the Imperials a reason to take over. I'm not sure if the events of the show ended with the Empire taking direct control over all of CorpSec, or just the planet where Andor was. It may not even be as big as it was in the EU, so maybe it wasn't a big deal for the Empire to take it over. In the EU, CorpSec was a pretty large section of the galaxy.

His interactions with his mother also provided some comedy to stop the show getting too dark, unlike other Star Wars comedy "poodoo" it was subtle and still built character.

A Master Samwise video!? ABOUT ANDOR!?! A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

I like to compare his mother with Cassian's mother. How they deal with life under the Empire. It's completely the opposite

Great analysis, thank you!

TBF to Cyril, if his target hadn't randomly happened to be in a meeting with the most badass rebel spymaster in the galaxy on the day Cyril came to bring him in it's entirely possible Andor would have been caught.

Not wasted, but he could have been used in a more interesting way IMO. He starts off with all the traits that the audience would typically admires: tenacity, courage, loyalty, sense of justice, and willingness to break the rules; and he's motivated by wanting to solve a murder despite a corrupt boss, but working for the side that the audience dislikes. That makes him a grey zone, uncomfortable to support, but equally hard to describe as evil. This naturally opens him to contrast him with other characters. Most obviously Cassian who shares many character traits (despite polar opposite emotional support at home) but took a different path. But also Dedra, who while on the same side is entirely focussed on her own gains and doesn't share Syril's moral compass (she is, at best, amoral when not downright immoral). It could even be stretched to compare with Saw Gerrera and/or Luthen, all three of whom are similarly willing to go to whatever length is necessary to redress perceived wrongs. All this could work towards the point that the side a character finds himself in depends not only on grand ideals (as represented by Nemik writing his manifesto), but on the injustices that they have personally experienced. Perhaps this blurring of the lines of everything empire = evil was too much, but I do think that exploring how people can support a galactic evil while doing what appears to be good on their personal small scale would be deeply compelling. Instead, they took a different route by focussing on his egotism and playing him up as increasingly pathetic and desperate. This fall from grace is not a bad arc necessarily, but I can't help but imagine that the alternative would have been more interesting.

Syril: a character in star wars whose only goal is to be a character in star wars

No I don't feel his character was wasted. Given the type of character that's written, his lot in life and how he started, Syril needed all 12 eps to build him up to the so called hero he always wanted to be. The Bros. Gilroy have something up their sleeve for him in season 2

Syril has the potential to become an imperial or a rebel. This is just interesting for season 2.

Love this analysis! Not sure if you are much for the Marvel shows, but I would love to see you break down the villains from Luke Cage season 1 - Cottonmouth vs Diamondback

In any other show the detective who refuses to bow to corruption and let a murderer get away would be the hero.

I stopped the video after a while, I don't see the point in the main statement. The story is not finished, and I don't know any story where the characters appear all along with the same frequency, for equal time etc... he was just not relevant for this part of the story, just deal with it. He will have a role, this is called setup, and meet you at the payback in season 2.

I enjoyed what they've shown of Cyril so far. They've given us a good picture of his motivations. I predict...you heard it here first...that both Cyril and Dedra will ride Wullff Yularen's coat tail to positions on the Death Star.

actually when i frist saw Syril he don't intrested me much but now he is one of my favourites from Andor with Dedra not Deedra... i liked his arc and the story of him that he wanted justice and revenge. the mission will be maybe his fault but after all Cassian still kill 2 men from Syril's work. after all i can understand his obssession with Cassinan for Syril he took everything form him. Dedra is his light on the horizon and his chance to get Cassian they are ,,twinflames" so he need her and i hope she understand know that she need him too. together they would have a much better chance to get Cassian and Luthen. hope they will work togther and be lovers in S2 cuz its the first imperial ship ever❤😅

Can’t wait to see the relationship between Syril and Dedre moving forward to season 2 after he saved her.

I felt the thematic and character work in Syril's arc was great, but his lack of influence on the plot kept me asking "why are we following this guy again?". It's precisely how good the character and thematic work was that makes me feel he was wasted. He should have had more impact on Deedra's investigation or the happenings on Ferrix, even if by accident. His final scenes left me underwhelmed and I think the way they handled him was one of the series' bigger missteps. I really hope they give him more impact in Season 2 because he's a fascinating character that deserves more room to shine (or rather, spectacularly fail).

The biggest wasted characters in recent Star Wars were Barriss Offee and Lux Bonteri from The Clone Wars. Barriss is supposed to be Ahsoka's best friend, yet we barely see anything of her until she betrays Ahsoka and frames her in Season 5. The reveal would have been so much more impactful had Barriss been given time to develop in the show, and have her own character arc to show her disillusionment with the Jedi. Lux on the other hand could have been an excellent character. When he was introduced, I thought "Okay, now there's a trifecta for politician love interests for our trio! I wonder what they'll do with this," The fact he was a separatist at first made me think of where things could go with his character -- potentially showing the internal affairs of the CIS, what motivated his family to secede, and how seeing his perspective makes Ahsoka doubt the Jedi and the Republic. Ahsoka's attraction to him could have been the catalyst for a major character moment. Through speaking with him offscreen, it's implied that her thoughts on the war change after meeting him, and she understands to a degree why some people don't want to be part of the Republic. Yet we don't ever hear Lux's motivation for siding with CIS, nor his mother's, nor his father. In my opinion, I think the episode in Season 3 where Ahsoka meets Lux should have been a two-parter to explore the Bonteri family. Lux could absolutely been a huge turning point in Ahsoka's character arc -- he makes her doubt her outlook on the war, and then she ends up being attracted to him, which is shunned and discouraged. And to top it all off, he's a damn separatist! And by the end of the Onderon arc, Lux's old life is gone, he's no doubt been branded as a traitor to the CIS, his mother was murdered, his father killed in action, the girl he loved falls to her death, and his worldviews are turned upside down. To top it all off, he gets appointed (not elected) to the Senate, and has to cope with his trauma on top of being put in a high position at such a young age in a representative body that no doubt hates him because of his former standing with the CIS. He had such a great foundation for a fascinating character and they went nowhere with it.

I really fucking hope they bring out his potential in season 2

Honestly, I feel Cyrill's charecter is a tragicly misguided one, in my opinion. I kind of understand his quest to see Justice served and do the right thing. I also aknoledge his servitude to a regime that could not care less for Justice for Justice's sake rather control for control' s sake. This is incapsulated in Andor's analasis of the Narkina 5's true purpose: keep the Status Quo going and keep the populace distracted by the threat of overwhelming retaliation by the Empire's enforcers. Cyrill lacks said understanding because he is blinded by his need to prove his worth to the Empire, and by extention his Mother, that he is more than just a failure and a disapointment: he is a loyal and useful servant worthy of recognition. But, of course, that's just my opinion...

Most Imperials don't have meteoric careers.

I hope he will be awesome in S02 🙂

Whenever people say a character was within the first season of a show, I feel they forget that there will be more seasons

In the scene where Syril rescues Dedra on Farrix, I guarantee there was deleted moment where they made out. Watch the scene again. She said she should say thank you while staring at his mouth and panting.

I was just disappointed because I thought that his arc was made to draw him into the rebellion, not the ISB. His first arc is about his naïve quest for justice, the second arc takes him back to his toxic home and soul crushing desk job, I was certain that his development would see him identify that it’s the empire that’s evil and anti-justice, and that he’d find the bravery to switch sides. He’d proved that he was driven to do good (albeit for a misguided cause) and that we was willing to rebel against his superiors to get there. Turning him from this visibly derisive snivelling character into a hero would have been way better subversion of stereotypes too.

Can you make a video on Doomcock

On first watch I 100% thought he was wasted, quite badly too, but not so much any more

Did he have much in the way of payoff in season 1? No, But as Palpatine once said, I will watch his career with great interest.

Should't Syril have to eat RED frosted cereal? Blue cereal for Cassian etc?

No way Syril is used to extraordinary effect in my opinion. To me, Andor is an exploration of oppression and the system that oversees it. The precise, and intelligent operations of the ISB are one form of formal power that oversees the empire. In Syril you see the other side, the cultural side in which an average citizen becomes complicit in the system. While Cassian is imprisoned, Syril is also trapped in a meaningless and monotonous life. His path out of it though, is by trying to excel in a system that will never see him as equal. Despite being looked down on by the ISB he still believes himself to be part of that class of person. He on paper is exactly what they are, driven, dedicated and hard working. That if he can only prove himself he will be embraced by the system and so keeps trucking on doing the empires dirty work. While others have to be forced, some are incentivized by a "normal" lifestyle. Syril is the every day person who without really realizing it props up a bad system. He lives relatively comfortably, is safe but could have more. The empire keeps dangling that carrot in front of him and it keeps him loyal. He is the missing piece of the empire's oppression. It isn't just death stars and formal power, its the everyday citizen that also keeps the system going. So from that I find him a successful character, and fully in line with Andor's themes.

maybe it depends on how he is used in season 2.

Not wasted. He’s essentially just what makes up the bread and butter of committed fascists.

hey guys

I hate how they gave him a stereotypical overbearing mother, IMO it completely undermined him and made him a pathetic joke.

No. Next question.

Still holding out hope we can see a video on how well avatar broke gender roles and embraced queer culture

For fuck's sake hes meant for season 2, of course his arch doesn't end here

Hello

First

i don't think 'shitty little fascist dweeb' needs *that* much more characterisation to serve the role in the story that he already does.