This ‘Star Wars’ Series Defied the Odds with Increasing Viewership

For years, Star Wars shows on Disney+ have mostly followed the same pattern, strong starts, followed by drops in viewership by the time the season ends. But one show has done the exact opposite.

Andor, the Star Wars series that focuses on the early days of the Rebellion and the journey of Cassian Andor, actually gained more viewers in its second season. According to an analysis from The Wrap, viewership for Andor went up nearly 40% from the end of season one to the end of season two. That makes it the only Star Wars series on Disney+ to grow in audience over time instead of losing it.

The first season of Andor premiered on September 21, 2022, and ended in November that year. Its second and final season came out on April 22, 2025, releasing three episodes per week until May 13. While most other Star Wars shows struggled to hold viewers, Andor quietly built a loyal fanbase and earned widespread praise from critics.

The series was celebrated for its deeper storytelling, grounded tone, and strong acting. Some even called it the best Star Wars production ever made. It earned twenty-two Emmy nominations across its two seasons, including Outstanding Drama Series both years.

In comparison, other Star Wars shows have had a tougher time. Obi-Wan Kenobi started off with over a billion minutes watched in its first week, but by the final week, that number dropped to 860 million, a 16% dip. Ahsoka fell by 31% during its run, and The Acolyte lost about a third of its viewers by the time it ended. Despite all the excitement before these shows aired, most couldn’t hold onto that energy.

The biggest hit for Disney+ was The Mandalorian, which kicked things off back in 2019. With its debut came a huge wave of attention, thanks in part to Baby Yoda, or Grogu, as he’s now known.

The show pulled in big numbers during both of its first two seasons. But over time, even The Mandalorian saw some signs of fatigue in the fanbase, especially with spin-offs like The Book of Boba Fett and others that didn’t connect as strongly.

A rival studio marketing exec told The Wrap, “When you went to a Star Wars movie, it used to be special. But there’s a difference between having a movie every four years versus having three shows all the time and a movie every year.”

That feeling of over-saturation seems to have finally caught up with Disney. After years of pushing Star Wars content on Disney+, the company is now shifting focus back to movies. In 2026, fans will see The Mandalorian and Grogu on the big screen, directed by Jon Favreau. In 2027, another film called Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, is expected to hit theaters.

Andor received widespread acclaim from critics, with a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 8.55/10 from 609 reviews it’s still the most highly rated Star Wars show on Disney+. It was praised as a mature, political, and standout entry in the Star Wars universe. Metacritic gave it a score of 74 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.

The show was widely seen as one of the best TV series of 2022 and was praised for its unique tone and style compared to other Star Wars shows.

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