Andor: Rogue One fans spot Melshi in Episode 8

Cameron Frew
Melshi in Andor Episode 8

Star Wars fans have spotted the return of a Rogue One character in Andor Episode 8: Ruescott Melshi.

Andor isn’t the kind of Star Wars show that’ll be full of cameos and Easter eggs, so if you’re expecting a late appearance from Luke Skywalker or other classic characters, don’t get too excited – that said, we’ll be astonished if Darth Vader doesn’t turn up before the end.

There are some familiar faces, though: Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), Wulff Yularen (Malcolm Sinclair), and in the most recent episode, we’re reintroduced to Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker).

Episode 8 also features an appearance from a character in Rogue One: Ruescott Melshi – but who is he in the film, and why is he in the show?

Andor: Star Wars fans spot Rogue One’s Melshi in Episode 8

Melshi was one of the sergeants in the Rebel Alliance who helped steal the plans to the Death Star. In Rogue One, he was a close friend of Cassian, and he led the extraction team that rescued Jyn Erso from the labor camp on Wobani.

He met Cassian on Narkina Five while they were both prisoners, which is where Episode 8 finds them. They don’t speak much, as Cassian is still getting to grips with his incarceration, but we can expect him to play a larger role as the series progresses.

His return has gone down a storm with Star Wars fans. “Getting to see how Cassian and Melshi meet is so special because we know their friendship and faith in each other will culminate in Cassian trusting Melshi to lead the pathfinders on Scarif – it’s just one more way Rogue One will carry even more emotional weight after Andor,” one user wrote.

“Seeing Melshi with such a hopeless mindset, telling Cassian that they’ll never get out of prison with so much conviction but then seeing the place that he eventually ends up in Rogue One… going from an imprisoned man to a liberator, gaining that sense of hope,” another wrote.

“Glup Shitto excitement aside, Ruescott Melshi being brought back really shows the amount of care that’s gone into nurturing the continuity between Andor and Rogue One,” a third tweeted.

Andor Episode 9 will be available to stream on November 2. You can sign up for Disney+ here.