Who Is Admiral Yularen And Why Is His Appearance On Andor A Big Deal?
There will be spoilers for "Andor" Episode VII – "Announcement."
Wullf Yularen has been a figure in "Star Wars" since the birth of the series in 1977. The white-uniformed Imperial Security Bureau head could be seen seated at the boardroom table aboard the Death Star as Grand Moff Tarkin and Admiral Motti went round and round about the power they truly held in their hands. He's been laced throughout the canon throughout the years, both in the Legends and current continuity. His name first appeared on a card in the "Star Wars: Customizable Card Game" from Decipher cards and he's been a major player in "Star Wars" ever since.
His presence isn't just an Easter egg, but might have ramifications for the future of "Andor."
Yularen and the Clone Wars
Yularen appeared in the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" movie and many episodes of the show. He was an officer in the Republic Navy prior to the Clone Wars and fought in the Battle of Malastare Narrows against the villainous Separatist Admiral Trench. After playing in the intelligence game for a while, he retired, but when the Clone Wars sparked, Palpatine personally coaxed him into rejoining the military and granted him the rank of admiral. There, he served closely with Jedi General Anakin Skywalker with distinction. For his part, Yularen was a competent commander and a force to be reckoned with. His straight-laced style didn't always match the devil-may-care attitudes of Anakin Skywalker, but they made a very powerful team.
He was also clear about his personal objectives over personal loyalty, and served on the prosecution team against Ahsoka Tano when it was thought she had turned against the Republic.
Thrawn and Star Wars Rebels
Shortly after the formation of the Empire, Yularen resigned his commission and went back to intelligence work with the rank of colonel in the Imperial Security Bureau. There, he headed a unit designed to root out sedition in the Imperial Senate. That puts Senator Mon Mothma firmly in his crosshairs.
As he rose up the ranks of intelligence, he gained a fierce reputation. In Timothy Zahn's "Thrawn" books, Yularen was instrumental in getting Grand Admiral Thrawn his position and supported him politically where he could become a valuable ally. Together, they uncovered a rebel plot and ended the life of a Rebel operative that went by the name of Nightswan.
Yularen also trained ISB Agent Kallus as his protege in the Imperial Academy. Kallus would hunt down the rebels of Phoenix squadron for years before turning sides and aiding them with information. Once compromised, he joined the Rebels themselves, no doubt disappointing his mentor significantly. In "Star Wars Rebels," he makes it his personal mission to root out spies working in his ranks, and his investigations could lead anywhere on "Andor."
What this means
With such an important Imperial officer now on the show, this opens a couple of possibilities. Chiefly, that Yularen may well be the force that begins to investigate Mon Mothma on the show, as Dedra focuses on Cassian Andor and Luthen Rael. It would create a fascinating dynamic that would add a lot of tension on the show. The other thing it could well bring is the fan-favorite Agent Kallus himself. There have been three characters we know to have been a Fulcrum agent for the Rebellion: Cassian Andor, Ashoka Tano, and Agent Kallus. Kallus is the only one we haven't seen in live action and this cameo in "Andor" gives us the perfect window of opportunity.
It could also give us a chance to see Thrawn in live-action, ahead of his reported appearances on the forthcoming "Ahsoka" show.
Regardless of our speculation, whatever the show holds for Yularen or anyone else remains a mystery.
New episodes of "Andor" air on Wednesdays on Disney+.