Movies - TV
Meet Andor's Syril Karn, A Star Wars Villain Unlike Any Other We've Seen [Exclusive]
By JEREMY MATHAI
"Andor" has set itself apart from previous installments of "Star Wars" and unfolds in a way that puts character first — even if the character is a villain like Syril Karn (Kyle Soller). Syril has undergone an oddly compelling arc, from a jumped-up security goon to a pathetic wretch quietly enduring his mother's icy disapproval to an obsessive true believer in the Empire's authoritarian cause.
As Soller explains in a featurette exclusive to /Film, "Syril wants to be of great service to the Empire, and he thinks that there is no aggression too extreme." Introduced as a self-important deputy inspector for Preox-Morlana, he quickly develops a disproportionate interest in Cassian Andor's murder of two employees, but his reckless obsession blows up in his face.
From his quest to hunt down Cassian to the radicalization he festers during quiet moments to his inability to figure out the line between ambition and obsession, Syril is a complete picture of a brutally relevant villain. Where this villain ranks in the pantheon of "Star Wars" remains to be seen, but it's clear that the vengeful Syril Karn is unlike anyone else ever encountered in the franchise.