One way out. Three words that made Star Wars cinematic history. When Kino Loy realises that there is no true way out of the Narkina 5 prison complex, he delivers a rousing speech to urge the inmates to escape. Otherwise, the Empire would keep them there forever, working each prisoner to the bone and ultimately until they died. It’s a brutal representation of the Imperial machine, and it allows fans to feel compassion for the morally grey characters that Cassian Andor finds himself surrounded by.
Kino begins his escape plan by thinking himself already dead. That he wouldn’t make it. Whether he thought from the start that he’d be mowed down by the guards or if he knew there was no true escape for himself is unclear. One fact remains – Kino couldn’t swim. That’s a difficult problem when you’re in a prison situated in the middle of the ocean. So, could Kino Loy have survived the escape? We’re taking a look at the ways that Kino could have made it.
Kat: Perhaps firstly I should address why I think Kino made it. It’s well known on the Jedi News team that I pretty much deny any character deaths within the saga. However, in this case it’s not that I’m deliberately in denial. I truly think Kino got out.
The last we see of him; Kino is in shock. I think that’s because he really didn’t expect to get as far as he did and to see the light of day again. He’s shocked to see the sky and to breathe fresh air. We don’t know how long he had been inside Narkina 5, but it must have been a long while for him to gain such a standing within the prison. He’s also shocked, and likely happy, that so many of his fellow inmates are jumping into the chance of freedom. Yet once he got past this shock, I think Kino would have made a plan to overcome not being able to swim.
Mark: This is a man who had been building up to the day he was going to leave. He followed the rules, did what was asked of him and didn’t complain. He had planned for when he got out, for what he would do, what he would see, it was all to reach that point. We can see in his eyes when he realises that won’t happen and it provides him with the drive to do what we see in Andor. Like you say Kat, he doesn’t expect to make it, so when he does, that joy and relief is wonderful. We also see little else after his admission, Andor is thrown overboard before any plan can be formulated and formulated, they will be. There is a huge amount of equipment within that complex that I’m sure might work, but more than that, the Empire needs the complex. It needs the resources to build the Death Star and the end credit scene shows just how crucial the work is they are doing. Could the Imperials afford to lose such a location for their production? Not while keeping the secrecy behind the project. They will be sending ships to the prison…
Kat: Imperial equipment could definitely come into play. Are you telling me that all those Imperial officers stationed at the prison can swim? Unlikely. If there’s one thing Andor has really shown it’s that most Imperial officers are good at yelling orders and little else. So, there would have to be some water safety equipment stored somewhere. As you say, there has to be ships coming, or there might be some kind of Star Wars hovercraft already there in case of an emergency evacuation.
Another possibility is that Kino could find something like a rebreather and have a fellow inmate help him swim. There’s so much camaraderie within all the inmates as they escape, and I could easily see someone stopping to help Kino. This is the leader who inspired them all, who gave them a chance – there’s no way he’s getting left behind.
Mark: And with that, also comes the camaraderie he had with Cassian. You could see the look of disbelief on his face and the look when he was pushed further. With how much Cassian and Kino bonded – would Cassian not do something to see the return of Kino? Even if he didn’t have time before the events that followed, surely, he would tell the Rebellion (or what little there is of it). Now for me, this is what perhaps makes the most sense. They debrief Cassian, and he tells them of this prison. Wouldn’t they want to know what is being built, would they dismiss it so easily? From this, they would investigate, and this is how the Rebels learn about the early stages of the Death Star. Could this be where season two might lead, and how Kino is then brought back, perhaps leading his own part of the Rebellion?
Kat: Tony Gilroy has said that Season 2 will be exploring the early information gathering about the Death Star that leads up to the revelations in Rogue One, so it would make sense for Narkina 5 to play some role in that. Cassian had no idea what he was making, but I reckon Kino or one of the men under his watch might have known that it was a component, and its purpose in a machine.
Even if Kino did survive, I can’t see him exactly becoming a paragon of justice and freedom. He’s going to want to keep himself alive and under the radar of the Empire. However, selling information to the Rebellion? Or the Rebellion providing him with a new identity in exchange for information? That I could see Kino agreeing to. Andy Serkis’s performance as Kino was just incredible and so compelling, so seeing him return to the character would be very exciting; he made a morally grey character somebody everyone was rooting for. We wouldn’t be having this discussion about Kino if it hadn’t been for Serkis’s acting.
Mark: Oh completely, Andy Serkis brought that role to life and his incredible talent made those episodes, that could have been very dull, engaging and driven. Playing a low life criminal had more of an impact on me than Snoke, where Serkis was hidden behind digital technology. With a character that was so engaging, it would seem silly for them not to bring him back. Having a ‘real’ Serkis allows a lot of fans to see him in a way we very rarely get to see him as. And yet… one of the reasons Rogue One had the impact it did was because of the way it ended, that no-one survived. Could bringing Kino back invalidate the struggle that the prisoners went through, that his sacrifice shows the Empire for what they truly are and how they view the underworld? Is he more memorable because of the fact he was stuck, and as far as we know, still there now?
Kat: Oh, we’re getting into the deep philosophy now! This is an interesting question and I think at one point I would have said that leaving Kino on Narkina 5 had the most impact. Melshi’s fear that he and Cassian were the only ones to escape is tangible. Yet the writing of Andor is unparalleled and I would have complete faith in the storyline if Kino returned. We’re so used to having Andy Serkis as a voiceover or as part of CGI, yet he’s just as skilled in front of the camera.
Rogue One is so impactful because no one survives, but while that is where Andor is heading, it doesn’t mean that the plot of the show needs to follow the same structure. While it’s always exciting to see Force users and rebels in stories, Kino and the inmates have proven that we can feel just as much emotion for a bunch of misfits with criminal records. It’s a different part of the Star Wars galaxy and Kino is basically a figurehead for it now.
Mark: That is definitely what works so well, it’s not just the rebellion of the Rebels, but the galaxy at large. The Empire has repressed everyone so much that they are all beginning to rise up, kind of like the pebble before the avalanche. With such an impact on viewers, I suppose the real question is, would you have it impact a second season of Andor, or have it as its own spin off series to really delve into the underworld, the consequences and how the Empire deals with them?
Kat: And this is exactly what Maarva wanted. She wanted everyone rising up to challenge the oppression of the Empire, from the lowest street rat to the people in positions of power. I think the Empire must surely consider the escaped inmates a threat because of the sensitive nature of what they have been building (Krennic won’t be happy that his supply chain has been disrupted). Whether we see Kino again in Andor, another Disney+ production, or even in the literature. I think we can all agree on wanting one thing – that Kino found his one way out.
