When Mon Mothma is introduced in Return of the Jedi, she is a stoic and noble leader of the Rebellion. Her very presence, robed in elegant white, commands respect. Since then, her appearances and cameos have always portrayed Mon as a calm and collected leader, one who is willing to make difficult decisions for the greater good. However, this has also made her character somewhat difficult to relate to.
With such control over her emotions, Mon almost has a detachment from the events and others around her. Yet in Andor we get to see a very different side of the Chandrilan senator. A side that is flawed and very human. In this article we’re delving into the many faces of Mon Mothma.
Kat: There is almost a mythos to Mon Mothma. She is this ethereal presence on screen, a warrior-like angel who’s come to avenge all those downtrodden by the Empire. It’s hard to imagine her needing to eat or even sleep. Yet what Andor reveals is that this collected demeanour is just a mask that Mon constantly has to hide behind. She has to hide everything she truly feels to keep herself safe and so that no one suspects her involvement with the growing Rebellion. And behind that mask is a Mon who is anxious and deeply worried.
She’s worried about being discovered and the impact that will have on not only the Rebellion, but also her family. Mon is worried that her daughter will fall into an unhappy arranged marriage, just like she did. All these worries surround her like a sun orbits a planet, never leaving her alone. It is impossible not to empathise with a character who is burdened by so much.
Mark: I was completely surprised by her portrayal in Andor. Like you say Kat, she has to hide, yet it’s the extent that she has to bury her true face. The individuals she can actually talk openly and honestly with are a handful, and even those, we get the impression that she can’t be wholly open with them either. In part, because she can’t fully trust them and in part, in terms of her cousin, because she doesn’t want to put her in any greater danger. She can’t even talk to her own husband about it – something we will delve into later. What is presented to us is someone who is trying to save the entire galaxy from oppression but in reality, is someone who is truly alone, fighting her side of the fight all by herself. Questioning every decision, wondering if she’s gone too far or not enough, and blaming herself for every mistake made. Lonely and yet it also shows such incredible strength from her that she is able to continue with this for so many years.
Is it any wonder that her and Bail – and by extension Leia – become so close? They both understand what Mon has had to do all these years to drill up the fight, the sacrifices that have to be made. They are a duo that Mon can finally open up to and relieve some of the pressure we see building up in season one. It’s this friendship that I would truly love to see begin, although whether that is in Andor season two, or a separate series, I tend to favour the latter. We know that at some point she will trust Bail, yet this series is about her relationship to Luthen, how she is trying her best to trust someone in this movement, but they keep taking things too far, accelerating the process too quickly.
Kat: Mon can only trust herself and it is quite obvious in Andor that she is suspicious of all those around her, including Luthen. Mon is a senator who strives for peace, and she does not agree with Luthen’s warmongering, much like how she disagreed with Saw Gerrera’s questionable tactics. For good reason too, because if there’s one thing that Andor is really suggesting, it’s that Luthen and his dream of rebellion made the galaxy much worse. The Empire were reacting to the rebels’ actions, something that may not have occurred if Luthen hadn’t used such harsh methods. The way that Luthen keeps his plans so close to his chest means that Mon can never fully trust the man
Mark: and yet isn’t this the same with Luthen as well, Mon never really reveals what she is doing? They are fighting for the same cause, yet both can’t afford to trust the other – a debate for another time perhaps!
Kat: It’s through suspicion though that she manages to survive and keep her secrets safe, and much of the time her suspicion is actually warranted. Her driver is an informant for the ISB, her fellow senators have ulterior motives of their own, and Mon has to keep up different acts to fool everybody. She is incredibly strong to be able to repeat this charade day after day, maintaining the lies she’s told. However, nobody can be that strong all of the time, and this is when we finally get to see Mon’s emotions.
When she is alone and not having to put on a façade, Mon is a wreck. She breaks down crying quietly to herself, unbottling the emotions she constantly suppresses. Every burden, worry, and anxiety comes out and Mon seems so helpless. There is no one she can relate to openly and even her own family are not supportive. Which brings us to Perrin. Her husband is truly the worst. Apolitical and wholly immersed in his own world, as long as he’s got the riches and respect he wants, Perrin couldn’t care less for the rest of the galaxy. He is Mon’s antithesis.
Mark: This may be the point that we see the bittersweet truth of Mon’s mask. It keeps people at a distance to protect herself, and ultimately to protect the safety of the future galaxy. Yet in doing so, she has been matched with someone who has common ground with the masked version of Mon as opposed to the true Mon. Having someone to confide in, to bounce ideas off, to share worries with would have been a huge help to Mon, yet she has had the exact sort of person who would happily allow Palpatine take control if they can do what they want. It would be very intriguing to see if Mon had any say in who she was arranged to, or if she was once like her husband but saw what the galaxy had become and decided to take action.
What is even more worrying is the child the two share, for Leida also sees the mask that her mother wears, which keeps them at a distance from each other. It’s heartbreaking to watch as Leida is far closer to her father and echoes his beliefs rather than Mon’s. It’s the ultimate sacrifice that Mon has to make, and you can see that Leida hates her for it. She will never know (or even understand because of her father’s influence) what Mon is trying to do for her and everyone else in the galaxy. It’s a thankless task for Mon and further shows just how cut off she is from everyone, including her own daughter. The mask she wears is the bane of her existence, but the only thing that keeps her and her family safe.
Kat: It’s possibly one of the most selfless acts in all of Star Wars. Mon has given up every chance for personal happiness, sacrificing everything for the good of the galaxy. She’s willing to stand by as her relationship with Perrin deteriorates. She has to watch Leida defy her, rebelliously throwing herself into the Chandrilan customs Mon hates, and ultimately knowing that her daughter is going to end up just like her – having to wear a mask to uphold a loveless marriage. Mon has given her heart and soul to the Rebellion, and there is no room for anything else than utmost loyalty to the cause.
Strength. Selflessness. Devotion. Mon Mothma epitomises these facets and we watch her life crumble around her as the Rebellion rises up. This isn’t a character who is emotionless. This is a character who is so full of emotion that she has to hold it tightly together otherwise the Rebellion will never take flight. These are the hallmarks of a great leader in the making because Mon doesn’t give up. There are times in Andor where Mon breaks down and it’s possible to see that perhaps she would want to relinquish this responsibility, so she could be a loving mother or to escape her marriage, yet Mon perseveres.
Mark: Strength. Selflessness. Devotion. Three words that can sum up Mon, but that can also sum up Palpatine. The reason Mon has to give up so much, to sacrifice everything is because that is what Palpatine has done. He has devoted himself to the Sith and their teachings, being patient, just like Mon. From his point of view, he is being selfless to try and bring order to an otherwise chaotic galaxy. This mirror imaging of the two leaders I absolutely adore. They are both fighting for a galaxy but rather than fighting overpower that they directly want, they’re fighting over ideology.
Is control or freedom better? Can sentient beings be trusted to do the right thing? Mon obviously believes they are, even when faced with how her husband is, how the politicians act around her, even how her own daughter is acting. It’s this sort of political battling that I think was sorely missing from the Prequel Trilogy. Its focus had to be on other areas for the story it was looking to tell, but the political machinations that exist in this time period are just so ripe for exploring. We are not talking about two completely opposite individuals, we are talking about two very dedicated politicians, both after a similar result. Mon plays the political game all around her, just as Palpatine has been doing for decades. I’d love to see these two pitted against each other in a debate!
Kat: Interestingly this brings us perfectly to Padmé Amidala. Was there anyone else better than wearing a mask than the Queen of Naboo? Not only did Padmé have to wear a physical mask of paint during her reign, but she also has to be someone completely different. Moving onto the senate, she then wore a political mask, even if she did not agree with her fellow senators. And finally, she wore a mask in front of the Jedi, keeping her relationship with Anakin secret for many years. Perhaps this is one of the reasons Padmé trusted Mon Mothma so much. She saw a kindred spirit and realised that this was a person who could one day revolt against Palpatine.
Mark: That’s an incredible point. Mon did have someone to confide in, yet we are seeing more of the fallout to Anakin falling to the Dark Side. Not only did it spell the ruin of the Jedi, not only did it see the powers of the senate gone, not only did it see the death of Amidala, but it also put the hope of the galaxy on a knife edge. Without the support of Padmé, at any point Mon could have slipped and decided it wasn’t worth it. For although Luke is crucial to saving the galaxy, so is Leia and the Rebellion, which couldn’t have possibly happened without Mon’s sacrifice. The role Anakin plays in every aspect of the galaxy is astounding and it’s great to see just how far reaching it is, even now, years after he was turned.
Kat: While the partisan groups led by people like Saw Gerrera, and the ragtag teams of rebels brought together by Luthen, started the fight against the Empire, the Rebellion would not have existed without Mon Mothma and her beliefs, instilled into her by Padmé. Liberty died the day Palpatine turned Anakin and took control of the senate, forming the Empire. Yet it lived on in the people Padmé loved and cared for, including her children – and Mon. Mon’s sacrifices are what bring the Rebellion together into a force that will eventually topple the Empire. It’s not hate that destroys the Empire. It’s love, the most selfless and devoted emotion of them all. The love of freedom, liberty, and peace. And if you ask me, that’s what a reckoning sounds like.
Mark: If you think of all these intricacies, if someone had said Disney were going to do a series about Mon Mothma, I can imagine what the reaction would have been. Yet now we have been able to actually see it, to have Andor act as a vessel, a catalyst for it, I can’t help but think that the story of Mon has become something greater than can be contained in just Andor.
Kat: Especially if you consider that Mon’s story does not end with the Rebellion winning the war. She goes on to become Chancellor of the senate, leading the galaxy in the wake of Palpatine. Sitting in the very position that the Emperor once did. Mon is not only sacrificing herself during the time of Andor, but she also gives up her entire lifetime to the galaxy. Once she took on the mantle of rebellion, it never left, and in Bloodline by Claudia Gray, it’s alluded to that Mon ultimately lived and died in service to the freedom and betterment of the galaxy. While we celebrate the achievements of Luke, Leia, and Han, at the beating heart of it all was Mon Mothma. She is one of the greatest women in the Star Wars universe.
