Why the Ring of Kafrene is one of Star Wars’ most important locations

The Andor Season 2 finale mentions somewhere called Kafrene, a place that holds enormous significance not just in Rogue One, but in all of Star Wars.

Andor is officially over, with its finale setting Cassian on a course to Kafrene and the heroic (and tragic) events of Rogue One.

While the Star Wars series is grittier and more grown-up than anything else in the franchise, it hasn’t shied away from exploring the universe; we’ve been to Coruscant, Morlana One, Niamos, Kenari, and much more.

They’re all important in their own way (for example, Yavin IV becomes the base of the Rebel Alliance), but Kafrene holds special significance, as it sets events in motion that will change the galaxy far, far away forever.

Where is the Ring of Kafrene?

The Ring of Kafrene is a mining colony in the Kafrene asteroid belt of the Thand sector, acting as a deep-space trading post.

The Thand sector isn’t home to anywhere else you’d know from Star Wars, but Kafrene is a critical junction between the Corellion Trade Spine and the Biox Detour (allowing trade between the likes of Coruscant and Takodana).

While conceived as a mining colony (until the belt’s minerals became too scarce), it became more of a stopover for space-faring travellers… some of whom you wouldn’t want to mess with, such as Zero Company and the near-constant presence of Imperial Stormtroopers.

Why the Ring of Kafrene is so important

Andor may have provided more context, but the Rebel Alliance’s efforts to destroy the Death Star effectively begin on Kafrene.

After the Season 2 finale, we know Lonni Lung was the first person who leaked the development of the Death Star (even though he didn’t know its name), revealing to Luthen Rael that the Emperor’s energy program was a front for a secret superweapon.

However, it’s not until Cassian meets Tivik, a Rebel informant, in Rogue One that the Alliance takes it seriously. Until that point, they’re convinced it could be an elaborate Imperial trap designed to catch the Rebels, but Tivik’s terrified testimony makes it clear that everything Lonni said was true.

“An Imperial pilot, one of the cargo drivers, he defected yesterday. He’s telling people they’re making a weapon. The kyber crystals, that’s what they’re for,” he tells Cassian. “A planet killer! That’s what he called it.”

Without that moment in Rogue One on Kafrene, the Rebels may have never pursued the plans for the Death Star, and the galaxy may have remained under the tyranny of the Empire.