Andor changed the game of Star Wars. In the middle of a strange era for the franchise, where anything seemed possible after the sequel trilogy, Tony Gilroy made a twisting spy thriller focused on the story of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he became one of the first operatives for the Rebellion. It became an instant hit, garnering Emmy nominations and instantly launching Star Wars TV into a new era. One of the greatest strengths of Andor is how grounded it seems. It may have taken place a long time ago in a galaxy far away, but the story was absolutely timeless. However, a new book has revealed that initially, one of the biggest parts of Cassian’s life was very alien. In fact, it could have involved a fan-favorite alien race. The blue-skinned alien described sounds a lot like a Chiss like Thrawn. | LucasfilmThe Art of Andor, a new Star Wars book diving deep into the making of the series, expands on the initial pitch for the series from Jared Bush. In his series bible for the series from 2018, he describes a beautiful alien woman named Avnee, an intelligence broker on the planet Okara. According to the book, “Cassian and Avnee have a history that was probably romantic.” This, of course, didn’t end up on screen. Instead, Cassian had an epic romance with his longtime friend Bix Caleen, who followed him throughout (almost) all of the show. But this alternate choice is certainly interesting, especially when you consider that Avnee is described as a blue-eyed, blue-skinned alien with silver hair. Instead of Avnee, Andor’s love interest in Andor was Bix Caleen. | LucasfilmWhen it comes to blue-skinned aliens in Star Wars, one species springs to mind: the Chiss. The Chiss Ascendancy, an oligarchic nation from the Unknown Regions, is described as having blue skin, dark blue hair, and red eyes. This does sound a little different to Avnee, but perhaps she could be only part Chiss. The most famous Chiss is, of course, Grand Admiral Thrawn, who first appeared in Timothy Zahn’s now-iconic Heir to the Empire trilogy. While those stories are consigned to Star Wars Legends and are therefore not canon, Thrawn himself made his canon debut in Rebels and then his live-action debut in Ahsoka Season 1. Thrawn and the rest of the Chiss were known for their military prowess and skills with strategy — traits that would suit an intel broker personally. We may have ended up with Bix, but her storyline wasn’t universally beloved. She ended the series on a far-off farm planet with a baby we’re led to believe was fathered by Cassian. While it was emotional to see Andor’s legacy live on even after he sacrificed himself for the cause, some fans took issue with how her potential was reduced to just being a mother. Maybe, if his love interest were a whip-smart power player with blue skin, things could have gone differently. We may only have Thrawn as Chiss representation, but it’s interesting to imagine what could have been. Andor is now streaming on Disney+.