Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Andor Episode 5.Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) was introduced in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as an intelligence operative and assassin, and in the Disney+ spin-off series Andor we see his craft on display. Set prior to the events of the film, the Cassian we meet on the show is green, less polished, and not yet part of the Rebellion. That doesn’t mean he lacks the skills that will eventually turn him into a hero of the Alliance.

From the pilot episode itself, it’s obvious that Cassian has a knack for gathering information. Despite being separated from his sister for decades and being lightyears away from his home system Kenari, Cassian gets close enough to a Kenari woman’s most recent location on Morlana One. Believing her to be his sister, he’s quick to interrogate her boss but doesn’t get enough information out of her. We don’t see it, but this implies that Cassian is resourceful, a vital talent needed for his future work. We see that he has a network on Ferrix who are willing to support him, be it his miner friend Brasso (Joplin Sibtain) who creates alibis for his absence, Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), who sticks her neck out to help Cassian escape Ferrix, or even his droid B2EMO.

Cassian Already Has a Number of Skills That Will Help Him

Cassian also uses his resourcefulness to inveigle his way onto ships and steal items from the Imperials—but because he’s not a big-picture guy yet, Cassian understands the monetary value but not necessarily the political significance of his thefts. He steals an Imperial N-S9 Starpath Unit which sets off a chain of events whose repercussions aren’t apparent yet. Cassian is able to do this because he’s smart enough to know when to be discreet. When he’s unceremoniously dumped by Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) and her infiltration team on Aldhani, Cassian knows to stay quiet and absorb the plan they’re sharing with him. He knows he’s on shaky ground with this team, so Cassian keeps his own counsel for an entire episode before unleashing just what a valuable asset he is.

Cassian has a calm temperament—it was apparent in Rogue One and is also part of his characterization on Andor. Perhaps it’s because he’s a quick study and knowledgeable about tactics, so he can approach missions with an ease that others don’t have. This is especially evident in the fifth episode, “The Axe Forgets.” Vel and her team have been memorizing and practicing their plan for months, and Cassian learns all of it within a few days. Whenever Vel and company quiz him about the plan Cassian has the answers at the ready. He knows the Imperial garrison that they’re going to infiltrate like the back of his hand in such a short time; it’s impressive even to the mistrusting group of rebels.

One can’t blame Vel and her team for distrusting Cassian’s motivations, so it’s natural for them to question him at every turn, but it turns out, Cassian is actually the missing piece in their puzzle. The group had planned to escape the garrison in a Max-7 Rono freighter but didn’t know the specifics of how to fly it, which would have rendered the whole plan moot. But Cassian does—that’s what happens when you go around stealing Imperial ships in your spare team. Good thing he joined the team!

Cassian Is Observant and a Stronger Spy Than He Lets On

But that’s not the only time Cassian’s tactical talents shine. After spending an episode acclimatizing to the group, Cassian is much more vocal about how to improve the Aldhani insurrection plan in Episode 5. When Taramyn Barcona (Gershwyn Eustache Jnr) was leading the drills with Arvel Skeen (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Karis Nemik (Alex Lawther), and Andor, Cassian points out that Taramyn and Arvel should swap places in the formation so that their weapons are on the outside. To Vel and Taramyn’s surprise, Cassian already knew each individual’s dominant hands. He may just have saved his team from losing their limbs in friendly fire. Cassian is observant where others aren’t, which gives him a tactical advantage as a spy.

As seen in the pilot episode and in Episode 3, “Reckoning”, Cassian is more than handy with a blaster. That does align with the darker aspects of Cassian’s intelligence job. He can’t afford to leave any loose threads and while Cassian is morally conflicted about murder, he also knows how to compartmentalize these actions. The one upside of Cassian’s morally gray characterization is that he can blend in with the bad guys. We saw how easily he fit into his Imperial disguise in Rogue One, and in another Easter Egg from the film, Cassian dresses as an Imperial officer alongside Taramyn and the rest of the Aldhani infiltration team on the show as well.

Characters on Andor have mentioned several times that Cassian is a skilled pilot. Cassian’s flying skills, of course, are a throwback to Rogue One, and though we haven’t seen them in action on the show, that is likely to change at some point during the series’ run. These are the tangible skills that are essential to Cassian’s eventual role with the Alliance intelligence.

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We Have Yet to See Cassian Fully Transform Into a Spy

Cassian is, however, still a little rough around the edges. His skills aren’t quite as sophisticated as in Rogue One, which is understandable, since, on Andor, Cassian isn’t a spy yet. He’s a mercenary, and we’re unsure of his training under his adoptive mother Maarva Andor (Fiona Shaw). In the pilot episode, Cassian wasn’t discreet about his questioning in the brothel and that piqued the curiosity of the Pre-Mor security officers who attacked him. Nor was he cautious in his dealings with Bix who he had revealed his Kenari origins to. That led to the pickle Cassian ended up in with Timm Karlo (James McArdle) becoming suspicious of his behavior and alerting the Pre-Mor Security Inspection team of his presence. He doesn’t know how to blend in that well as yet. Cassian’s reticence allows him to observe but also marks him as an outsider. It isn’t surprising, then, that an already suspicious co-conspirator like Skeen almost kills Cassian on Aldhani on the eve of their insurrection.

But in a handful of episodes, Cassian has already become more confident in demonstrating his skills. And as we saw in Episode 5, he’s most comfortable when he’s on a mission, dangerous or otherwise, and able to flex his skills. Andor is paving the way for the more assured and astute Cassian we will see in Rogue One, but he’s getting there, one episode at a time.