Luthen Rael

Luthen Rael is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård in the Disney+ television series Andor. Introduced in the series' second episode, Luthen is a spymaster for the Axis Network, a clandestine faction that works to unite several conflicting factions into one rebel group in an attempt to restore the Galactic Republic and destroy the Galactic Empire. He recruits series protagonist Cassian Andor into the rebellion by including him on a team to rob an Imperial vault on Aldhani. He is also seen associating with Senator Mon Mothma, who secretly funds his operation, and extremist anti-Imperial partisan Saw Gerrera.

Publicly, Luthen poses as an antiques dealer on Coruscant with his partner and associate Kleya Marki. Throughout the show, he is known to the Empire as the mysterious Axis and is hunted down by ISB supervisor Dedra Meero. Later episodes reveal his past as an Imperial army trooper and his real name to be Lear, showing how he deserted the Empire and rescued Marki, a young war orphan, in the process.