Syril Karn was a human male civil servant who was employed by the Imperial Bureau of Standards of the Galactic Empire, and had prior been a senior law enforcement officer for the Preox-Morlana as a Deputy Inspector during the Imperial Era. Due to an incident on Ferrix, Karn was stripped of his duties and left utterly disgraced by his superiors and returned home to his mother Eedy Karn on Coruscant.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Syril Karn was a human male born to a strict mother, Eedy Karn. He also had an uncle named Harlo, who possessed a great deal of influence^[11] in the politics of^[1] the Core Worlds planet^[12] Coruscant, where Karn grew up.^[1] From 22 BBY to 19 BBY, while Karn was in his late teens and early twenties,^[13] the galaxy was faced with the Clone Wars, during which the Galactic Republic fielded an army of clone troopers and was transformed into the Galactic Empire.^[14] Karn owned several clone trooper action figures that he left in his childhood bedroom^[1] when he left his house to join the Pre-Mor Enforcement, the tactical forces of the corporate conglomerate Preox-Morlana in the Morlani system. After being hired, Karn moved to Morlana One where the Corporate Security Headquarters was located.^[3]

He never invited his mother to see him, instead vaguely letting her know that she could visit any time, an open invitation which she considered to be no invitation at all. She never actually visited him and they did not see each other again until^[11] 5 BBY.^[15] Karn took his duties more seriously than most of his fellow Pre-Mor employees, eventually rising to the rank of Deputy Inspector, at which point he had his uniform tailored to fit tighter and added pockets and piping for a more decorative outfit.^[3]

Murders on Morlana[]

As Deputy Inspector,^[3] the thirty-five year old^[5] Karn took charge on a case where two Pre-Mor security officers had been killed outside the Leisure Zone on the planet Morlana One. Karn prepared an extensive report for his immediate superior, including the fact that an employee at the brothel the two officers were last seen alive at had seen a man arguing with them.^[3]

Chief Inspector Hyne, who was about to leave for an Imperial Regional Command security meeting, was dismissive of Karn's eagerness to investigate the case, explaining that one of the deceased was a known troublemaker and both of them were in a restricted area violating multiple Enforcement rules. Instead, he instructed Karn to prepare an accident report stating the officers had died heroically. After Hyne's departure, however, Karn continued to investigate the murders. He first identified a rogue vessel departing Morlana One, ordering the comms officer in charge to filter the entire night in order to find where the vessel traveled to. He also called all witnesses to the incident to report on the Security headquarters, with one of the hostesses indeed coming in and informing him that the man the corpos were arguing with was asking about a woman from Kenari.^[3]

After discovering that the suspect's vessel had traveled to Ferrix, Karn had his officers attempt to identify anyone from Kenari on the planet. He was frustrated to learn the last Imperial census was six years prior, and ordered his officers to flood the communications channels to Ferrix with an alert requesting information on a suspect from Kenari. After his officers received a tip from a local named Timm Karlo naming the suspect as Cassian Jeron Andor, Karn's officers were able to find a picture of Andor and identify him in their records. Karn then had the girl at the brothel come in to confirm the man's identity, finally confirming that Andor was indeed most likely the perpetrator of the crime.^[16]

Hunting Cassian Andor[]

Having identified Andor as his target, Karn summoned Sergeant Linus Mosk who commanded a Pre-Mor security Inspection team. Karn was impressed by Mosk's enthusiasm to capture Andor, finally finding a kindred spirit in someone who took their duties as seriously as he did. Mosk recommended the two of them lead a twelve-man team to capture Andor on Ferrix promptly. Karn agreed and the two later departed on a Preox-Morlana personnel carrier with twelve men to Ferrix to arrest Andor.^[16]

During the trip to Ferrix, Mosk briefed his team on the situation, warning that Andor was likely armed and dangerous. He then allowed Karn a moment to speak to the men, with Karn delivering an awkward and uninspired speech to the team. Upon arrival at Ferrix, Mosk and Karn attempted to deliver the arrest warrant to Andor's adoptive mother, Maarva Andor, but upon discovering Andor was not present the Pre-Mor soldiers ransacked Maarva's home in an attempt to coerce her into giving up Andor's location. This, however, upset many locals, some of whom were friends of Maarva and others who were simply upset to see security officers mistreating an old woman. Initially unbothered by the Pre-Mor corpos, the town quickly began to turn on them, sabotaging them by ringing alarms to warn of their location and taking down street signs to prevent the soldiers from knowing where they were.^[7]

Eventually Andor and his new compatriot Luthen Rael were found, but the pair were able to escape as Rael had rigged the warehouse they met in with explosive charges, injuring numerous Pre-Mor soldiers in the process. When Karn and Mosk heard reports that Andor and Rael were headed their way, they and the remaining Pre-Mor security officers attempted to set an ambush for the two, setting up in positions along the street they expected them to come down from.^[7]

As Karn got into position, however, he was instead ambushed and disarmed by Andor and Rael who emerged from a hidden tunnel, and when threatened quickly gave up the number of corpos in the Pre-Mor security team. Despite Rael's urging to kill Karn, Andor instead gagged and hogtied him, taking his weapon and leaving him in a nearby home. Karn was soon discovered by another Pre-Mor security officer and released. As he headed outside, Karn saw a speeder departing and, assuming it was Andor and Rael, called all Pre-Mor soldiers to begin firing on the speeder. After disabling the speeder Karn was shocked to see a second speeder carrying Rael and Andor to safety, while the first speeder, rigged with explosives, detonated, killing and injuring more Pre-Mor security officers. Stunned by the loss of so many men and in shock at the situation, Karn simply stared blankly as Sergeant Mosk attempted to gather his men for evacuation. Mosk urged Karn to evacuate with him and with Karn unresponsive Mosk screamed into his face to wake him up. When even this did not work, Mosk was forced to physically grab Karn and drag him to the evacuation craft.^[7]

Imperial takeover[]

Karn, Mosk, and Hyne were summoned to a meeting with ISB Supervisor Lieutenant Blevin, who was the Imperial Security Bureau officer tasked with overseeing the sector the Morlani system was located in. Blevin heavily berated the three for their incompetence, stating that out of all the disastrous fiascos he'd seen corporate security involved in this incident was by far the worse. He specifically singled out Karn, stating that Karn should at least take comfort in the fact he would not be replaced because all corporate security in the Morlani system was being dissolved and the Empire would now assume direct control over the system. Karn was then fired and returned home to his mother in disgrace. His mother at first slapped him before embracing him crying and inviting him back into her home.^[6]

A new beginning on Coruscant[]

Traumatized by the Ferrix disaster, Karn returned to living in his childhood bedroom, with no hope for the future and no desire for a new start. He refused his mother's offers to ask his uncle Harlo for help in finding him a new job, and instead spent his time staring at a hologram of the fugitive Cassian Andor.^[11] Despite his reluctance, his mother still spoke to Harlo, who was able to offer Karn a job in the Imperial Bureau of Standards. Three days after returning to Coruscant, Karn visited the bureau and accepted an opening for^[8] a mediocre office job^[4] in the Fuel Purity department.^[8]

Assisting the ISB[]

During his first week in the Fuel Purity department, Karn submitted six reports regarding Cassian Andor, naming him as a missing fuel specialist, an unresponsive energy engineer, and a fuel purity field officer suspected of forging Imperial reports. The false reports caught the attention of ISB Supervisor Dedra Meero, who called in Karn for interrogation regarding the reports. Karn explained that he was attempting to use his limited power to track down the man responsible for the disaster on Ferrix and clear his name, a revelation which led the ISB in also identifying Andor as a member of the heist on Aldhani and an accomplice of the "Axis," a suspected connection to multiple rebel cells across the galaxy. Karn was allowed to read former supervisor Blevin's full report and submit his corrections.^[10]

Karn found many inconsistencies in the signed Blevin's report, later trying to more accurately identify the "Axis." In the end, Karn offered Meero cooperation as opposed to her suggestion to stop sending false reports about Andor, finding his usefulness to the Empire in the search for a criminal and a murderer, but Meero rejected this offer, suggesting that he forget about their meeting.^[10]

Promotion and a new meeting with Meero[]

Soon after the interrogation, Karn returned to the Bureau of Standards, where he received a promotion from his boss for "a service rendered to the Empire." During a conversation with his mother, he was outraged that she had secretly began to spy on him, although she was unhappy with such a reproach from Karn, and framed it as him being ungrateful for all she'd done for him. Karn was not deterred by his addiction to Meero, and sometimes he stopped near the ISB Central Office in the hope of seeing her and continuing their conversation.^[9]

Upon finally meeting Meero, he expressed his sincere gratitude, as well as the revival of his dream of the possibility of justice and beauty in the galaxy, inspired by her. Despite the fact that Meero categorically replied to him that she was not responsible for his promotion and indicated only an attempt to clear his name, Karn was filled with her and saw in her a person capable of reviving his life. Meero warned Karn that he was creating problems for himself by meeting with the ISB supervisor, and threatened him with arrest when he tried to continue their conversation and tried to stop her by grabbing her arm. Karn stopped thoughtfully and slightly smiled after Meero left their place of conversation on her way to the ISB meeting.^[9]

Return to Ferrix[]

Karn was awakened one night by a vidcall from Mosk, who had received a lead on Andor from an old friend with solid connections—Andor's mother had passed away from natural causes. Karn and Mosk concluded that Andor was likely to return to Ferrix for the funeral service, and Karn secretly decided to head there in hopes of finally arresting him. Waiting for his mother to leave their apartment, Karn took some credits from his personal strongbox and prepared to leave Coruscant.^[17]

After chartering a flight off world, Karn met back with Mosk, and the two headed to Ferrix disguised as salvagers. After taking a shuttle ferry to the hotel, they arrived just in time to witness the funeral procession on Rix Road. Karn recognized Meero who was also present on the planet, as the Empire had set its own trap for Andor. Tensions between the Imperials and the townspeople eventually came to a head, and Karn noticed Wilmon Paak arming a bomb and throwing it towards the Imperials. Before the bomb had even reached its targets, Karn had already rushed past the Imperial checkpoint and towards Meero, hoping to save her from the blast, but instead found himself in the epicenter with N-20 Baradium-core thermal detonators exploding all around him. With all his would-be pursuers fighting to survive in the riot, Andor successfully infiltrated the interior of the Imperial base to rescue Bix Caleen, encountering minimal resistance.^[18]

With the escort providing security for Meero killed by Andor during the aforementioned rescue, Meero was nearly overwhelmed by the rioters, dragged to the ground and hit on the head with a brick. Karn immediately sprung into action, grabbing her weapon and posing as a protestor, dragging her to a nearby warehouse, rescuing her. Rattled by the incident, as soon as he closed the door Meero grabbed a tool from a nearby rack and attempted to slit his throat with it, realizing in the last second who he was. Shocked, she asked him where he had come from, with Karn merely saying that he saw her being in trouble. Still shocked, Meero finally thanked him. Karn simply responded there was no need to.^[18]

Behind the scenes[]

Syril Karn is portrayed by Kyle Soller. He first appeared in Andor and was first shown in a LEGO set reveal during Celebration Anaheim.^[20] His live-action depiction was first showcased in promotional images released by The Walt Disney Company on Getty Images.^[21]

In an effort to give the show's heroes and villains real complexities,^[22] writer^[3] Tony Gilroy purposely made Karn hard not to root for.^[22] At the writers' room in November, 2019, Gilroy discussed his detailed and extensive idea of what he wanted to with Karn. Writer Beau Willimon said Karn was fun to discuss and write about because of Karn's relationship with his mom.^[23] Karn's Pre-Mor uniform was meant to hint at his fussy nature and desire for order.^[24] When Soller discussed the role with Gilroy, he wanted to know where Karn ended up because he thought the character was complicated enough to go good or bad. Gilroy said he did not know, but Soller figured that he was trusting him to lead Karn to where he felt going with him. Soller also thought that Gilroy allowed Karn to "breathe within this unknown," and Karn lacked the development or emotional acuity to achieve what he wants.^[25] Soller was captivated by the moral ambiguity Gilroy included in the series.^[26] He believed that Karn is the hero of his journey because he does what he thinks is the right thing.^[22] He liked how Karn was three-dimensional and had a lot of gray area, speculating that the character could stay with the Empire or defect to the rebellion.^[27]

Soller saw Karn as methodical and meticulous, and his OCD was used to show that he would try to structure and control his environment. The actor thought that Karn's OCD was a perfect match because detectives with OCD are more effective at their job.^[19] Soller always explored that Karn did not know where the lines are, and he had a deep emotional well of anxiety and frustration hiding below his polished exterior. Soller believed Karn did not really take in others' lives or thoughts, only properly doing this when he gave a speech to^[25] members of Pre-Mor Enforcement in the episode "Reckoning."^[7] Soller and Eedy Karn's actress, Kathryn Hunter, worked on a story explaining Karn's father's absence. Both actors figured that he left early on in a horrible and acrimonious way, which was a launchpad for how Eedy parents Karn. Soller believed that Eedy's anger, grief, disappointment, and frustration with him leaving filtered into Karn.^[25] Soller had all of his costumes tailored for him.^[19]

Scenes on Ferrix were filmed in an intricate set in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire.^[26] According to Tony Gilroy, everything on Ferrix was filmed first.^[28] When Soller first met Denise Gough, Dedra Meero's actress, and they filmed their scenes together, the actors tried to match each others' level of ambition and intensity. Soller felt that Karn did not feel seen and recognized until he met Meero.^[22] Director Toby Haynes wanted Karn to be someone the audience could empathize with as he believes the scariest villain is one who thinks they are doing the right thing. He figured that showing that in three dimensions would make the audience think about what it takes to be a good guy.^[29]

Appearances[]

• Andor — "Kassa" (First appearance)
• Andor — "That Would Be Me"
• Andor — "Reckoning"
• Andor — "Aldhani"
• Andor — "The Axe Forgets"
• Andor — "Announcement"
• Andor — "Narkina 5"
• Andor — "Nobody's Listening!"
• Andor — "Daughter of Ferrix"
• Andor — "Rix Road"
• Andor Season Two

Non-canon appearances[]

• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (DLC)

Sources[]

Non-canon sources[]

• SWCA 2022: 7 Things We Learned from the Summer of LEGO Star Wars Panel on StarWars.com (backup link)

Notes and references[]