Kenari, the homeworld of Cassian Jeron Andor, formerly known as Kassa, was a planet covered in forests and situated in the Mid Rim Territories of the galaxy.
Located in the Mid Rim, far removed from the attention of the Core Worlds, Kenari was a world abundant with verdant jungles and mineral deposits, possessing a wealth of valuable natural sediments and various elements. However, the exploitation of these resources resulted in a preventable ecological disaster. During the Republic Era, extensive mining operations commenced on Kenari to extract its abundant mineral deposits. This activity ultimately scarred Kenari's surface with enormous, open pit-mines, persisting until the planet's resources were largely depleted. Over the years, various looters also left their mark on Kenari, typically leaving behind devastation. Small groups of orphaned children were left to fend for themselves on the planet. Kenari was generally regarded as an obscure planet, unknown to many.
Mining activities took place on Kenari during the Galactic Republic's rule, until it was assumed that the planet's resources had been completely exhausted. Subsequently, the Republic declared the planet off-limits. Before the Clone Wars, a community of children, the sole survivors on the contaminated planet, established a life for themselves within Kenari's jungles. Among them was a boy named Kassa, who later claimed to have been a revolutionary fighter since the age of six, and his sister, Kerri.
Kassa, along with other children from his tribe, attempted to investigate the wreckage of a Republic transpo corsair that had crashed near their village. The leader of the tribe was killed by a survivor of the crash—a Republic officer bearing what would later be identified as the symbol of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Filled with anger and sorrow, Kassa entered the wreckage and began destroying its interior. However, Maarva and Clem Andor, scavengers, forcibly removed him upon discovering that a Republic frigate had entered the system and was approaching to investigate the crash. To protect Kassa from capture or death by the Republic, the couple adopted him, and he eventually adopted the name Cassian Jeron Andor.
Despite the Republic's belief that Kenari was devoid of resources, the Galactic Empire maintained a presence there until a significant mining incident, presumed to have killed all those present. Following the disaster, the planet was abandoned and labeled as toxic. Placed under Imperial Prohibition, landing on the planet's surface was forbidden. Cassian initiated a search for his lost sister, hoping she had survived.
Following the devastation left by looters, Kenari was exclusively inhabited by small tribes of orphaned children. One such tribe resided in a village close to water. Many of them were armed with a blowgun, bow, or a staff. This tribe employed black paint and explored the wilderness to survey the ruins of the mining operations.
The first glimpse of Kenari was in the teaser trailer for the Andor television series, released on May 26, 2022. Its initial appearance was in "Kassa," the series' premiere episode, which aired on September 21, 2022.
In the anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Cassian Andor's statement about being in the fight since the age of six served as the inspiration for Andor writer Tony Gilroy to conceive the planet Kenari. He showed great interest in developing the origin story of the children residing on the planet. He understood the reason for the mining operation's abandonment but chose not to delve into it. An elaborate explanation existed initially, but it was removed for various reasons. For the episode "Reckoning," he conceived the idea of young Andor leaving Kenari concurrently with adult Andor's departure from Ferrix.
To accurately portray the Kenari tribe's situation, costume designer Michael Wilkinson envisioned the children crafting their clothing from natural elements, as well as repurposing remnants and discarded uniforms left behind by their parents. The costumes were designed to resemble a primitive fusion of work attire customized with feathers, beads, trinkets, and elements scavenged from the urban environment. These details were intended to create a blend of modern industry with organic jungle textures. Composer Nicholas Britell incorporated rustling leaves into the Kenari recording to allow the audience to perceive the forest within the music, evoking both wistfulness and a sense of loss and memory.