What Is The Ring of Kafrene in Andor? Tivik Star Wars Location Explained

Some viewers are wondering what the Ring of Kafrene is since it’s mentioned several times in the Andor Season 2 finale. This location plays a small but significant part in the Star Wars lore and is the starting point for where we first see Cassian in the franchise. While we don’t see Kafrene in the Andor series finale, it does appear in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

What is Kafrene in the Andor Season 2 finale?

Kafrene, or the Ring of Kafrene, is a trading outpost located in the middle of the Kafrene asteroid belt and is where we are first introduced to Cassian Andor and his contact Tivik in Rogue One.

In the Andor series finale, Kafrene is first mentioned by General Davits Draven of the Rebel Alliance when he speaks with Cassian after his impromptu, unauthorized mission to rescue Kleya. He mentions that Tivik, Cassian’s contact in Saw Gerrera’s group, has sent three urgent messages within the span of ten hours from Kafrene. This gives him pause since Saw Gerrera is supposedly in Jedha. Due to the urgency, Cassian wants to be sent there immediately, but he’s still grounded by the rebel leaders for his failure to adhere to proper protocol.

Then in a brief scene later, Draven receives word at mission command that Tivik is still sending urgent messages from Kafrene. He says he won’t talk to anybody unless it’s Cassian, which reminds Draven of how valuable the captain is and that there’s little point in grounding him when time is of the essence. That’s partly why he, along with Mon Mothma, convinces Bail Organa to let Cassian find out what Tivik knows despite him following the rules.

In one of the opening scenes of Rogue One, the Ring of Kafrene trading colony is seen in the Thand sector. It used to be mining colony but was turned into a trading post after discovering that there wasn’t many valuable minerals there. Instead, it became a waystation between Coruscant and Anoat, as well as junction point for other trade routes. As a manmade structure, the deep-space outpost is comprised of numerous sheet-metal shacks, prefab housing, and durasteel platforms.

Star Wars fans who know a lot about the Clone Wars may know Kafrene as the headquarters for a special forces mercenary group called Zero Company. In the Star Wars comics, it’s also where Han Solo traded with an Alaphani for some transponder codes before having to make a hot exit with C-3PO and Chewbacca. The word “Kafrene” is used as the password for Andor stealing the experimental TIE Avenger ship in the first episode of Season 2.