Rhasiv

"He's lucky. He'll pass peacefully, which is more than I can say for the rest of us. Another week like this, and you'll be begging for what he's getting."

―Rhasiv, while euthanizing Ulaf^[2]

Doctor Rhasiv was a human male who was an inmate and medical technician at an Imperial Prison Complex on the moon Narkina 5. In 5 BBY, the doctor learned that the Imperials had killed an entire unit on level two after the prisoners had ascertained that no one was to be released at the end of their sentence and instead transferred to another prison. The next day, he was summoned to level five of the prison to treat the prisoner Ulaf.

While examining Ulaf, Rhasiv spoke with the Unit Five-Two-D manager, Kino Loy, and the prisoner Cassian Andor. He informed the pair that Ulaf had suffered a massive stroke, meaning nothing could be done for him. After the doctor euthanized Ulaf, the other two prisoners questioned Rhasiv about what had happened on level two. Having made sure the guard watching them was out of the room, Rhasiv explained what had happened to Andor and Loy before the guard returned and forced them to leave. The next day, Andor and Loy led an uprising and took control of the entire prison, with Rhasiv among the crowds of prisoners who rushed to escape from the facility.

Biography

An endless sentence

"Haven't seen you for a while."
"I haven't gone anywhere."

―Kino Loy and Rhasiv^[2]

Doctor Rhasiv was a human male imprisoned by the Galactic Empire in an Imperial Prison Complex^[1] on the moon^[3] Narkina 5.^[2] While most inmates were tasked with constructing complex Imperial machinery^[4] for use in the Death Star superweapon,^[5] Rhasiv worked as a medical technician^[2] and was tasked with keeping the prison population healthy and productive. In return, he received the privilege of some small freedoms compared to the other prisoners^[1] and was one of the few inmates allowed to move between levels, allowing him to carry valuable information.^[6] During his sentence, he encountered Kino Loy, the shift manager of Unit Five-Two-D, and treated the prisoner Ulaf from Loy's unit.^[2]

In 5 BBY,^[7] the Imperials made a mistake and moved a prisoner "released" from Level 4 into unit two-five on Level 2. Once the prisoners there realized that they were going to be transferred to another prison rather than being released at the end of their sentence, they began causing trouble, prompting the Imperials to kill all one hundred men to keep them quiet. Rhasiv learned of the incident and the reason it occurred, concluding that there was no way out of the prison now.^[2]

A grim mercy

"What, you can't save him?"
"There's nothing to save. He's had a massive stroke."
"What are you doing?"
"I can't help him. I can't help anyone."

―Loy and Rhasiv discuss Ulaf^[2]

The next day, Ulaf suffered a massive stroke while crossing the skybridge from the work floor back to his cell. Loy then had the night shift's manager, Zinska, request a medical technician to help the ailing Ulaf. Rhasiv was escorted through room five-two on level five of the prison by a guard while the night shift in the room stood on program. On the skybridge, the guard waited at the end of the room, leaving the doctor alone with Ulaf, Loy, and the prisoner Cassian Andor. Loy greeted Rhasiv and gave Ulaf's name, though the doctor revealed he was already familiar with the patient as he had Loy hold^[2] an oxygen mask^[8] over Ulaf's nose and mouth.^[2]

Loy informed Rhasiv that he only needed to get Ulaf up and about, as the prisoner only had forty shifts left in his sentence, but as he used^[2] a scanner on Ulaf's head and then a light pen on his eye,^[8] the doctor was unable to get Ulaf to respond. Having diagnosed the stroke, Rhasiv informed Loy and Andor that there was nothing left of Ulaf to save, removing the mask from the prisoner's face. He then pulled out an^[2] injector^[8] from his kit and requested a body bag and a trolley from the guard. As he prepared to give Ulaf a lethal injection, he told Loy and Andor that Ulaf was lucky to have such a peaceful death and that soon, they and the other prisoners would be begging for a similar end.^[2]

Following the doctor's orders to hold Ulaf's shoulders and legs, Andor questioned what the doctor meant and what had happened on level two, but Rhasiv ignored him and merely told Loy to keep his men in line. Once Rhasiv administered the injection, Ulaf convulsed and then died,^[2] with Rhasiv staring grimly at the dead patient.^[8] The doctor began packing up, but Loy repeated Andor's question about level two rather than follow the doctor's advice.^[2]

Revelations and uprising

"No one's getting out, are they?"
"Not now. Not after this. At least your friend is free."

―Andor and Rhasiv^[2]

Rhasiv had the guard leave to look for the bag and trolley, and once the Imperial was out of the room, Rhasiv whispered to Andor and Loy, revealing what had happened. As he finished the story, the guard yelled at them, questioning if Loy and Andor were still needed on the bridge. Rhasiv responded that the pair were just leaving, but when the other two prisoners continued asking the doctor, Rhasiv confirmed that no one would be released. The guard then marched over and forced Andor and Loy to leave.^[2] When the guard escorted Ulaf's bagged body out through room five-two, Rhasiv accompanied them.^[9]

After hearing Rhasiv's revelation, Andor and Loy returned to their cells and told the rest of their shift the situation they were all now in. Believing it was their only way out, the group planned an uprising to escape. During their next shift, Unit Five-Two-D managed to kill their guards and take control of the entire prison, switching off all of the electrified floors that were used to control the prisoners.^[9]

Loy announced that the prison was under their control over the comms system, urging the other units to rise up and escape with them. During the announcement, Rhasiv and other prisoners began rushing through the prison corridors to reach level eight, with the doctor stopping and looking around,^[9] stunned,^[10] as Loy began a chant of "one way out." From level eight, prisoners leaped down into the waters around the facility to swim for freedom, with at least some making it safely to land.^[9]

Personality and traits

"Look at me, brother."
"His name is Ulaf."
"I don't wanna to know his name."

―Rhasiv and Andor^[2]

The relative privilege of Rhasiv's role within the prison was not enough to prevent him from growing weary of the various hardships he endured or witnessed others enduring.^[1] The knowledge that those he treated would have to return to grueling work despite their illnesses led to him avoid forming relationships with any of his patients^[6] and rather than counting down the days left on his sentence like other inmates, he began to see death as a viable means of escape.^[1] While treating Ulaf, Rhasiv referred to him only as "brother," not wanting to know his name, believing that he could not save the patient, or indeed any of the prisoners. Rhasiv had light skin, blue eyes, and thinning brown hair.^[2]

Equipment

"He'll feel nothing."
[Ulaf chokes and exhales]
"He's passed."

―Rhasiv uses the injector in his kit to euthanize Ulaf^[2]

Rhasiv wore white prison scrubs with blue markings and carried^[2] a medical kit in a white hard-shell case.^[8] The kit contained two^[2] oxygen masks, a light pen, a scanner, and an injector,^[8] with several doses of chemicals that could induce death. Rhasiv was kept barefoot like the other inmates.^[2]

Behind the scenes

Rhasiv was portrayed by Adrian Rawlins in the Disney+ television series Andor, first appearing in the first season's ninth episode, "Nobody's Listening!,"^[2] which aired on November 2, 2022.^[11] The character's name is not spoken in the episode, but is listed in the credits.^[2] The Narkina 5 prison sequences were the final scenes shot for the first season of Andor^[12] and were filmed at Pinewood Studios over a period of seven weeks around August.^[13]