Andor Makes It Clear That Palpatine is Star Wars' Most Dangerous Villain
Emperor Palpatine, ever since his appearance on screen, was, without doubt, the most famous and imposing villain in the whole Star Wars universe.
Every subsequent big bad was measured through comparison with Palpatine, and he was even brought back from the dead for The Rise of Skywalker, in what seemed to be a last-minute decision intended to salvage the story (and before that in the Dark Empire comic book for the old Star Wars Extended Universe).
And even before stepping from his shuttle in Episode VI, Palpatine managed to impress audience as a true menace, despite only briefly appearing as a holographic image with a minimum of lines, just through his off-screen presence, which impacted thoughts and actions of other characters.
Most notably, Darth Vader, despite his seemingly implacable power, lived in fear and awe of the Emperor.
And Emperor Palpatine's presence in Andor is similar to that.
He does not appear on the screen to work his villainy directly. Indeed, what the protagonists are doing so far is completely beneath his notice. But his shadow covers everything.
In Episode 6 Mon Mothma is giving a speech in the Imperial Senate – and no one is listening. More than that, the Emperor is not even attending the Senate, and neither do most of the senators. What Mothma and any other members of the opposition are trying to do is pointless. Just like Palpatine told Master Windu in The Revenge of the Sith, he IS the Senate, and in his absence whatever still bears the Senate's name is merely a powerless rump body.
Likewise, in Episode 10 Palpatine's unlimited power is clear.
Mon Mothma meets with Davo Sculdun, a wealthy, thug-like banker during that episode. And Davo isn't pleased with Palpatine. Not that the new restrictions impact Sculdun personally, or that he is morally opposed to them, but he doesn't like how Palpatine had passed the new measures without the help of the Senate, and without even pretending to include the Senate.
And as Andor progresses, not only it becomes more and more clear that Palpatine alone holds all the power, with anyone else enjoying only as much authority as he deigns to bestow upon them, it also becomes more and more clear that all this power is turned towards deeply malevolent ends.
Yes, the Galactic Empire was always villainous, but more often than not it was just a sort of generic villainy – you know, obliterating everyone who does not like to be under your heel. But in Andor we repeatedly see how bleak the life under the Empire's heel can really be.