Dylan Hunt is Captain of the High Guard starship Andromeda Ascendent. While on a rescue mission, he realizes that the Systems Commonwealth has been betrayed by one of its member species, the Nietzscheans. In an attempt to save his crew, he takes the ship towards the event horizon of a black hole, where he is frozen in time for three hundred years.
- Abandon Ship: Dylan orders his crew into the escape pods, in order to warn the rest of the Commonwealth, while he slingshots around the black hole to draw off the Nietzscheans.
- Actor Allusion: Harper's first impression of Dylan is that he must be some sort of Greek god
- Ace Pilot: Refractions of Dawn, Andromeda's original pilot.
- Bad Future: Dylan learns from Harper that the Commonwealth is gone. He's absolutely devastated.
- Badass Boast: Dylan delivers one to Beka and the Maru's crew."This is Captain Dylan Hunt, commander of the Systems Commonwealth Starship Andromeda Ascendant. I've been told the Commonwealth has fallen. Maybe that's true. But there's still one place where the Commonwealth endures, and that's on this ship. My ship. I understand you intend to loot the Andromeda and sell what's left over. I promise you, that is not going to happen. You have fifteen minutes to restore the Andromeda's control capabilities and withdraw to your own vessel, or I will retake my ship by force. Hunt out."
- Civil War: The very beginning of one, with the Nietzscheans seeking to overthrow the Commonwealth and establish themselves as rulers. Harper later tells Dylan that he missed the ending; the Commonwealth lost and subsequently collapsed.
- Decoy Protagonist: Refractions of Dawn, the insectoid pilot, is set up like she's going to be a major character, but she's shot by Rhade.
- The Dreaded: The Magog. They've swarmed through the Commonwealth and devastated countless worlds. The fact that the Commonwealth tried to negotiate peace with them is what convinces the Nietzscheans to rebel. It didn't help that many of the worlds attacked by and later ceded to the Magog were Nietzschean colonies.
- Human Popsicle: Dylan and the Andromeda become trapped at the event horizon of a black hole, and remain there for three hundred years until the Maru frees them.
- The Mutiny: Dylan's first officer, best friend, and best man Gaheris Rhade betrays him, kills Refractions of Dawn, and tries to kill Dylan. Dylan manages to best Rhade, but Rhade's actions result in the Andromeda becoming trapped in the event horizon.
- This Is Not a Drill: The show opens with the crew running a battle stations drill. When the Nietzscheans start shooting at them, one of the gunners hopes it's another drill, until his partner says it isn't.
- Unfortunate Implications: In-Universe. While observing the Maru's crew, Dylan and Andromeda notice that Harper is suffering from an advanced stage of a deadly disease that was easily treatable and nearly extinct in their time. This is a clue for them of how bad things are.
