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"This is the Way."
―The Armorer, to the Tribe[7]

"The Armorer" was a human female Mandalorian Armorer from Mandalore who led the Tribe, a part of the Children of the Watch, during the New Republic Era. Following the Galactic Empire's Great Purge of Mandalore, she resided with the Tribe in a covert on the planet Nevarro, where she forged armor and weapons for her fellow Mandalorians. Around 9 ABY, she forged a new set of armor for the Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin using the beskar he provided. During this time, she stopped an altercation between Djarin and another member of the Tribe, Paz Vizsla, when she reminded them of the way of life they were supposed to follow.

In the aftermath of an attack on the covert by the Empire, the Armorer made it her mission to salvage what beskar she could from the deceased Mandalorians. When she met Djarin and his allies, she helped him restock his supplies and declared the formation of his clan after creating his signet, and quested him with returning Grogu to his own kind, but stayed behind in order to continue collecting the beskar and cover Djarin and his allies' escape, before evacuating herself to a new covert on Glavis Ringworld, which she founded with Vizsla.

The Armorer and Vizsla were later joined by Djarin, who helped them to rebuild their new covert. After she confirmed that Djarin had completed his quest, she reforged his beskar spear into an armor for Grogu, and recounted the story of the Darksaber and the Night of a Thousand Tears, which their sect had survived because they were cloistered on the moon of Concordia. She trained Djarin with the Darksaber until they were stopped by Vizsla, who challenged Djarin to a duel, which Djarin eventually won. The Armorer stopped Djarin from killing Vizsla and asked them if they removed their helmets. Djarin confessed that he did, and the Armorer claimed that he was no longer a Mandalorian, unless he was redeemed in the Living Waters beneath the Mines of Mandalore.

Biography[]

Forging armor[]

"This was gathered in the Great Purge. It is good it is back with the Tribe."
―The Armorer, to Din Djarin, regarding beskar[5]
Armorer-Beskar-TheMandalorian

The Armorer forged armor from the beskar that Din Djarin provided.

Hailing from the planet Mandalore,[1] the Armorer was part of the Children of the Watch, a Mandalorian group which followed the Way of the Mandalore, and were considered religious zealots that broke away from Mandalorian society by Bo-Katan Kryze.[8] During the Imperial Era, the Galactic Empire carried out the Great Purge of Mandalore, heavily bombing the surface of the planet and massacring millions of Mandalorians in what became known as the Night of a Thousand Tears. The Armorer and other followers of the ancient way had been on Mandalore's moon of Concordia, and so survived the onslaught of the Night.[6] The remaining Mandalorians were scattered throughout the galaxy thereafter and hid in Mandalorian coverts to preserve their numbers.[7]

During the New Republic Era, she served as a Mandalorian Armorer and the leader of the Tribe and resided within a covert on the planet Nevarro.[1] By forging beskar armor in the ancient tradition of the Mandalorian people, she played a vital role in keeping her people's culture alive[4] after so many Mandalorians had been killed in the purge.[9] She gave guidance to many Mandalorians, including identifying their signets and restocking their munitions.[1] Around 9 ABY,[10] she was visited by Din Djarin, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, who provided an ingot of beskar he had acquired from a bounty. The Armorer then identified the steel as a product of the Great Purge and asked if his signet was identified, to which Djarin stated it was not, but she assured him it would be revealed soon. She then forged a pauldron out of the beskar, reserving the excess for foundlings at Djarin's request.[5]

After Djarin completed his bounty and acquired a camtono of beskar as his reward, the Armorer was revisited by Djarin. She suggested that a full cuirass could be forged from the metal, to which he accepted. As she inspected the beskar, members of the Tribe slowly entered the armorer's quarters. She warned Djarin that the beskar would draw much attention. Paz Vizsla, a fellow member of the Tribe, commented that the beskar was Imperial property and that the Great Purge was the reason the Tribe was forced to hide. The Armorer replied by stating that surviving in such conditions was the source of their strength. Vizsla then ridiculed Djarin for conducting business with the Empire and attempted to shame him by removing his helmet, resulting in a brawl between them.[7]

Armorer Tribe The Mandalorian

The armorer reminded the Tribe of the way of life they followed.

She halted the fight by reminding them that the Empire no longer existed and that the beskar was returned to its rightful owners. She addressed the Tribe by describing the Way of the Mandalore and how the bounty hunter chose his way of life. The Armorer then asked Djarin if his helmet was ever removed at some point, to which he denied. Thus, she reminded everyone that their way of life was obeyed. After settling the tension, the Armorer began questioning Djarin on the condition of his armor. He stated that it was damaged by a mudhorn, but refused the signet as it was not killed nobly. Instead of forging the signet, the armorer forged whistling birds, explosive projectiles equipped on Mandalorian vambraces. She forged the armor and reserved some of the metal for the foundlings, again at his request.[7]

The survivor[]

"Come with us."
"No. I will not abandon this place until I have salvaged what remains."
―Din Djarin and the Armorer[11]

Sometime later, Djarin and his companions Carasynthia Dune, Greef Karga, IG-11, and Grogu descended into the sewers in an attempt to escape Gideon's forces, who were looking to acquire Grogu. Din Djarin despaired when they found a pile of Mandalorian helmets, lashing out at Karga in rage, believing the Bounty Hunters' Guild had taken revenge on the enclave for helping Djarin escape. Much to his surprise, the Armorer was still residing in the tunnels, collecting pieces of armor that had been abandoned by their owners or stripped from the dead, while also defending Karga, in which the former explained that the Imperials discovered the enclave shortly after Djarin's escape.[11]

Armorer Combat The Mandalorian

The Armorer fended off a platoon of stormtroopers.

The Armorer assured Djarin that she hopes some of the enclave's members had escaped, but refused his offer to accompany the group off-world, saying that she intended to remain until she had reclaimed all of the available beskar. She also revealed that she knew of other beings with Grogu's abilities, classifying them as enemies of the Mandalorians, but that this individual was instead a foundling to be cared for. After discerning Djarin's affection for Grogu, she bestowed a signet on him that designated him and Grogu as "a clan of two" and charged him with returning the infant to its own people. She also gave him a jetpack before they parted. Shortly thereafter, a detachment of stormtroopers entered her chamber only to find the Armorer kneeling before the forge, holding her hammer and tongs. She then proceeded to attack and kill all of them with only her tools.[11]

At some point after the Clash on Nevarro, the Armorer had left the forge, and what remained of her workshop was taken over by Aqualish thieves.[12]

Resettlement[]

"I have met Jedi."
"Then you have completed your quest."
"I have."
"Then you may join our covert as we rebuild."
―Djarin welcomed by the Armorer to the covert after he completed his quest[6]

The Armorer was able to find Paz Vizsla and the two of them relocated to Glavis Ringworld. There, they began to rebuild the covert for their Tribe. They left signs leading to their new covert along Glavis Ringworld's Kolzoc Alley that were visible to vision settings in his macrobinocular viewplate. They were found and joined by Djarin. The Armorer had Vizsla tend to his wounds, which were accidentally caused by his weapon, the Darksaber. Vizsla revealed that only the three of them remained from the Tribe after the remnant's attack.[6]

The Armorer inquired what weapon caused Djarin's wound, and he revealed it was the Darksaber. The Armorer had Vizsla bring it to her. She examined the Darksaber, and told Djarin the history of it, and it's creator, the Jedi and Mand'alor Tarre Vizsla of House Vizsla. Djarin told her that he completed his quest, as Grogu had been returned to the Jedi. Seeing his quest complete, she welcomed him to the covert. While Djarin and Vizsla were setting up her forge, Vizsla asked Djarin how he had acquired the Darksaber, and the fellow Mandalorian confirmed he done so by defeating Moff Gideon, who had been involved in the Great Purge. When Djarin told him that he did not kill the moff, and that instead he had been sent to the New Republic to be questioned and to face justice, Vizsla declared that death would have been justice for Gideon, and the Armorer agreed as millions of Mandalorians had died because of the moff. She doubted that the New Republic Tribunal would execute him.[6]

The Armorer told Djarin that songs of eons past foretold the mythosaur rising up to herald a new age of Mandalore, but it only existed in legends. She asked him how he acquired his beskar spear, and said that the weapon's existence put Mandalorians at risk, because it could pierce beskar armor. She claimed that beskar was meant for armor and not for weapons. Djarin asked her to reforge it into an armor for Grogu. As she was melting the spear, Djarin asked her if she heard about Bo-Katan Kryze. The Armorer replied she was a cautionary tale, and told him how she tried to lead Mandalore through her bloodline and Darksaber, which was gifted to her and not won by Creed. The Armorer believed that those born of Mandalore lost their way, and Kryze's rule ended in tragedy when the Great Purge happened. She claimed it was a curse prophesized in the Creed, and only those that walked the Way were able to escape it, as during the Purge, their sect were cloistered on the moon of Concordia. She claimed that their adherence to the Way preserved the Mandalorian legacy for generations until they may someday return to their homeworld.[6]

Banishment of Din Djarin[]

"Din Djarin, have you ever removed your helmet? Have you ever removed your helmet? By Creed, you must vow."
"I have."
"Then, you are a Mandalorian no more."
―The Armorer, and Din Djarin[6]
MandalorianSparring-TBOBF5

The Armorer sparred against Djarin to increase his proficiency with the Darksaber.

After she forged an armor for Grogu, she trained Djarin with the Darksaber. Djarin said that the blade was becoming heavier with each move, and the Armorer replied that it was because he was fighting against the blade, and that the Darksaber could not be controlled with strength. She said that his body was strong, but his mind was distracted. Seeing Djarin's unsuccessful attempts, Vizsla, who was a descendant of Tarre Vizsla, challenged Djarin to duel for the Darksaber, as he wanted to restore the blade back to his clan. The Armorer asked Djarin if he agreed to the duel, and Djarin accepted the challenge.[6]

Eventually Djarin was able to defeat Vizsla, and held his vibro-knife around his challenger's throat, and the Armorer delcared the duel over, with Djarin being the winner. She asked them if they removed their helmets, the same way she did when she previously halted their brawl in the covert on Nevarro. Vizsla replied that he did not, but Djarin admitted that he did,[6] as he had to remove his helmet so he could rescue Grogu,[13] and he also took his helmet off before Grogu departed with the Jedi Luke Skywalker.[14]

The Armorer claimed that Djarin was no longer a Mandalorian. In reply, Djarin begged for her forgiveness and asked how he could atone. Vizsla called him an apostate, and wanted him to leave their covert. The Armorer replied that according to Creed, he could only be redeemed in the Living Waters beneath the Mines of Mandalore, which Djarin believed was destroyed. Djarin thus left and took the Darksaber with him.[6]

Leading a new covert[]

The Armorer and Paz Vizsla would eventually depart the Glavis Ringworld and worked to restore the rank of the Children of the Watch with a new covert, which the Armorer led on an rocky desert planet. They recruited dozens of new Mandalorians to their cause, including those from the Clans of Eldar and Kryze.[15] Additional survivors from the slaughter of the Armorer's initial covert also managed to locate and rejoin her on the planet.[16]

During an initiation ceremony for Ragnar, the newest of their member to take the creed, the Armorer forged the child's first helmet and began to recite the Way of the Mandalore to name Ragnar a true member of the covert. Before she could complete the ritual, she sensed the presence of a dinosaur turtle and hastily pushed Ragnar to safety. In the ensuing battle, the Armorer rushed past the legs of the beast to retrieve a Mandalorian trapped beneath the waves, though she would soon be thrown aside by the creature as the other Mandalorians proved unable to defeat the beast. Before it could wreak further havoc upon the covert, the N-1 starfighter of Din Djarin arrived, which quickly slew the beast with a torpedo.[15]

Din Djarin's quest[]

"He speaks the truth. These are indeed the Living Waters. Din Djarin, you are redeemed. This is the Way."
―The Armorer to Din Djarin[17]
DjarinGroguArmorer-Chapter17

The Armorer approved of Djarin's plan to seek the Living Waters on Mandalore.

Meeting with her former pupil within her cavernous forge, she reminded Din of his prior failure to keep to the Way of the Mandalore and his excommunication. She expressed belief that his hopes of redemption would be impossible to achieve, as the Living Waters within the Mines of Mandalore were believed to have been destroyed during the planet's Great Purge. He offered her a piece of inscribed glass in response to these claims, and informed her that he received the artifact from trade with Jawas, who informed him they received it from a traveler who ventured to Mandalore. With this new information and hope of the Living Waters survival, she approved of his new quest and declared his redemption in the eyes of the covert should he succeed.[15]

Soon after, Din returned to the covert with the disgraced Bo-Katan of House Kryze, having undergone a successful mission to Mandalore and bathed himself in the Living Waters. The Armorer received the vial of the water he offered as proof, which she confirmed to be from the ancestral mines by allowing a drop to fall into and resonate with the cooling water of the forge. The Armorer declared Din an apostate no longer and welcomed him back to the rank of the covert. She further extended an offer to Bo-Katan to join the covert, noting she too had bathed in the water and not removed her helmet since, which maintained her legitimacy as a Mandalorian under the Way of the Mandalore.[17]

Revelations at the forge[]

"This is the Forge. It is the heart of Mandalorian culture. Just as we shape the steel, we shape ourselves."
―The Armorer to Grogu[18]

Following the acceptance of Clan Mudhorn and Bo-Katan into the covert, the Armorer watched over her people as they trained in combat against each other. She watched in silent interest next to Paz Vizsla as Grogu used his Force abilities to defeat Paz's son Ragnar, only for the human youngling to be seized by a large reptavian shriek-hawk, which flew toward its nest with several Mandalorians in pursuit. After they returned with intel from Bo-Katan, who followed the animal in her Gauntlet starfighter, the Armorer assembled a hunting party, including Din, Bo-Katan, Paz Viszla, and the Shriek-hawk Training team, and watched them depart before she led Grogu into the cavern which contained her forge.[18]

She began to forge a rondel for the foundling, during which she explained the importance of Beskar and what forging represented to Mandalorian culture and the importance of leaving a future for the next generation. Unbeknownst to her, as she hammered the steel, a flashback was triggered in Grogu to the night of Order 66 and being rescued by the Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. He returned to attention as she finished and placed the chest plate over his chainmail.[18]

The hunting party soon returned, having successfully slain the beast and returned Ragnar to the safety of the covert, along with the three orphaned chicks of the beast to be kept and domesticated. The Armorer commended Bo-Katan for taking leadership of the situation, and offered to forge her a new pauldron to replace the one she lost in the battle with the beast. Within, she inquired if Bo-Katan wished to inscribe the signet of the Nite Owls on her replacement, but accepted Bo-Katan's request for her signet to instead be of the mythosaur skull, which she noted was a symbol of all Mandalorians. Bo-Katan then revealed that during her quest with Din on Mandalore, she encountered a live mythosaur within the Living Waters.[18] The Armorer chose to interpret it as a noble vision,[19] but when Bo-Katan clarified her meaning, the Armorer doubted such a possibility, and only commented that one who walks the Way of the Mandalore will see many things, before leaving Bo-Katan alone, who contemplated the skull of the beast mounted upon the wall.[18]

Return to Nevarro[]

"Bo-Katan Kryze is going off to bring other Mandalorians in exile to us so that we may join together once again."
"But she shows her face."
"Bo-Katan walks both worlds. And she can bring all tribes together. It is time to retake Mandalore."
―The Armorer, and Paz Vizsla[16]

The seclusion of the tribe was soon shattered by New Republic pilot Carson Teva, an old ally of Din Djarin, who used intel from former wingman R5-D4 to locate the covert. He informed Djarin of a distress call from Greef Karga, the High Magistrate of Nevarro whose city was under invasion by a pirate horde, led by Gorian Shard. Carson insisted he merely wanted to let Djarin know his friend was in danger before departing, promising to keep the covert a secret. Din arranged a meeting with the whole tribe, including the Armorer, to discuss the matter, seeing an opportunity for permanent relocation. He spoke to the other Mandalorian's of letting the foundlings and their futures be ensured as the beloved heroes of an independent world safe from the reach of the wider galaxy. Following a speech from Paz Viszla in his support, the Armorer declared that Din's path was the way and began to plan a counterattack against the pirates.[16]

Several strike teams traveled to the planet on Bo-Katan's starfighter, the teams quickly dropped into the city with their jetpacks and engaged in combat with the hordes of pirates while Din fought off the fleet of pirate starfighters which defended Gorian Shard's Corsair. During the battle, a blaster cannon was set up by the pirates in Karga's office, which was able to pin down several Mandalorians fighting near the Statue of IG-11. The Armorer snuck into the office, and quickly dispatched the pirates with her hammer and tongs, which turned the tide of the battle on the ground in her people's favor. The Mandalorians proved victorious as Din and Bo-Katan managed to destroy Gorian Shard's Corsair and the final pirates were captured by the people of Nevarro and the Mandalorians.[16]

After the battle, Karga expressed his gratitude and gifted his saviors a tract of land between the western lava flats and Bulloch Canyon, providing the Armorer's people with a home. She returned to her forge in the Nevarro sewer, having Paz lead Bo-Katan to her as well. She spoke of the Great Forge of Mandalore, and remarked on how despite their difference in quality, both forges served equally to their people, and ordered Bo-Katan to remove her helmet. The Armorer insisted despite Bo-Katan's hesitance, and explained how Bo-Katan had walked both the way of her covert and of their people's ways before the purge, and thus was the best suited to unite their people. She led Bo-Katan out to Din and the other shocked Mandalorians, and explained how Bo-Katan would depart them as an ally, to reunite other scattered Mandalorians with the intent of them all retaking their ancestral home of Mandalore.[16]

Mission to Mandalore[]

"Lady Kryze, your reinforcements have arrived."
―The Armorer, to Bo-Katan Kryze[20]

The Armorer remained on Nevarro as Bo-Katan underwent a Mission to Plazir-15 to consolidate her former forces, and looked on from the Tribe's camp ground as the Mandalorian fleet of Bo-Katan's Mandalorian group arrived over the city. As the new faction docked and approached the Children of the Watch, the Armorer clashed her forging tools together and bid them welcome as fellow Mandalorians, and promptly declared a feast. Later that evening, she listened as Bo-Katan petitioned her people to join her on a scouting mission to Mandalore, with the Armorer being the last to declare their intent to join the expedition.[21]

The following day, the group arrived on the planet and set out to establish a safe perimeter around the Great Forge within the ruins of Sundari. During their travels, the group were approached by Mandalorian survivors from the Great Purge who redeclared their loyalty to Bo-Katan and offered to bring the group to the Forge. During their travels, the captain of the survivors questioned how the Armorer's people survived the Purge, to which she explained the Children of the Watch were sequestered on the moon of Concordia. He further inquired if they were affiliated with Death Watch, to which the Armorer simply stated Death Watch was no more as Bo-Katan spoke of the division of her people.[21]

As dawn broke the next day, the Armorer tended to the weakened and wounded of the Mandalorian survivors. She requested to bring the injured back to the waiting Mandalorian fleet before they reached Mandalore. Bo-Katan concurred with her request and the group divided. The Armorer departed to Bo-Katan's Gauntlet fighter and returned to the fleet, hailing the waiting Fleet Commander. Unbeknownst to her, Bo-Katan's group were ambushed and battled against Gideon and his forces.[21]

Soon after, the Mandalorians above the planet were warned of the threat by Axe Woves, who demanded they flee the ship and provide support to the forces below. The Armorer donned a jetpack and departed on one of the ships toward the surface. She contacted Bo-Katan to inform her of the reinforcements and joined her side as the group's descended into Gideon's base by jetpack. They were confronted mid-flight by Imperial Commandos and engaged in aerial combat. The Armorer utilized her tools to bludgeon several commandos out of the air, and retreated to safety as Woves steered the Mandalorian forces' damaged Arquitens-class command cruiser into the base to destroy the Imperial base. The Mandalorians proved victorious as Gideon died in the ensuing detonation from the crash, though not without losses, as Paz Vizsla was killed in the early battle and the Darksaber was destroyed by Gideon's hand.[20]

UnitedFlame-TM24

The Armorer helped the Children of the Watch to make peace with the Nite Owls and retake their planet.

The Armorer traveled with the rest of the Mandalorians to the Living Waters, where she completed the initiation of Ragnar and welcomed him into the Children of the Watch. Din Djarin approached her at the steps to the water and asked if Grogu could be made an apprentice under him. She briefly refused, as he was too young to speak the Creed, but allowed Din to name him an apprentice as the child's adoptive parent, and rechristened him as Din Grogu. She implored Djarin to take Grogu on a journey as his own teacher once did for him, which he accepted. Soon after, she handed off a ceremonial torch to Bo-Katan to relight the Great Forge's long dead flame as her people looked on and chanted in victory.[20]

Personality and traits[]

"Our secrecy is our survival. Our survival is our strength."
―The Armorer, to Paz Vizsla[7]
Armorer-full

The Armorer was a dedicated follower of the Way of the Mandalore

A female Mandalorian standing at 1.7 meters,[1] the Armorer appeared wise, calm, and collected.[5] She was also very diplomatic for a Mandalorian. Without hesitation, she defused the tension between Din Djarin and Paz Vizsla by reminding them of the way of life the Tribe followed, due to the Mandalorians being so few in number by that time.[7]

She was extremely devoted to the Way of Mandalore, which forbade Mandalorians from removing their helmets. When Djarin admitted that he had removed his helmet, she told him that he was no longer a Mandalorian, banishing him from their covert when it seemed there were only three of them left. She believed in curses and prophecies, saying that if the Darksaber is not won by combat, it would have been a curse to the Mandalorians, and that Mandalore was destroyed because those who born on Mandalore lost their way and swayed away from the path, and only those who walked the Way escaped the prophesized curse.[6]

She also believed that beskar belonged to Mandalorians, and was willing to fight for it, as she refused to abandon the large cache of armor pieces left behind by deceased or escaped members of the enclave until she had reclaimed what beskar she could.[11] She considered weapons that were made from beskar as taboo, such as a beskar spear, saying that its existence put Mandalorians at risk. She had no will to wield the Darksaber and rule the Mandalorians, as she bested Djarin in combat when she trained him to wield it, but did not challenge him to duel for the lightsaber.[6]

Skills and abilities[]

TheArmorer-Platinum2022

The Armorer was as skilled at combat as she was at forging armor and weapons.

"This amount can be shaped many ways.… I can form a full cuirass."
―The Armorer contemplates the forging of a complete set of beskar armor[7]

The Armorer melted down beskar in various shapes to forge armor and whistling birds. In addition to forging, the Armorer was also a skilled melee combatant, able to take out an entire group of stormtroopers with only her gravity hammer and magnetic tongs.[11] When she trained Djarin to use the Darksaber, she bested him in combat with her hammer and tongs. She was knowledgeable about Mandalorian traditions, including songs of eons past and prophecies, and the tribe's Creed.[6] During the reconquest of Mandalore, she wore a jetpack and used her tools as blunt weapons.[20]

The Armorer was also a knowledgeable figure, including in the fields of Mandalorian history[11][6] and culture.[11][18][16] She gave guidance to the Tribe, including identifying their signets and instructing them about the Way,[11] and had the ability to lead induction ceremonies.[20] Her knowledge was valued by Djarin, who went to her to learn about Clan Kryze,[6] and Kryze herself, who spoke to her about the apparent return of the mythosaur.[18]

Equipment[]

"I have one more gift for your journey."
―The Armorer, as she supplied Din Djarin with a jetpack[11]
Armorer Tools The Mandalorian

The Armorer utilized various tools for crafting armor and weapons.

The Armorer wore a distinct set of Mandalorian armor featuring a gold beskar helmet that had five small horns. The visor was smaller than that of a normal female Mandalorian helmet with more rounded eyeholes instead of the typical angular design. She wore a fur coat with a bronzium finished cuirass alongside heatproof boots, protective gloves, a dark brown kilt, and dark green pants.[1] She used various tools, such as cryo-furnace, gravity hammer and magnetic tongs for forging beskar armor pieces[5] as well as for combat.[11] She used her forge to supply the Tribe with various items and weapons, such as whistling birds[7] and jetpacks.[11]

Behind the scenes[]

"You cannot be in this business without being well aware of what you look like and how people receive that. It is so liberating to me to play this character who is so beloved and so respected and so inspiring, and for it to have nothing to do with what she looks like. I love that. And it means that I save like an hour and a half when I get to set. I don't have to go to hair and makeup, and that's awesome. It's just really a dream."
―Emily Swallow discussing playing the Armorer[22]
Emily-Swallow-Armorer

Emily Swallow in costume as the Armorer

The Armorer first appeared in the first episode of the 2019 Disney+ television show The Mandalorian,[5] which aired on November 12, 2019.[23] She was portrayed by Emily Swallow,[5] while Lauren Mary Kim served as her stunt double in The Mandalorian[11] while Michelle Lee took the role in The Book of Boba Fett episode "Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian."[6] The character was first revealed in a trailer that was released the day before the series began airing.[24]

The Armorer's helmet and full costume were designed by concept artist Brian Matyas. The helmet features elements of traditional blacksmith design helmets balanced by the traditional Mandalorian armor look first seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including the barn owl-shaped eyes.[25] An armor set based on the Armorer was added to the Cartel Market of the Star Wars Legends video game Star Wars: The Old Republic as part of Game Update 6.2, along with decorations based on the Armorer's forge.[26]

When Swallow auditioned to play the character, she only knew that her character was a "leader" who was "strong and zen, but with authority."[27] The character's description only said that "she was the leader of a group of people in hiding and she was masked." There was so much secrecy that Swallow only knew she was auditioning for something possibly to do with Star Wars and she did not know what she was getting into. She felt prepared because of her background in theater and some mask work she did when she attended New York University. An audition scene Swallow did was similar to a scene in "Chapter 3: The Sin" in which the Armorer broke up a fight among her covert. She also said the phrase "This is the Way" without any context.[22] On December 12, 2018, StarWars.com announced that Swallow had been cast in the series.[28]

After Swallow started doing research on Star Wars, she spoke with executive producers Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau about was important to tell the show's story.[29] She drew inspiration from Deborah Chow, one of the series' directors, as she was the first woman to direct a live-action Star Wars story.[27] Swallow loved that there was little information about the Armorer's personal life.[30] She also loved how the Armorer is a warrior who deliberately chooses when to fight, is dedicated to her people, and serves as a teacher to Din Djarin.[22] Swallow made sure she did not connect too much to the Armorer's backstory because it helped her portrayal of the Armorer. Filoni and Favreau did not give Swallow much information about the Armorer, but they gave the actress a lot of freedom with character decisions. She did not get to see the script for scenes that her character was not in. Swallow frequently spoke with with Favreau and Filoni about the Armorer and Djarin's relationship.[30]

The Armorer's scenes were filmed concurrently with her introduction in the series. Her costume was created to convey the character's authority over the other Mandalorians.[27] Swallow said that not showing her face saved her about 90 minutes when she arrived to set because she did not need to go to hair and makeup. Swallow also said that not showing her face meant she needed to play more attention to her body language, especially after she landed the role and was on set. For the first few episodes, Swallow and the crew worked on discovering what the language of movement was and what translated well, which she said was a lot of fun. She would often trip on things in her forge and run into other Mandalorian actors. Wearing a helmet was disorienting for Swallow and she had no peripheral vision. She was distracted by having to look down, which made it hard to make the Armorer seem confident and measured. The crew would ensure that there was nothing in Swallow's way when she moved.[22]

During filming, Swallow recorded all of the dialogue using a microphone in her helmet. After filming, Swallow and the crew collaborated on automated dialogue replacement and discussed if lines needed to be changed, though not much ADR was necessary because the dialogue had already been recorded.[30] She credits Favreau, the directors, and the editors for helping to make her performance seem effortlessly confident. She said that playing the Armorer feels liberating due to people loving and respecting the character not because of her appearance.[22]

Sideshow-Armorer

The Armorer

Swallow did not know if she would ever return to Star Wars.[30] She later reprised her role as the Armorer in "Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian" of The Book of Boba Fett television series.[22] Swallow spoke with Filoni and Favreau in a Zoom call to learn which information revealed by the Armorer was new to the fans. They also told her that they were establishing some of Season 3's groundwork and things that would appear later. They then explained how the Armorer fit into Season 3's story, which caused Swallow to better understand the Armorer's connection with Djarin.[30] To prepare, the actress learned the Darksaber's lore by watching Star Wars animation. She said that working with director Bryce Dallas Howard felt like a dream because she asked her if there anything she wanted to try. Scenes on the Glavis Ringworld were filmed in the Volume set, which used StageCraft technology. While filming a long and grueling hammering sequence, Howard instructed Swallow on how to hammer via a microphone booming from the ether.[22]

Swallow reprised her role as the Armorer in the third season of The Mandalorian.[15] She learned specific details about the history of the Mandalorians and how the Armorer fits into it.[31] Swallow said she wanted to learn what the Armorer personally lost during her backstory.[30] She said she believes the Armorer has a "sixth sense," letting her see that Din Djarin has promise and will play an important part for the Mandalorian people. She felt that the Armorer was changed by Djarin because she never had such a personal relationship with someone like him and he challenged her in new ways.[31] Swallow made sure she kept the Armorer shrouded in mystery. The episodes in the third season were shot out of order.[30] For the episode "Chapter 17: The Apostate," [15] Swallow and the other actors had to pretend to fight a large monster that was not there, which she found very strange. Swallow had a stunt double, but she did the stunts she could do and was always present during filming. She did not do any of the super technical moves she is not trained for and not insured to do. When the Armorer was swiped at by the creature and flipped, the armor was worn by Swallow's stunt double who was attached to wires. She landed on pads when the stunt was practiced. During shooting, the stunt double would slam into the wet sand when she flipped, and her helmet fell off during one shot.[31]

Appearances[]

Non-canon appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Star Wars: Character Encyclopedia, Updated and Expanded Edition
  2. Topps logo 2023 Topps Star Wars (Card: The Armorer) (backup link)
  3. The Mandalorian Junior Novel
  4. 4.0 4.1 StarWars-DatabankII the Armorer in the Databank (backup link)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 1: The Mandalorian"
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 The Book of Boba Fett logo The Book of Boba Fett — "Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 3: The Sin"
  8. The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 11: The Heiress"
  9. The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 6: The Prisoner"
  10. Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of "Chapter 1: The Mandalorian" and "Chapter 16: The Rescue" to 9 ABY. The events of Chapters 1–16 must therefore also take place in 9 ABY.
  11. 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 8: Redemption"
  12. The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 12: The Siege"
  13. The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 15: The Believer"
  14. The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 16: The Rescue"
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 17: The Apostate"
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 21: The Pirate"
  17. 17.0 17.1 The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 19: The Convert"
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 20: The Foundling"
  19. SWInsider "Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season Three Companion" — Star Wars Insider 222
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 24: The Return"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 The-Mandalorian-logo The Mandalorian — "Chapter 23: The Spies"
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 StarWars The Armorer Unmasked: Actor Emily Swallow Talks Her Return on The Book of Boba Fett on StarWars.com (backup link)
  23. The Mandalorian Media Kit on Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International (archived from the original on February 3, 2020)
  24. SWYTlogo The Mandalorian | Special Look on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
  25. StarWars Bounty Puck: Chapter 3 Trivia Gallery on StarWars.com (backup link) (Slide 1)
  26. SWTOR mini Cartel Market Additions: Game Update 6.2 on The Old Republic's official website (backup link)
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 The Armorer: Unmasking The Mandalorian's Mysterious Blacksmith by Anthony Breznican on Vanity Fair (November 22, 2019): "Actor Emily Swallow tells the Still Watching podcast about the perils of playing the enigmatic leader." (archived from the original on December 5, 2019)
  28. StarWars Pedro Pascal Revealed as The Mandalorian on StarWars.com (backup link)
  29. The star wars show logo The Star Wars Show: Anthony Daniels Graces Us With His Presence and We Attend The Mandalorian Fan Event on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (November 20, 2019) (backup link)  (Posted on StarWars.com)
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 30.5 30.6 The Mandalorian Star Emily Swallow On The Armorer's Role In Season 3 by Deckelmeier, Joe on Screen Rant (March 21, 2023) (archived from the original on March 22, 2023)
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 The Mandalorian's Emily Swallow on Playing The Armorer, Secret Lore, and ‘Possibilities' by Walsh, Michael on Nerdist (March 3, 2023) (archived from the original on March 3, 2023)

External links[]

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