WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Chapter 8, "Redemption," streaming now on Disney+.
Inspired by classic westerns and older tales, Disney+'s The Mandalorian features plenty of renegades and antiheroes, and none more capable in the series than the handful of Mandalorians on Nevarro. None so far seem more suited to handle the hostility of the Empire and the merciless desert than the guiding hand to the Mandalorians, the Armorer, who, in the season finale, proved that she's the best of the best.
The series makes the legendary skills of the Mandalorians clear, not just by showcasing their reputation, but by featuring it prominently throughout the series. They're well-trained in various forms of weaponry, are equipped with durable armor of beskar, blasters, rifles, flamethrowers and jetpacks to boot. It's no wonder that the warrior race, at a point, rivaled the galaxy's greatest warriors, including the knights of the Jedi Order.
With all of that in mind, the fact that the Mandalorians hiding beneath the town on Nevarro heeded and respected the Armorer should already say a lot about the role. In such a focused warrior society, it would conceivably take a lot to command the respect of one's comrades.
Audiences can see why in Episode 8, "Redemption," which featured one of the Armorer's greatest moments on the show so far. Having collected and melted down the armor of fallen Mandalorians, she waited patiently at her post within the enclave for the Imperial troopers to arrive. With nothing but forging tools, the Armorer fought and eliminated an entire squad of stormtroopers armed with blasters in under a minute. No flamethrowers, no blasters, no blade. Just blacksmithing tools.
Her combat skills make her a formidable opponent, but in this galaxy, as the Armorer proves, combat skills will only get you so far.
The very first episode of The Mandalorian established that the warriors turn to her for more than equipment and armor, they turn to her for guidance. In "The Sin," viewers could see, just as she tempered steel, the Armorer tempered the vengeful blood of the warriors with words of wisdom on cowardice, honor and the true enemy.
In the season finale, she revealed that she was aware of the forgotten Jedi Order and their history with those who walk the Way of the Mandalore. She may not have known much else about Baby Yoda (which, to be fair, no one does), but she knew enough to shed light on Din Djarin's next mission. Without her guiding hand, there's a good chance that Mando wouldn't have known where to turn for help with the Child, since he -- like many others in the aftermath of the Empire's rise -- was unaware of the Force, the Jedi or even the fact that they had been enemies.
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With her unmatched wisdom and combat skills, she constantly demonstrated mastery of her people's way of life. As both hunter and prey -- expected as a Mandalorian -- she was calm and collected, never hesitant and dedicated to ensuring the survival of her enclave.
There are a wide variety of bounty hunters and trained soldiers that appear throughout the series, but the Armorer is unmatched. She remains a mysterious character, but we've seen enough to know exactly why warriors forged in the fires of the Way of the Mandalore could stand up to those who had trained in the ways of the Force, and why the one chosen to lead the enclave also cared for the armor. Who better to forge Mandalorian armor and weaponry than one with experience, who fully understands its importance to the Mandalorian culture in this hostile galaxy?
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito and Emily Swallow. Season 1 is available now on Disney+.