The Armorer, the sort of blacksmith-priestess of the enclave on The Mandalorian, made a definite impact in Season 1, not only for her role as leader/peacekeeper but also for her epic takedown of stormtroopers in the finale. The series has offered us nothing about her backstory so far, but a theory posted on Reddit offers its own ideas about her past.
The theory not only suggests she was aligned with Darth Maul during the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but also that her siding with Mando in his spat with Paz Vizla may have something to do with Vizla's allegiance to Death Watch.
The theorist notes that "The Armorer's most notable feature is her golden, horned, helmet." During the Clone Wars, Darth Maul and Pre Vizsla, the leader of the terrorist organization, Death Watch, team up to take over the planet of Mandalore in order to get revenge on Obi-Wan Kenobi. Both Vizsla and Maul intended on killing each other after they had taken over the planet. After a leadership dispute, Vizsla and Maul indeed fight to the death, and Maul emerges victorious.
The theorist notes that Death Watch, "the traditionalist Mandalorian extremist group," is torn between two sides. One side believes that a Mandalorian should be in charge of Mandalore. The other side "fully recognize Maul's win as the honorable passing of power and that they are duty-bound to serve Maul."
The theorist goes on to state that the members of the Death Watch who side with Maul repaint their armor red and some of them even add horns to their helmets. This brings the theory back to The Armorer, who had a red breastplate and a horned helmet. This seemingly confirms that she was a Maul follower during the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Paz Viszla, the Mandalorian who gets into the feud with Mando, is very likely either a direct descendant of Pre Viszla or, at least, a member of the Viszla clan. Paz's helmet is painted with the original blue of Death Watch, adding fire to the theory that he is a representative of the Vizsla-loyal group. Plus, Paz Viszla is voiced by showrunner Jon Favreau, who also voiced Pre Viszla in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The first season of The Mandalorian shows how truly bad things are for the Mandalorian tribe. While the Mandalorian Civil War created wildly opposing political factions on the planet of Mandalore, the tribe now must work together after the fall of the Galactic Empire in order to survive. Star Wars: The Clone Wars details the overthrow of Mandalorian Duchess Satine Kryze at the hands of Darth Maul and his criminal alliance The Shadow Collective. Mandalore became under control of the Emperor after Darth Sidious captured Darth Maul, killed his brother Savage Opress, and effectively dissolved The Shadow Collective.
Most Reddit users have been impressed with this Star Wars fan theory, but some have taken issue with it. One user noted that The Armorer's helmet "is a bronze/brass colored Beskar which is its oldest form from the earliest craftings," and was likely passed down from generation to generation. They add that Armorers are essentially the priests of the Mandalorian culture and The Armorer would have likely seen Maul's victory not as "a transfer of power but a legitimate defeat in single combat." Another Reddit user also adds that The Armorer seems to indicate in the season finale that she doesn't understand who the "Jedi or Sith are or that the Force even exists outside of a historical context."
The user furthers explains that if The Armorer actually fought for Maul during the Clone Wars, then this would have come up in the midst of a conversation between Mando or Paz. The Reddit user also points out that the actress who plays the armorer is in her early 40s, making her too young to have fought in the Clone Wars. However, they also concede that it is possible that The Armorer's parents were Maul loyalists that were killed in the Mandalorian Civil War, and she wears Maul-centric armor to honor her parents without understanding the historical context of it.
The original theorist's point about how Vizsla and Maul loyalists are essentially on the same side during the events of The Mandalorian still stands, though. With the planet of Mandalore ravaged by war, its people were forced to stick together in order to survive. This is ultimately why Paz would lead the warriors of the Tribe into battle to rescue Mando, as "Mandalorians are loyal to their own."