The Mandalorian's Emily Swallow Appreciates The Armorer's Mysterious Backstory
"The Mandalorian" has easily become the flagship program for "Star Wars" and its small screen offerings, and it's finally set to return for Season 3 on March 1, 2023, after more than two years after Season 2's finale. The hype is arguably at an all-time high, as well, with the trailer for Season 3 sitting at over 6 million views just two weeks after it dropped. Thanks to events that occurred in "The Book of Boba Fett," as well as the aforementioned trailer, fans know that Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu have been reunited after the events of Season 2.
However, it's hard not to wonder which other recurring characters will be showing up in Season 3. Perhaps one of the more fascinating examples of this is The Armorer (Emily Swallow), the Mandalorian who provides guidance to Djarin until she banishes him in "The Book of Boba Fett" for breaking their creed and removing his helmet in front of others. The Armorer is easily one of the most mysterious characters in the show, and nothing is really known about her past. But, in Swallow's opinion, that's actually a good thing for her.
The Armorer's mysteriousness helps Swallow's performance
During an interview with Screen Rant in June 2022, Emily Swallow talked extensively about The Armorer and her story. When it comes to understanding the character's backstory, Swallow admits that she doesn't know much at all, but that's not really an issue for the actor. In fact, in a lot of ways, she appreciates the mysteriousness of the character because it makes the performance easier in a lot of ways.
"Jon [sic] [Faverau] and Dave [Filoni] tell me remarkably little, which I appreciate," Swallow said. "They leave it up to me. I usually do come up with a pretty detailed backstory for characters, but I haven't with her. I think part of that is, it changes a lot for her. I find that it changes depending on the needs of the moment she's having because she is such an archetypal figure. She represents so many ideas. She represents this larger influence in Din Djarin's life. I find that it's helpful not to attach super-specific, personal things to her."
This logic makes sense, especially because of her role as a guide for Din Djarin and his character arc. Still, fans are likely going to be curious for answers sooner rather than later, and it would be strange if "The Mandalorian" didn't eventually offer some up. But given the already secretive nature of this particular sect of the Mandalorians, it would also be equally surprising if viewers were given her exact, entire life story.