The Mandalorian Season 1 Originally Killed Off The Armorer

The Mandalorian has been filled with memorable characters throughout its two-season run thus far on Disney+, and one of them is the Armorer. 

The character was introduced during the first season of the hit Star Wars series, and she was portrayed by Emily Swallow. The Armorer welded a pauldron for the titular bounty hunter while also forging several Whistling Birds as well. 

During the finale, the Armorer served as an ally to Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and Grogu, helping the runaway pair to escape Moff Gideon's stormtroopers. In addition, the character also sets Mando's mission to search for the Jedi in motion by telling him that he must return the youngling to his own kind.

The action-packed Season 1 finale was the last appearance of the Armorer, but a recent interview could hint that the actress might be returning to don the armor once again. 

Now, new details about the armored ally's role in Season 1 have emerged. 

The Mandalorian Actress Unveils Scrapped Season 1 Scene

During a special panel at Dragon Con 2021, The Mandalorian actress Emily Swallow, who portrayed the Armorer during Season 1, revealed that her character was originally supposed to die during the finale: 

"We were being set up for that! Jon [Favreau] told me that he had originally written it that she did sacrifice herself and that was the end of the Armorer. And then he changed his mind, and I was like 'Thank you!'"

Swallow then opened up about her reaction when she saw the actual fight scene in the finale, describing it as a "breathtaking moment" while also crediting her stunt double, Lauren Mary Kim: 

"And so I did that, so I can do the transitions and stuff. But Lauren Mary Kim, my amazing stunt double, was the one who did that fight in actuality. For me, I knew it happened, but I didn't see it until the episode aired when everybody else is watching it. And so it had a similar effect on me as it happened with everybody else. I was like, 'Thank you, Lauren Mary Kim, you made that character look way better than Emily would have! So it was a pretty breathtaking moment that I cheered like a lot of you did."

Will The Armorer Return To Help Din Djarin in Mandalore?

Many would agree that killing off the Armorer would've been a poor storyline decision, considering that there's still a lot to explore about the character. Based on Emily Swallow's reveal, it looks like The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau agreed on that sentiment, and this would allow for the armored character to return down the line. 

Given the narrative trajectory of The Mandalorian, it makes sense for the Armorer to be involved, especially now that the story is expected to shift to Mandalore. During the Season 1 finale, the character refused to leave the Mandalorian covert in the sewers of Nevarro, so it's possible that Din Djarin will likely recruit her for a potential mission. 

The finale established that the Armorer's skills are far beyond forging armors since she was able to take down a squad of Imperial stormtroopers on her own. That said, the character would be a valuable addition to Din Djarin's allies in Season 3. 

Meanwhile, Swallow's praise toward her stunt double, Lauren Mary Kim, is a fitting tribute, especially after a previous reveal of how the action scene was shot.

In a past interview with Corridor Crew, Kim revealed that the entire fight scene was a "oner," a sequence shot in one take. The veteran stunt double continued by sharing that they did "400-500 oners" for the scene since they shot from so many angles. In many ways, this goes to show a unique kind of sacrifice behind the scenes. 

The first two seasons of The Mandalorian are now streaming on Disney+.