‘The Mandalorian’: Why Emily Swallow’s Character May Not Return After All
Fans have loved The Mandalorian so much, they’re even wondering about the return of minor characters whose faces we never see. Then again, since The Mandalorian makes a point of not revealing his face, maybe that isn’t saying much.
The character in question is the Armorer played by Emily Swallow. We saw the character in three episodes of the first Star Wars live action TV show, but there is some doubt as to whether she’ll be back.
Who is The Armorer?
The armorer, who does not have an actual name as yet, appeared in three episodes of The Mandalorian, kind of serving as an equipment master for the title character – it’s the Star Wars version of James Bond’s Q, so to speak. Only the Armorer doesn’t scold the Mandalorian about not bringing the stuff back.
The Armorer first appeared in episode 1 welding a pauldron for Mando, a pauldron being the portion of the Mandalorian’s armor that covers the shoulder area. She then returns in episode 3, forging Whistling Birds for him. Those are the weapons that shoot from his arms, rather like very small guided misses.
Tellingly, the Mandalorian has flashbacks to his childhood both times he’s with the Armorer.
The weapons master finally showed up again in the finale, when the Mandalorian is looking for the rest of his colony and is unable to find them. She explains what was left of the Imperials had tracked the colony down, and she is all that remains. However, she refuses to leave until she salvages all that she can, finally providing Mando with a jet pack.
Who is Emily Swallow?
Swallow, who plays the armorer, actually does have a familiar face, having played Kim Fischer in The Mentalist and Amara, who is called The Darkness, in Supernatural. She also voiced Lisa Tepes in Netflix’s Castlevania. She has done mostly TV work, although she did have a small role in the 2008 film The Lucky Ones starring Rachel McAdams.
According to her IMDB bio, Swallow is also a singer, having created a stage show with fellow singer/comedienne Jac Huberman, and the two performed in New York at the Laurie Beechman Theater and Joe’s Pub.
Swallow gave an interview to the Digital Journal, saying of The Mandalorian:
“It is unlike anything I’ve ever done. It is completely delightful. It was so much fun to shoot it, and the world that was created. It was such a fun, collaborative environment. Seeing how well it has been received has been so much fun. Prepare to have your minds blown over and over again. It keeps getting better and better.”
Why the Armorer might and might not return
Swallow’s quote makes it sound like she’d love to come back, although whether she will or not remains to be seen. There is certainly an opportunity for her character to return, but Screen Rant points out that Swallow is engaged in other projects. She did a voice role for the video game The Last of Us: Part II, and she also appeared in the short film Health to the King.
These may or may not preclude her appearance in season 2 of The Mandalorian, production of which is already underway.
Since we never see her face, it is possible that The Armorer could be recast, but that would seem like a missed opportunity for Sallow to show more of her talents. We’ll find out for sure late in the year when Season 2 of The Mandalorian premieres. In the meantime, Swallow is joining in the love for Baby Yoda on social media, just like the rest of us.
