Warning! The following contains SPOILERS for The Mandalorian Season 3 episode "Chapter 21: The Pirate." Read at your own risk!
The Mandalorian Season 3 is zooming right along, and it finally seems like things are looking up for the refugees of Mandalore. They just secured some new land and even decided to step out of the shadows and live amongst people now. Outside of the fact they could fall under the microscope of the New Republic, things are looking up. So why is it that the bad vibes I get off The Armorer are at an all-time high now?
Ever since the beginning of this series, I've been waiting for The Armorer to turn into a villain. She hasn't done anything villainous yet that we know of, but I'm about as suspicious as I've ever been of her in this latest season. Here are some of the red flags that have put her on my radar, and why I won't be the least bit surprised when she ends up being a surprise baddie.
The Armorer Is A Cult Leader
The most obvious red flag about The Mandalorian's Armorer is that she's a cult leader. Sure, the motto "This is the way" is cool and all, but we often overlook the fact that The Armorer is the head of what seems to be a pretty radical sect of Mandalorians. Bo-Katan even once alleged it was groups like The Armorer's that split Mandalore and led to its eventual downfall, and it's hard to argue against her point given we've seen plenty of Mandalorians who don't live "The Way" that she and her people do.
Typically, cult leaders aren't the good guys in Hollywood. Granted, The Mandalorian has gone out of its way to portray Din's clan, known as The Children of The Watch, in the most flattering light possible. Perhaps I shouldn't judge The Armorer on the vast amount of cult leaders who ultimately went down the wrong path, but for now, I'm sticking to my guns.
She Monologues Like A Villain
The Armorer is one for monologues and always has some long-winded story to tell Grogu, Din and even Bo-Katan. She has a lot to say and share, and there's usually a purpose behind it. Maybe she's just one for conversation and hearing herself speak, but I can't help but think of an iconic Palpatine monologue every time she speaks.
I have to ask the reader, did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? If you have, then I don't think it's hard to see the connection between the way that Palpatine pulled in Anakin with his words in the same way The Armorer does with the people she engages in conversations. She monologues like a villain, and there's no other way of saying it!
She Shoved Her Magnetic Tongs Into Someone's Back
The Armorer jumped into action during "Chapter 21: The Pirate" and showed that she's not someone to be trifled with in battle. She dispatched a number of pirates to help protect her people, and not in a gentle way. She bashed a few skulls in with her hammer and crunched her tongs directly into someone's spine.
Bad guy or not, that's a pretty hardcore move for someone with a sense of right and wrong. She had the drop on all of those pirates without needing to get wild with it, so the spine jab just felt a bit cruel and calculated. I don't even think I've seen Din do something quite so extreme in this series, which feels like another red flag she might end up being a villain.
The Armorer's Whole Scene With Bo-Katan Was Bizarre
Did it strike anyone else as odd just how willing The Armorer was to let Bo-Katan break their most important rule? Din literally had to travel all the way back to Mandalore and almost die in order to get re-inducted into the clan, and he willingly admitted he removed his helmet! Why would The Armorer be so willing to throw away one of the most sacred rules for someone she knows didn't follow "The Way"?
The Armorer justified it by implying Bo-Katan would be an ambassador of sorts. Am I to believe then that the clans that join in will be allowed to live the way they want to live? That doesn't seem to jive with what I know of Din's clan at all, and Bo-Katan seemed fine wearing the helmet. It's all very suspicious, and you know who is often very suspicious? Secret villains with something to hide.
She's Spends Too Much Time In The Forge
A forge is usually a revered and respected place, and with good reason. It's where the weapons of great heroes are molded and shaped in order to help change the world for the better. Din has had some cool stuff made to help him in his journey, but damn, isn't The Armorer's forge creepy as hell?
Furthermore, I think it's creepy she spends so much time hanging out in the forge. Maybe it's just because we only see her there when something needs to be made, but how much Beskar could there possibly be for her to mold on a daily basis? It seems to me that this Forge is more of a place for brooding and scheming, which is precisely what I believe that she's doing whenever she's not making stuff for others. She needs to come clean or, at the very least, get some better lighting for that space.
Could I be completely off the mark about The Armorer? There's a good possibility I might be misreading the situation entirely and am just creeped out by a character that may give off an unsettling vibe, mainly because we never see her face and she has an intimidating helmet. Outside of the tong stabbing, I'll concede she hasn't done anything that can explicitly be evil, but evildoers can hide it well. I just think we should all keep an eye on her, especially as the people of Mandalore come closer together.
Anyone with a Disney+ subscription can, and should, tune in for new episodes of The Mandalorian on Wednesdays. With Season 4 already being worked on, it'll be better to catch up now than wait until the end of the season!
