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The horns on the armorer's helmet seem to point to that, yes.

 Galef wrote:
Yeah, I think a lot of their "super soilder" status has to do with them culturally developing to counter Jedi. So to the wider galaxy that views Jedi as super human, Mandos would likewise seem super human, even though they are not, because they can go toe-to-toe with Jedi.

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Thats certainly a component, though most of that edge comes down to "use exotic weapons and unorthodox tactics that Jedi were ill-prepared to defend against".


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 gorgon wrote:
The horns on the armorer's helmet seems to point to that, yes.

There's an exceptional amount of easter eggs for lore hounds in what is effectively a sequence of a guy walking down a hallway.

Beskar steel is probably another contributor to their super soldier mythos. It is a very strong form of armor, and the knowledge of how to use and manufacture it is almost exclusively a Mandalorian secret. So it probably contributes to them feeling special. No different than the legends of Damascus steel.

Interestingly, the prop they used for the Beskar ingot was clearly made by the Damascus method. Though unlike the smiths of antiquity, we still can't figure out how to get carbon nanotubes into the steel.

 gorgon wrote:
Feels to me like people are trying to back into their expectations with regard to the Mando. I don't get any impression that he's some sort of trainee. He's just not superhuman, to LunarSol's point. So yes, taking on big monsters and giant tanks can be a problem for a lone guy with a rifle.

Dude, are you kidding?

The protag better damn well be a greenhorn. It doesn’t make sense for him to be alive unless we are seeing the beginning of his career as a bounty hunter. Because outside of his quickdraw, he’s a disgrace to the profession.

Like you say, he’s a lone guy with a rifle (and a pistol and, most deadly of all, a boot knife). A single guy who, as a job, voluntarily walks into lethal situations. He’s also not a mercenary or an assassin. He is a bounty hunter. A hunter. He is supposed to be capable of stalking quarry. In order to not just survive but actually succeed, he needs to do stuff like scout, observe the prey, be patient, be cunning, be prepared. A decent bounty hunter needs to find and exploit the path of least resistance. Ya know, so he can live to collect his reward.

But literally every time we have seen him in action, he just rushes in with zero or close to zero preparation. Now, this is not a critique of the show because, to the show’s credit, the outcome in three out of four instances of him doing this is he gets his ass beat or would get his ass beat (or even die) if not for someone else’s intervention. And his single unqualified success involves him beating up three lowlife bullies picking on a coward.

To me, this is 100x more interesting than the typical Disney SW bull gak where our flawless badass protagonists can singlehandedly trash an entire platoon of Storm Troopers. This show has potential precisely because the main character is a reckless dumbass who needs to learn and grow as a character.

He did try to observe the compound in the first episode before rushing in. Didn't really work out, but he tried.

 Manchu wrote:

 gorgon wrote:
Feels to me like people are trying to back into their expectations with regard to the Mando. I don't get any impression that he's some sort of trainee. He's just not superhuman, to LunarSol's point. So yes, taking on big monsters and giant tanks can be a problem for a lone guy with a rifle.

Dude, are you kidding?

The protag better damn well be a greenhorn. It doesn’t make sense for him to be alive unless we are seeing the beginning of his career as a bounty hunter. Because outside of his quickdraw, he’s a disgrace to the profession.

Like you say, he’s a lone guy with a rifle (and a pistol and, most deadly of all, a boot knife). A single guy who, as a job, voluntarily walks into lethal situations. He’s also not a mercenary or an assassin. He is a bounty hunter. A hunter. He is supposed to be capable of stalking quarry. In order to not just survive but actually succeed, he needs to do stuff like scout, observe the prey, be patient, be cunning, be prepared. A decent bounty hunter needs to find and exploit the path of least resistance. Ya know, so he can live to collect his reward.

But literally every time we have seen him in action, he just rushes in with zero or close to zero preparation. Now, this is not a critique of the show because, to the show’s credit, the outcome in three out of four instances of him doing this is he gets his ass beat or would get his ass beat (or even die) if not for someone else’s intervention. And his single unqualified success involves him beating up three lowlife bullies picking on a coward.

To me, this is 100x more interesting than the typical Disney SW bull gak where our flawless badass protagonists can singlehandedly trash an entire platoon of Storm Troopers. This show has potential precisely because the main character is a reckless dumbass who needs to learn and grow as a character.

Look, everyone's free to interface with a creative work how they see fit. If your read makes the show more enjoyable for you, so be it. However, I don't think the intent is to show a greenhorn/rookie/bumbling character. He struggles at times because the show is a little more grounded for a SW enterprise and isn't interested in superheroics. Taking down a couple Trandoshians in close combat is a bigger deal in this series. He's cocky and barges into situations at times because it's a western. He's underequipped and somewhat of a diminished Mandolarian because of the state of his people. His past is mysterious at this point, but that doesn't have to mean some big switcheroo. Again, western. I can't fathom what the purpose would be of making him a 'poser', in your words. But if it works for you, great.

I don't think that he means "poser" but rather someone with something to prove. He's got the skills and hardware, but he still has a ways to go, which is represented by slowly obtaining Baskar to reforge his armour.

It's a metaphor for reforging himself. He doesn't seem to have been born a Mando, but was rather taken in by them. So he is trying to prove that he is worthy, either to them or to himself.
At least, that's the impression I am getting.

I just started season 4 of Rebels which is quite Mando-heavy. I'm keeping an eye out for anyone who could be our Mando. He'd be a kid/younger man during the Rebels era. Keeping my ears open for any side characters named Dyn Jarren

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The whole Beskar steel plot element is a pretty clear indication that this character is at the beginning of his development.

It is first mentioned when the cantina bullies ask if his armor is “real Beskar steel” and then rudely knick it, demonstrating it is not — the implication being that they think he’s a phony.

Next up, he is rewarded for getting some Beskar steel for his clan by getting a pauldron. This is his first and only item of Beskar steel, probably meaning that he doesn’t enjoy very high status in his own group (and that obtaining it is what motivates him).

But it’s just obvious that he’s a rookie. Or at the very least he has a unconscious death wish.

 Manchu wrote:
This is his first and only item of Beskar steel, probably meaning that he doesn’t enjoy very high status in his own group (and that obtaining it is what motivates him).

I don't know if it's his first item. His helmet looks like it may be Beskar too since it's the only other shiny-shiny piece of armour. Those bar-bullies only nicked his chest plate

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all of it gets trashed in his rhino battle other than the helmet and pauldron, so those are his two pieces out of maybe eight?

I thought his breastplate was Beskar too. I didn't see any actual damage to it when the cantina thugs attempted to scratch it. Plus it immediately deflects a blaster bolt in the cantina fight scene too.

 Grey Templar wrote:
I thought his breastplate was Beskar too. I didn't see any actual damage to it when the cantina thugs attempted to scratch it. Plus it immediately deflects a blaster bolt in the cantina fight scene too.

But then gets trashed in fight with the rhino critter.

 Grey Templar wrote:
I thought his breastplate was Beskar too. I didn't see any actual damage to it when the cantina thugs attempted to scratch it. Plus it immediately deflects a blaster bolt in the cantina fight scene too.

Unlike most other Star Wars offerings, body armor actually does stuff in this series. However, we see his gear get steadily degraded over the course of the first two episodes. There are several huge dings in the armor from the EP1 firefight (that were not present beforehand), and as stated it gets absolutely bashed to hell by the Reek in EP2.

I don't think Beskar is ever assumed to be invincible. Its only stated unique properties are that it can deflect blaster bolts and resist lightsabers. Physical impacts might be a weakness of the metal.

 Grey Templar wrote:
I don't think Beskar is ever assumed to be invincible. Its only stated unique properties are that it can deflect blaster bolts and resist lightsabers. Physical impacts might be a weakness of the metal.

It isn't. Beskar is used for Mandalorian melee weapons as well as armor.

I mean, it is still a miracle that he is alive after being tossed around by the rhino-thing. Its hardly a criticism that his armor is trashed. It did kept him alive. I don't think it diminishes Beskar for it to get trashed by an alien monster.

I just realized that in addition to all the Indiana Jones referenced in the second episode (like the Jawa tank chase), the Mando being trampled by the furry rhino is very similar to Jango getting trampled by that 3 horn rhino in Attack of the Clones.

So far all the subtle calls backs are hitting the nostalgia button hard

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The armorer's line after being handled one small ingot of beskar: "This is extremely generous. The excess will be used to sponsor many foundlings."

She also says that it was taken in the purge and that it's good to have it back with the tribe. In other words, beskar is now rare among their people and highly valuable (because how much excess could there have been after the pauldron), allowing us to surmise that few Mandalorians would be wearing full suits of the stuff. It's right there in the script.

I *don't think* the breastplate was beskar. The visual cue for beskar in the series seems to be the polished finish.

Of course, the ex-Imperial is sitting on a stash, and

In the show screen on D+ we also see some chrome Storm Troopers right?

We see Death Troopers. No sign of chrome-armoured Stormtroopers.

Episode 3 is out. Baby Yoda continues being a cute overload.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
We see Death Troopers. No sign of chrome-armoured Stormtroopers.

Episode 3 is out. Baby Yoda continues being a cute overload.

I wanna watch right now, but must resist. Must wait until home with family. It's more enjoyable that way
It's gonna be a long work day

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Ice Cream Maker!


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Episode 3 was amazing!

Yeah, but in the end I think what we got was cooler. Also fun to see Favreau suited up in live action.

 Yodhrin wrote:

Spoiler:

Also, am I wrong, or does the scientist guy have the same insignia on his arm as the one worn by the Clone personnel on Kamino?

I suspect we'll find out more as time goes by. the splash screen has other people with him, so I suspect after episode 3 we're going to see the Mando put together a team of his own.

Sterling191 wrote:

Spoiler:

One thing I'm more and more impressed by with each episode is Pedro's capacity to convey emotion without a visible face. Even seemingly simple stuff like the manner in which he walks changes depending on the mood of the character. Physical acting in the era of CGI is far too often an overlooked skill, but in this situation its absolutely critical, and he makes it look so damn easy.

It's helped by clever camera work, but yes, he's impressively expressive.


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 Yodhrin wrote:
Yeah, but in the end I think what we got was cooler. Also fun to see Favreau suited up in live action.

Wasn't actually him in the suit, just his voice.

 Yodhrin wrote:

Spoiler:

It also seems like the Empire didn't react well to Bo-Katan's elevation to Mandalore and the Wren clan's involvement with the Rebellion.

But at the same time, the purge we see isn't being enacted by the Empire (or the Republic, for that matter). Seems everyone wanted a piece of the Mandos.

And I want to know where that purge falls in the timeline compared to the Mando civil war that took place towards the end of the Clone Wars (the one where Maul was involved). We're going to see that in the upcoming season of Clone Wars, but that battle isn't the one we saw with the Super Battle Droids and the Droid Gunship flying overhead in this episode.

Not sure where it all fits.