Symbolic and Literal Compromises in The Mandalorian’s “The Believer”
By: Valerie Estelle Frankel
Tags: Mandalorian, Masks, Symbolism, Star Wars, The Mandalorian

This is an episode of compromises. Partnering with Fennic Shand and Boba Fett, whom Mando doesn’t entirely trust, is only the beginning. But the Child has been stolen and Mando is quickly discovering what he’ll do to retrieve him.

Next, he has Cara get Mayfield out of prison so he can get them into an Imperial base. “All you need to know is I bent a lot of rules to bring you along,” Mando announces, and soon he’s piling up the compromises. This involves killing pirates to protect the shipment and deliver it safely to Imperials. It also involves dressing as a helmeted trooper, a compromise on his Mandalorian ethics. “Unless you’re gonna take off that helmet, it’s gonna be me goin’ in alone. Or say goodbye to your little green friend,” Mayfield tells him, and Mando reluctantly dons Imperial armor with its concealing helmet — all to save the child. This is a parenting metaphor, of course, of putting aside one’s pride, rules, and everything else to protect the baby. Of course, Mayfield makes things worse by mocking him: “Look at this. Oh, the shame. Now, that right there is worth the price of admission.”

As Mando and Mayfield drive together, Mayfield jokes about the symbolism of what they’re transporting: “Looks like rhydonium. Highly volatile and explosive. Yeah, kinda like this one, huh.” Mayfield is a foil and trickster, who punctures Mando’s self-image. While driving together, Mayfield needles him further on making compromises as well as thinking he’s on the side of righteousness: “Yeah. Empire, New Republic. It’s all the same to these people. Invaders on their land is all we are. I’m just sayin’, somewhere someone in this galaxy is ruling and others are being ruled. I mean, look at your race. Do you think all those people that died in wars fought by Mandalorians actually had a choice? So how are they any different than the Empire?” As he concludes, “Hey, I’m just a realist. I’m a survivor, just like you.” Uncomfortable at the truths he’s pushed to face, Mando denies this, repelled by the amoral, lawless man, and Mayfield points out the hypocrisy here:

I don’t know. Seems to me like your rules start to change when you get desperate. I mean, look at ya. You said you couldn’t take your helmet off, and now you got a stormtrooper one on, so what’s the rule? Is it that you can’t take off your Mando helmet, or you can’t show your face? ’Cause there is a difference. Look, I’m just sayin’, we’re all the same. Everybody’s got their lines they don’t cross until things get messy. As far as I’m concerned, if you can make it through your day and still sleep at night, you’re doin’ better than most.

After this comes Mando’s impressive gunfight, in which he battles pirates not so different from himself to defend the Empire’s shipment. Even as they’re overwhelmed, Imperials save them and cheer as Mando’s truck rolls into base. It’s quite a vision of an alternate life in which he might have been a joiner, a teammate…and a villain.

Mando’s not the only one confronting missed chances. Mayfield actually was an Imperial and he too is dressing as another self — the self he abandoned long ago. Unlike Mando, he has no one to fight for and he is more easily frightened off. When Mayfield sees his old commander and balks, Mando agrees to go in and doff his helmet for the scanner. However, he doesn’t expect guards to call him out. Unmasked before them, he’s panicked and speechless in a way he’s never been. Feeling sympathy for this endangered helpless partner, Mayfield is thus inspired to come to the rescue and speak for him, even as he identifies Mando as “Brown Eyes,” calling further attention to his features. Now Mando has been exposed before Mayfield too — someone who knows he’s a Mandalorian and understands his creed.

Of course, Valin Hess insists they go for a drink, entrapping them. Mayfield reminds him of his lost friends and then shoots him, finishing the scene by offering Mando yet another compromise: “You did what you had to do. I never saw your face.” Mando accepts and lets him live. In a final compromise, he and Cara let him walk away. He’s gotten the code he needs but learned quite a lot about how much he’ll give up to get it.

He ends the episode taking one more step into darkness, albeit a symbolic one. He messages Moff Gideon and mirrors his own words: “Moff Gideon. You have something I want. You may think you have some idea what you are in possession of, but you do not. Soon, he will be back with me. He means more to me than you will ever know.” Having donned Imperial armor, masqueraded as one, fought as one, and even removed his helmet as one, he understands his adversary better and is prepared to take the fight to them. Having walked on the dark side and learned quite personally how far he’ll go, he’s ready for the final conflict.

Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of Hunting for Meaning in The Mandalorian: An Unauthorized Guide to Homages, Symbols and Backstory along with many books on female symbolism in series like Game of Thrones and Doctor Who.