The Mandalorian Explained: Real Name, Face Under Mask, Origin & Backstory

The Mandalorian finally delves into the personal details of Pedro Pascal’s eponymous hero. The first season of Disney+’s The Mandalorian has been a resounding success, praised by Star Wars fans old and new for its story, concept and visuals, while capturing the mainstream audience’s attention with the addition of the lovable Baby Yoda. The all-round popularity of The Mandalorian is perhaps even more surprising given the aura of mystery surrounding its lead character. For virtually the entire first season, the audience doesn’t learn Mando’s real name, they don’t see his face, and only snippets of backstory are given.

It’s testament to The Mandalorian‘s creative team that a character who exposes so little in both literal and metaphorical terms can make such a strong connection with viewers, and have them firmly onside when doing battle against the Empire or trying to avoid the latest in a string of nefarious bounty hunter pursuers. Of course, it was inevitable that the veil would be lifted at some point, and season 1’s finale episode provides plenty of information that fans had been asking for since The Mandalorian first dropped.

“Redemption” not only gives away Mando’s real name, but also takes the bold step of removing his sacred helmet for the first time, while also filling in the narrative gaps of his backstory. Here’s everything revealed about the Mandalorian by the conclusion of season 1.

The Mandalorian’s Real Name Is Din Djarin

After 7 episodes of “Mando” “the bounty hunter” and “the character played by Pedro Pascal,” The Mandalorian finally reveals that its lead character is called Din Djarin. Although this name holds no prior significance in itself, the manner of its reveal certainly has major implications for the already-confirmed The Mandalorian season 2. The one to reveal Din Djarin’s real name is Moff Gideon, who claims to have been present during the Siege of Mandalore and later whips out the Mandalorian Darksaber. As Din himself surmises, Gideon is obviously someone with considerable access to Mandalorian records, likely as a result of his part in the Great Purge.

Moving forward, Djarin is unlikely to start broadcasting his real name, so the title probably won’t become a common utterance in The Mandalorian season 2, but the knowledge does at least bring the character and the audience closer together. Of course, a large chunk of said audience were likely already familiar with the name, since Pascal himself revealed it during an interview back in November.

What Din Djarin Looks Like In The Mandalorian

Pedro Pascal, essentially. Din had previously claimed that to remove his Mandalorian helmet would be tantamount to betraying his people, and he would no longer be considered one of them if another person saw his true face. This claim created an canon contradiction, since other Mandalorians have removed their helmets without an issue in Star Wars‘ animated TV shows. The conflict also fueled preexisting rumors that the real reason Mando wouldn’t show his face was due to some kind of scarring or disfigurement. “Redemption” disproves that notion, revealing that Din looks just like a regular guy, and the only reason he wants to remain unseen is out of clan loyalty.

The scene highlights this loyalty in no uncertain terms, with Din willing to die in order to protect his anonymity, but a loophole is found by having IG-11 administer medical treatment, avoiding another “living being” seeing Din’s face, and thus protecting his Mandalorian vow. Now that the helmet has been lifted once, however, expect more of Pedro Pascal’s face in The Mandalorian season 2.

Din Djarin’s Clone Wars Origin

It was hinted as early as The Mandalorian‘s trailer release that the lead character was a victim of the Clone Wars but, up until episode 8 at least, Din’s full origin story hadn’t been told. The season 1 finale’s flashback scenes show that a young Din and his parents were collateral damage in a CIS attack during the Clone Wars, with Separatist ships and Super Battle Droids indiscriminately mowing down innocent civilians. Din’s parents hide their child in a storage container, which manages to protect him from an incoming explosion that kills his mother and father. A Super Battle Droid investigates Din’s hiding place and goes to shoot, but the youngster and the town are saved by the arrival of the Death Watch.

The Death Watch were an offshoot of Mandalorians who rebelled against their planet’s shift from traditional warrior values. Although initially allied to the CIS, the Death Watch soon find themselves at odds with the movement, and this is likely when The Mandalorian‘s flashback occurs. Interestingly, Darth Maul was one of the Death Watch’s leaders during this period, but the rescue mission appears to take place before he took control. It’s also worth noting that the Death Watch have a history of staging attacks and then stopping them to court public support…

What Else The Mandalorian Has Revealed About Din Djarin’s Backstory

Following his rescue by the Death Watch, Din was taken in by the Mandalorians as a Foundling, an orphan to be raised in the creed of Mandalore, despite not hailing from the planet directly. It’s evident that Din feels enormous gratitude at his upbringing, since he helps fund present-day Foundlings and takes the ways of the Mandalorians very seriously. After becoming a fully-fledged member of the Tribe and gaining his armor, Din joined the bounty hunter’s guild, while also forming an alliance with fellow outlaws Malk, Xi’an and Qin, who are introduced in episode 6. The group split, and it’s implied that Din’s actions were somehow to blame.

Of course, this still leaves plenty of backstory to be explored in The Mandalorian season 2. Din’s true planet of origin, his training with the Mandalorians and his early years as a bounty hunter all remain unexplored, but could add intriguing color to the character in future episodes.

What We Know About Din’s Story Outside Of The Mandalorian

Thanks to both The Mandalorian and other Star Wars ventures, several key moments in Din’s life can be pieced together. As referenced by Gideon, the Siege of Mandalore was a significant moment in the development of Din’s adopted planet, and this is set to be explored further in season 7 of The Clone Wars. The siege pits the Jedi-fronted Republic against Darth Maul as he seeks to seize control of Mandalore’s governance, while being opposed by a splinter group of warriors he used to lead in the Death Watch. Din would’ve still been young when the siege took place, and this might explain the significance of the Night of 1000 Tears Gideon mentions, in which numerous Mandalorian recruits were slaughtered. How Din survived the siege and what role he played remains to be seen.

Another key event is the Great Purge – something that has only been referenced in The Mandalorian thus far. Following the Siege of Mandalore, the planet fell under Republic control, and subsequently became Imperial territory following the rise to power of the Emperor. It’s said that the Great Purge saw the Empire steal much of the Mandalorians’ Beskar steel and the remaining warriors were forced to adopt a nomadic life in the shadows, heavily suggesting that the Empire eventually seized full control of Mandalore and made a good fist of wiping their people out entirely. The story of the Great Purge could be explored in The Mandalorian season 2, especially if the Armorer makes her return, and the event looks certain to play a key role in understanding Din Djarin’s history.

The Mandalorian season 2 premieres in Fall 2020 on Disney+.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3630 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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