Warning! SPOILERS for The Mandalorian, season 3, episode 2.The Mandalorian season 3, episode 2, "Chapter 18 - The Mines of Mandalore” just helped solve a Mandalorian armor mystery that has plagued Star Wars for years. Since making its first canon appearance on Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back, Mandalorian armor has become one of the most iconic looks in Star Wars. Not only does it look fiercely intimidating, but it boasts a wide array of functionality. From offensive weapons like whistling birds and Kamino saber darts to defensive tools like shield emitters, Mandalorian armor has been carefully honed to perfection to combat any enemy—especially the Jedi.
Perhaps one of its coolest features is that Mandalorian armor has built-in air conditioning and heating, which allows the wearer to survive comfortably in a variety of temperatures. Yet this raises the question of how airtight Mandalorian armor is, and how it seals shut. On the one hand, characters like Sabine Wren in the Star Wars Rebels season 3 finale can breathe in space while wearing nothing but Mandalorian armor. But on the other, Din Djarin has almost drowned on multiple occasions in The Mandalorian, despite wearing his helmet.
The Mandalorian's Helmet Seals To Survive Harsh Environments
The Mandalorian season 3, episode 2 just proved that Mandalorian helmets do indeed seal at the neck, but that the feature must be switched on in order to activate. When Din and Grogu visit Mandalore for the first time, Din tells Grogu that he will pressurize his armor in order to avoid exposing himself to the potentially deadly atmosphere. While Din goes spelunking in the mines, there is an audible breathing noise—akin to Darth Vader’s rasp—that comes from his helmet, signifying that he is sealed and breathing inside his suit.
The fact that the pressurizing feature on Mandalorian armor toggles on and off also explains why Din has almost drowned in the past. In The Mandalorian season 2, episode 3 when Grogu is almost eaten by a sea monster, Din dives in after him before pressurizing his armor. Because of this, he almost drowns at the hands of Quarren. Meanwhile, Bo-Katan’s ally, Koska Reeves, dives in to save Grogu after pressurizing her helmet and emerges without getting wet. Similarly, Din almost drowns again in season 3, episode 2 when he falls into the pool of Living Waters without pressurizing his helmet, and this ends up revealing the creature in the pool.
Mandalorian Helmets Work Best With A Full Suit Of Armor
While a Mandalorian helmet comes in handy for surviving harsh environments, there's a reason the armor is passed down through generations as a set and not in pieces. In The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6 Boba Fett uses his helmet’s rangefinder to guide his jetpack’s missile in hitting a drop-ship, showing how seamlessly the pieces work together. The helmet alone has few offensive capabilities, and without the rest of the suit, the wearer is vulnerable to blaster fire and other bodily harm. In any case, Din turning on his suit’s pressurizer in The Mandalorian season 3, episode 2 helps dispel the mystery behind Mandalorian armor pressurization.
New episodes of The Mandalorian release every Wednesday on Disney+.