The Mandalorians in The Mandalorian were renowned for their famously tough beskar armor, but there’s one big flaw in their shell that rarely gets talked about. Since it is one of the few materials in the galaxy that is resistant to lightsabers and blaster bolts, beskar alloy is highly coveted. When Din Djarin changed his armor to a full new set of beskar back in The Mandalorian season 1, the Armorer made a point to tell him it would attract many eyes.
Similar to Frodo in The Lord of the Rings with his mithril armor, Din’s beskar helmet and armor are likely worth tens of thousands of credits. Part of beskar’s worth comes from how protective it is. Whoever wears beskar is generally safe from lightsabers, Sarlacc acid, or even Rancor teeth. Blaster fire, on the other hand, can sometimes pose a problem. Of course, bolts that hit the armor would simply ricochet off. But a well-placed shot from a standard blaster could still slip past the gaps in beskar armor, injuring the wearer.
Is A Mandalorian Allowed To Remove Their Armor (Not Just Their Helmet)?
The Mandalorian introduced the helmet creed to Star Wars, but the question of whether or not that includes other armor is left to be answered.
Head Shots Could Still Kill Mandalorians – Even With Helmets
In the Star Wars: The Mandalorian Junior Novel by Joe Schreiber, Din Djarin actually makes a point to say that—helmet or not—a headshot from IG-11 could kill him. This brings up a shocking weakness in Mandalorian helmets. Despite their protective prowess, a blaster bolt to the head was still enough to injure and kill the wearer. There are two reasons as to why beskar helmets were ineffective against headshots. The first reason is that the whiplash from a close range headshot was likely enough to concuss the head inside the helmet.
The second reason a beskar helmet could fail is due to the T-visor. While the majority of the helmet is made from beskar, the visor needs to be transparent. It’s unknown what material is used for the visor, but it is likely a form of transparisteel, a kind of clear alloy often used in starfighter windows. Because transparisteel isn’t as strong as beskar, a direct blaster shot or even a projectile could damage or shatter it, exposing the face to injury. Examples of this can be seen after the Children of the Watch are wiped out on Nevarro, as there are several cracked helmets in the Armorer’s pile of armor.
Din Djarin’s Wounds On Nevarro Prove This
Meanwhile, Din Djarin shows how Mandalorian helmets are ineffective against whiplash in The Mandalorian season 1 finale. After Moff Gideon detonates an explosion right in front of Din, Din almost dies due to concussive injuries he sustains from the blast. As Cara Dune puts it, Din “got his bell rung.” If the Mandalorian’s helmet is the bell, then the head inside is the clapper. In any case, even though Din will likely be wearing his helmet in The Mandalorian from now on, he still needs to be careful of facial injury.
