Why Can Some Mandalorians Remove Their Helmets While Others Can’t?

One of the most important themes we have seen in Star Wars during the era of The Mandalorian is how the Mandalorians have been very strict when it comes to their creed. Specifically, they are prohibited from removing their helmets to show their faces to any living thing. However, we have seen in the past and in The Mandalorian that some Mandalorians can remove their helmets. So, why is it that some Mandalorians can remove their helmets while others can’t?

Mandalorians aren’t required to keep their faces concealed through their helmets because that is not a law on Mandalore. But the Mandalorians that keep their faces hidden are only a minority religious group that belong to the Children of the Watch. Din Djarin, the Mandalorian, is a part of this cult.

Thanks to how Bo-Katan Kryze clarified the issue in season 2 of The Mandalorian, we were able to realize that there are different groups of Mandalorians, just as how there are different people in real life following different rules, depending on their cultural and religious beliefs. That said, the same case can be made for the Mandalorians who choose to conceal their faces to the public.

Why Can’t Mandalorians Remove Helmet?

In the Star Wars continuity during the era of The Mandalorian, one of the things that we have noticed is that the Mandalorians that have been revealed during the earlier parts of the series tend to be quite loyal to a creed that they follow down to the last letter. One of the more specific rules that this rigid creed states is that they should never remove their helmets and show their faces to other people.

Throughout The Mandalorian, Din Djarin and the rest of the Mandalorians that were in hiding always reiterated the importance of keeping their helmets on when they are in front of others. And as seen in The Book of Boba Fett, any Mandalorian that has removed his helmet in front of others will be considered apostates and will be stripped of their status as Mandalorians. So, why is it that Mandalorians can’t remove their helmets?

This question should actually be worded differently by saying, “why are some Mandalorians prohibited from removing their helmets?” because of the fact that this is not a general rule that Mandalorians follow.

We have seen in previous Star Wars works such as the animated Clone Wars series that Mandalorians are simply just like any other human or living thing in the sense that they live and walk the streets of Mandalore without wearing their helmet or armor. Even the more traditional Death Watch Mandalorians, who stick by the warrior ways of Mandalore, can reveal their faces to just about anyone.

As such, when The Mandalorian premiered and introduced a new rule regarding their helmets, people were confused. Some fans thought that the entire Star Wars continuity was retconned, even though Clone Wars is considered canon after Disney acquired Lucasfilm. And that was the standing belief, as there was an inconsistency between Clone Wars and The Mandalorian regarding their versions of Mandalorians.

Thankfully, season 2 of The Mandalorian brought this issue to light when Din Djarin came across Bo-Katan Kryze, a character originally introduced in Clone Wars. Bo-Katan and her Mandalorian warriors were not shy about removing their helmets in front of a confused Din Djarin, and this act proved that not all Mandalorians are required to keep their faces hidden.

Bo-Katan’s appearance stayed true to the Star Wars continuity because she went on to tell Din Djarin that his group is a religious Mandalorian cult that forms a minor part of the Mandalorian population. This group that Djarin belongs to is the Children of the Watch, who are the only ones who are not allowed to remove their helmets and show their faces to other people.

So, in short, the reason why some Mandalorians can remove their helmets while others can’t is related to the fact that there are different types of Mandalorians. Bo-Katan and the other mainstream Mandalorians in the events of Clone Wars are not required by main Mandalorian law to keep their faces concealed behind their helmets. On the other hand, Din Djarin’s Children of the Watch are a minority group that is prohibited from removing their helmets in front of others.

Think of it as something similar to real-life society wherein there are different groups with different sets of rules. For example, the Amish people tend to live a simple life with a certain set of rules that they need to follow regarding how they dress. And in Islamic culture, we know that women are required to wear veils called hijabs whenever they are in public.

What Is The Mandalorian Helmet Rule?

There are no exact specifics about the helmet rule that the Mandalorians follow. However, these statements are often reiterated by the cult’s de facto leader, The Armorer, whenever Din Djarin came across her: “Have you ever removed your helmet?” and “Has it ever been removed by others?”.

Meanwhile, back in season 2 of The Mandalorian, Mayfield once asked Din Djarin the specifics of their rule because of the very fact that, at that point, he was wearing a stormtrooper suit and kept his face hidden behind the stormtrooper helmet. Mayfield said, “Is it that you can’t take off your Mando helmet, or you can’t show your face? ‘Cause there is a difference.”

Apparently, based on the fact that Din Djarin had no problems with wearing a stormtrooper helmet for a mission, the rule regarding the Mandalorians’ helmet seems to be related mostly to the concealment of their faces and not exactly the helmets per se. They usually only reiterate the rule on not removing their helmets because it follows that, whenever they remove their helmets, they show their faces to other people.

Then again, in the finale episode of season 1 of The Mandalorian, the rule also seems to have a loophole. The reprogrammed assassin droid that helped Djarin asked him to remove his helmet so that he could heal his injuries and keep him alive. However, Din Djarin told it that no living thing had seen him without his helmet, to which the droid replied that it was not a living thing.

As such, it could be possible that the rule is only limited to not showing their faces to other people, as Djarin realized that the droid was not a living thing. In summary, the Mandalorian helmet rule is more in line with how they shouldn’t be removing their helmets to show their faces in front of living things.

Why Did Mando Take Off His Helmet In Season 2?

Even though Din Djarin may be quite loyal to his Mandalorian creed, he has removed his helmet a total of four times since his introduction. However, the most important times he removed his helmet were the times he did so in season 2 of The Mandalorian. So, why did he take his helmet off in those instances?

The first instance when Din Djarin removed his helmet in season 2 of The Mandalorian was in relation to a mission that was important to him because it was the only way he could recover Grogu, who had become the most important thing in his life to the point that it was more important to him than his creed. Djarin had to remove his helmet in that instance so that his eyes could be used for a retinal scan in the Imperial base that they infiltrated.

Meanwhile, the second time that he did so was when Luke had saved them from the remnants of the Empire in the final episode of season 2. Grogu was ready to say goodbye to him when Luke was about to take charge of his care and training. Din Djarin removed his helmet in that instance so that he could say goodbye to his friend face to face.

As such, those instances proved that Din Djarin valued his relationship and loyalty to Grogu more than his Mandalorian creed. And this was the character development that the fans needed to see from a Mandalorian who once stayed true to his rigid code.

Can Mandalorians Take Off Their Helmets In Front Of Family?

One of the things that made people wonder about what Mandalorians who specifically belong to the Children of the Watch can or cannot do is related to whether or not they can take their helmets off in front of their family. However, this was never answered properly, but there is an interesting discussion about this topic.

It is hinted in that discussion that Mandalorians who belong to the Children of the Watch are probably prohibited from having their own families. They can choose to have families, but they would have to leave behind their Mandalorian community and become apostates, as Djarin actually flirted with the possibility of settling down in episode 4 of The Mandalorian.

Of course, there is also the discussion in relation to how the Children of the Watch increase their numbers. The fact that they are very few of them suggests that the only way they increase their numbers is through Mandalorian foundlings like Din Djarin himself. This supports the possibility that they are like Jedi in the sense that they are not allowed to have families of their own as long as they stay true to the Mandalorian creed.

This also answers the query regarding how Mandalorians kiss. Basically, they can’t kiss one another as long as they are part of the Children of the Watch. However, as hinted back in season 1, sexual encounters are not entirely out of the picture for them.

How Do Mandalorians Eat If They Can’t Remove Their Helmet?

Mandalorians can eat by removing their helmets, just like how regular people eat. This was answered back in season 1 when Din Djarin took his helmet off to eat inside a hut. But the most important part here is that he should only do so while he is alone because they are prohibited from showing their faces to other people.

Why Does Jango Remove His Helmet?

Considering that we saw Jango Fett removing his helmet back in Episode II: Attack of the Clones, the possibility is that he was never part of a religious group like the Children of the Watch. 

However, Jango is a Mandalorian because he was a foundling that pledged himself to a Mandalorian clan and even fought during the Mandalorian Civil Wars. After the wars, he left his life as a Mandalorian to pursue the life of a bounty hunter.

So, it could still be possible that Jango may have been similar to Din Djarin. But when he left his clan to become a bounty hunter, he may have totally disregarded his Mandalorian creed.

Why Can Boba Fett Remove His Helmet?

Boba Fett is a Mandalorian by extension because his father was a Mandalorian foundling. However, Boba never lived in a Mandalorian community or under Mandalorian rules. Instead, he lived life traveling around the galaxy with Jango to learn the tricks of the trade as a bounty hunter.

This means that Boba Fett never adopted Mandalorian culture and traditions, even though he is a de facto Mandalorian by virtue of the fact that his father was a Mandalorian.

What Happens If A Mandalorian Removes Helmet?

If we are talking about regular Mandalorians who form part of the majority of the Mandalorian society, then there is nothing wrong with showing their faces. In fact, during the time of the New Mandalorians, the Mandalorians walked the streets without any armor.

However, as seen in The Book of Boba Fett, the Children of the Watch would be stripped of their status as Mandalorians if ever they were to take their helmets off in front of other living things. That was what happened to Din Djarin, who was declared an apostate when The Armorer banished him from their sect.