Bryce Dallas Howard sheds light on a critical Mandalorian mystery
The prolific Mandalorian director answers a huge lore question from a young fan.
The Mandalorian has had many of its mysteries solved. What’s Baby Yoda’s name? Why can Bo-Katan take off her helmet but Mando can’t? What does a Space Boston accent sound like? But while we have answers to all of those, there are still some pressing questions. Bryce Dallas Howard, director of multiple Mandalorian episodes, recently answered a young fan’s question and shed a little light on the mysterious ways of The Mandalorian.
In an interview with Romper, writer Elizabeth Angell briefly handed over the line of questioning to her 12-year-old son, Henry, who had pressing inquiries about the properties of beskar, the seemingly-invincible metal that makes up all Mandalorian armor.
H: Mando seems to be able to be shot multiple times in the chest without taking any damage. But that seems weird to me because, even though he wouldn't sustain any damage to his suit, wouldn't he get injured on the inside and need some time to recover? You're being shot at by lasers.
BDH: You're absolutely right. He's very strong, and in Mandalorian culture, they're trained to be warriors, and so they can do that. But then, that's where bacta spray comes in as well. Because he doesn't have a bacta tank like Boba, but bacta spray is helpful. But you are absolutely right.
Bacta spray used on an injured Din Djarin.
Bacta spray was first seen in The Mandalorian Season 1, when IG-11 used it to heal Mando after he removed his helmet to give us our first glimpse at the man underneath. It was also used in an episode of The Book of Boba Fett that Howard directed, after Mando accidentally sliced his leg with the Darksaber. But apparently bacta spray isn’t a complete panacea for blaster fire.
If Howard is to be believed, there’s a lot of recovery and downtime in the Mandalorian lifestyle that we don’t see. Howard also teased some more upcoming adventures, including Ahsoka, which she claims will be rewarding for fans of The Clone Wars.
Bryce Dallas Howard on the set of The Mandalorian.
What does this mean for fans of The Mandalorian? Well, if bacta spray is weighing so heavily on Howard’s perception of the series, it’s clear we’re going to see more of it in the future, which was already hinted at by Boba Fett’s long bacta tank sequences in The Book of Boba Fett.
No matter what, it’s clear Bryce Dallas Howard has done her homework. The future of Star Wars is safe in her hands: If she can withstand the questioning of a 12-year-old fan, then she can guide the franchise in the right direction.
The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+.
