Marvel, DC, and Star Wars are known for focusing on their male characters, it was only later that these big franchises began to make room for their female ensemble. In the Star Wars original trilogy, Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia was the only key female character. Fisher's major part is one of the reasons the female representation in the media has gradually changed its course, but the development took its toll, and starring in one of Star Wars current shows, The Mandalorian, Emily Swallow reflected on the pressure Fisher had to endure because of being a key figure in the franchise.
During her panel at the FAN EXPO Cleveland, Swallow, who portrays The Armorer in The Mandalorian, sympathized with the pressure that Fisher dealt with for a long time after serving as an icon for the franchise, especially now that she is part of the movement to bring forth as many strong female characters on screen. “I mean, what a lot of pressure that put on Carrie Fisher to have to be the one hero female for a while! I think it's wonderful the range of women now that we have in Star Wars and the fact that it's not that remarkable that they're women,” said Swallow.
The actress further explained, “They're just people. I really love that about The Armorer. I love that she's in this position of leadership and she is respected and looked up to and it doesn't seem to be anything exceptional that she's a woman. She is this powerful spiritual leader of these people and it doesn't seem like she's an exception to the rule. And I love that. I love that we notice she's a woman and then that stands out to us, but she's just awesome.”
The prequel film trilogy was the only time Star Wars fans saw another significant female character on screen if we're not to count Aunt Belle or Mon Mothma among the key characters in those first three films. Debuting Armor with an important role without a hint that she was a woman the way Katee Sackhoff's Bokatan Kryze did. It proves how far Star Wars has come since the days when the pressure of female representation was a big deal.
The Armorer might not appear as often as Din Djarin or Grogu, but she has been a consistent part of The Mandalorian since the beginning. There are still a lot of questions surrounding Swallow’s character, so fans can keep their fingers crossed that the show’s build-up is not for nothing and that they will make use of the character’s principal figure. After all, she is yet to show her face in the series.
The Mandalorian is streaming on Disney+.
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