Pascal’s remark goes to show how well the actor understands Din Djarin as a character. Ever since the beginning of The Mandalorian, The Creed has been a staple of Mando’s life, but this was visibly shaken due to the arrival of the Yoda-like toddler.

In an interview with IndieWire, Pedro Pascal opened up about Din Djarin’s decision to remove his helmet for Grogu during the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian. The actor admitted that it was “almost impossible” to imagine the “overwhelming paralysis” of Mando to not remove his helmet, but Pascal pointed out that it had to be done in order to save Grogu.:

The entire idea of getting to inhabit somebody who, since they were a child, no human has seen their face. it was almost impossible to imagine the level of nakedness and exposure, the overwhelming paralysis. It can’t happen, but it’s a mission and the child has to be saved. It was a super-exciting dance of profound, incredible restraint and total exposure. I can count on my one hand the lines the character had. On the other hand, he’s desperately trying to hide in a room without a mask with his face exposed. It was cool and it was strange.”

Pascal then shared his reaction to the impact of Grogu touching his face to the worldwide audience. The actor revealed that Din “tries to not let himself soften” during the scene, but he ultimately surrendered to the moment since “he cannot help himself.”

“At that point, I knew what it would mean for everyone to experience that kind of threshold between the character and the child. We follow this story for two seasons; there’s this bond that grows between the two of them. He tries to not let himself soften, but he cannot help himself. This practical story logic brought something else about that moment, what it would mean to touch his face.”

Season 1 might’ve provided clues that Mando is unwilling to break the aforementioned code, but it’s clear during Season 2 that no rule will ever stop the famed bounty hunter from saving The Child. There were proverbial hints throughout the show’s sophomore run that widely suggest that the helmet rule is poised to be broken. In a way, Din’s act of removing the helmet in front of his allies essentially hints that he is ready to forego the Mandalorians’ creed, and the final nail in the coffin is Grogu’s departure.