The newest season, The Mandalorian, comes out on March 1 on Disney +. Part of the Star Wars Universe, The Mandalorian follows Din Djarin "Mando," a member of the Mandalorian clan Mudhorn. The story tracks his adventures across the galaxy as a bounty hunter and his quest for identity. We last saw Din Djarin in The Book of Boba Fett, helping his fellow masked bounty hunter Boba Fett keep his hold as crime lord of Jabba the Hutt's former territory. 

I am a huge Star Wars fan and have eagerly awaited the newest season of the Mandalorian to drop. One of the aspects of the show I find fascinating and enjoy the most is the use of masked rituals and performances.  

When I first started watching the, I disliked the helmet covering Din Djarin's face. Although this feature becomes an integral part of the plot and raises questions about beliefs, cults, and the sanctity of vows, getting accustomed to not seeing the actor's face is an adjustment. I was used to relying on facial expressions to convey emotion and story. Mando's mask deprived me of that tool, and it unsettled me. With animation, puppets, and other forms of non-human storytelling, audiences still have faces and eyes to transmit meaning. But Mando wears a mask, which forces the audience to pay attention to the nuances of how voice and body can express feelings and character. 

I had to let go of my desire for Din Djarin's face. I had to accept the convention and trust that the story would unfold. As the tale engrossed me, I cared less and less about seeing Mando's face. Pedro Pascal's performance and command over his voice and body are exceptional. It did not matter if I could see his face because I felt everything I needed to feel. It was almost like watching a spirit "possess" an inanimate object, one without eyes, mouth, or any discernable features, and bring to life a character. 

Masks show up in cultures and mythologies worldwide, holding special value in religious practice and rituals. European traditions of masks are Mardi Gras, Carnival, and Masquerade, celebrations that stem from older ritual performances. Although often associated with ancient practices or considered outdated and traditional, masks also have a place in contemporary mythologies, such as Halloween and Superheroes. 

The art of using masks during a ritual or performance is not a technology. It has been around for a long time. Cultures worldwide have used, and still use, masks for performances, rituals, protection, ceremonies, and many others. Masks appear in archeological artifacts, art, and writing, attesting to their importance in human cultures. They are important symbols of myth and spiritualism, imbued with human creativity and artistry, and play essential roles in ritual practice. Masking during a ritual allows for liminal space to arise. Liminal space is between extortionary or sacred experiences and ordinary or mundane experiences. Masks transform the participants, views, and ritual performers and "elicit a transformative state by means of metaphor" (Merril 18). During a ritual, masks create new extortionary identities and hide the ordinary ones. "In that moment, fleeting though it may be, a deeply constitutive and communicative act occurs, one that dissolves the dissembling consciousness of the participants."

In China, the use of masks is ancient; however, one of the more popular and secretive forms is "Bian Lian," which translates to "Face Changing." It is a part of the Sichuan Opera. The performers change masks quickly and fluidly, using various techniques to hide the change. Sometimes they wear up to 20 different masks and can swap in seconds. Various stylized masks or colors convey other expressions, characters, and emotions.

The Athenian Greek Comedy and Tragedy masks are today's most recognizable masks to signify theatre. Originating around 535 BCE, the actors wore masks in the Theatre for Dionysius. Although not designed to convey emotions, they represented different characters. Historians think that the theater incorporated masks from earlier forms of ritualistic worship.

Various tribes throughout Africa use masks in performances, celebrations, rituals, and ceremonies. The use of masking enables the performer to step away from the everyday. The masks represent spirits or ancestors that come to life through the performances. In Nigeria, one annual masking celebration is Gelede, which honors mothers as female elders. 

 Entering a theater or dimming the lights to watch at home is not unlike attending a temple, church, or other sacred space. Watching a film is entering into a ritual performance and space where you will come into contact with the spirits possessing the performers. I am not watching an actor act, but instead, an incarnation of a god, an avatar, enact the sacred story.  Star Wars The Mandalorian is just one in a long line of masked performances, and they do it well.