The Hidden Cowboy

 Our depictions of cowboys riding on horseback going from town to town to bring order to a orderless place, isn’t always the indicator of a cowboy being present in different ways than we’d expect. For instance, look at The Mandalorian from Star Wars. That entire show is essentially an unconventional western with a space take on a modern day cowboy.

So, what makes Mando a cowboy? Mando is a guy that sticks to his creed, it’s what guides him. He travels from frontier town to frontier town on these desolate planets to carry out bounties, but always ends up with him weeding out corruption or taking on an external threat to the towns people. He’s tough and rugged, and speaks very little. Being that ultimate “man’s man” is an important characteristic in being a cowboy, never being scared to stand up for what’s right and abandoning their moral code when they come across people in danger and in need of help. The Mandalorian has episode after episode that showcase Mando’s willingness to stand up for what is right and be this traveling hero from town to town, never staying long but making an impact and imposing his order on those that are taking advantage of small towns people.

There are several aspects to this show that connect it to a typical narrative of being a western and/or a cowboy story. Specifically to The Mandalorian he falls under that wanderer type of cowboy where he doesn’t seek out trouble but rather always seems to stumble into it. Now I know that he is a bounty hunter, therefore he technically is always searching out trouble, but pretty much all of the encounters are not from the bounty he is seeking but from another source of wild west behavior from the town or village he traveled to. When he shows up in these places he finds himself having to defend the people from different types of gangs or monsters that have been terrorizing these people, restoring order where there was none. The Mandalorian isn’t your typical western and Mando your typical cowboy, but they are very much a part of the genre with typical portrayals in untypical settings, making it a unique yet familiar watch.