User blog comment:TheOne1000/Mandarin Twist/@comment-24308873-20131027192918/@comment-4652104-20131028051447

ADour is right.

The ma in thing is. Mandarin is an organiser, a leader, the Hans holding the string. Mallen is a Leone gunman, a hands-on killer without a plan. The Mandarin revels in his intlligence, his plans. Mallen jest revels in his powers and brute strebgth.

In the movie Killian only confronts Tony personally at the very end. Mostly he pulls the strings. That brings him closer to the Mandarin.