Mandalorians are fictional people associated with the planet
Mandalore
Mandalorians are fictional people associated with the planet Mandalore in the ''Star Wars'' universe and franchise created by George Lucas. Their most distinct cultural features are their battle helmets, chest armor, wrist gauntlets, and ofte ...
in the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' universe and franchise created by
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
. Their most distinct cultural features are their battle helmets, chest armor, wrist gauntlets, and often
jet pack
A jet pack, rocket belt, or rocket pack is a device worn on the back which uses jets of gas or liquid to propel the wearer through the air. The concept has been present in science fiction for almost a century and became widespread in the 1960s. ...
s, similar to those used by
Boba Fett
Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel fi ...
and his father/clone host,
Jango Fett
Jango Fett is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, created by George Lucas. He first appeared as an antagonist in the 2002 film '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'', played by Temuera Morrison. The character is a ...
.
First conceptualized for ''
The Empire Strikes Back
''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
'' as a group of white-armored "
supercommandos", the idea developed into a single
bounty hunter
A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...
character, Boba Fett. Although Fett was not identified as a Mandalorian in the film, his popularity inspired an extensive inquisition into Mandalorians in future ''Star Wars'' media, including
novels
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...
,
comics
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
,
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
, and
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
.
The
''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe and the television series ''
The Clone Wars'', ''
Rebels
Rebels may refer to:
* Participants in a rebellion
* Rebel groups, people who refuse obedience or order
* Rebels (American Revolution), patriots who rejected British rule in 1776
Film and television
* ''Rebels'' (film) or ''Rebelles'', a 2019 ...
'', and ''
The Mandalorian
''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, beginning five years after the events of ''Retur ...
'' expanded upon Mandalorian lore with the introduction of additional characters, and established the Mandalorians not as an "alien race or species", but a distinct
ideology
An ideology is a set of beliefs or philosophies attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely epistemic, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones." Formerly applied pri ...
of humans and various aliens from Mandalore and nearby worlds united by a common
creed
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The ea ...
with a
stoic
Stoic may refer to:
* An adherent of Stoicism; one whose moral quality is associated with that school of philosophy
*STOIC, a programming language
* ''Stoic'' (film), a 2009 film by Uwe Boll
* ''Stoic'' (mixtape), a 2012 mixtape by rapper T-Pain
*' ...
, spartan
warrior tradition.
Creation and development
In production for ''
The Empire Strikes Back
''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
'' (1980),
Ralph McQuarrie
Ralph Angus McQuarrie (; June 13, 1929 – March 3, 2012) was an American conceptual designer and illustrator. His career included work on the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, the original ''Battlestar Galactica'' television series, the film '' ...
and
Joe Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston II (born May 13, 1950) is an American film director, producer, writer, and visual effects artist. He is best known for directing effects-driven films, including ''Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'' (1989), ''Jumanji'' (1995 ...
designed armor intended to be worn by soldiers described as super-commandos from the Mandalore system, armed with weapons built into white suits and known for battling the
Jedi
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
.
Initially, the soldiers were called Super Troopers and were intended to look alike. The group eventually developed into a single
bounty hunter
A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...
character,
Boba Fett
Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel fi ...
, and the costume was reworked, but it retained elements such as wrist lasers, rocket darts, a jetpack, and a rocket.
In a 1979 issue of ''
Bantha Tracks
''Star Wars Insider'' is the official ''Star Wars'' magazine. It began in 1987 as the official magazine of ''The Lucasfilm Fan Club'', and was renamed in 1994 to coincide with the release of ''Star Wars: TIE Fighter''.
Its contents include sto ...
'', the newsletter of the Official ''Star Wars'' Fan Club, Boba's armor was described as that of the "Imperial Shocktroopers, warriors from the olden time" who "came from the far side of the galaxy" and are few in number because they "were wiped out by the Jedi Knights during the
Clone Wars Clone Wars may refer to:
Star Wars Film and television
* ''Star Wars: Clone Wars'' (2003 TV series), an American animated television series set in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy
* ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (2008 TV series), an American 3D CGI anim ...
". The backstory of the Mandalorians was first extensively explored in issues of
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
' original ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' series and
various other ''Star Wars Legends'' media, including comics by
Dark Horse
A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might.
Origin
Th ...
and video games by
LucasArts
Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game brand licensing, licensor that is part of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as ...
.
''
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' (2002) introduces the bounty hunter
Jango Fett
Jango Fett is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, created by George Lucas. He first appeared as an antagonist in the 2002 film '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'', played by Temuera Morrison. The character is a ...
, who also wore Mandalorian armor, and was the adoptive father of Boba, a
clone of Jango. More spin-off material explored Mandalorian lore, including the violent Death Watch sect. Following the acquisition of
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the ''Star Wars'' and ' ...
by
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
in 2014, most existing spin-off material was declared to be non-canon. Only the films and spin-off works produced after April 25, 2014, are part of the restructured canon, including television series such as ''
The Clone Wars'', ''
Rebels
Rebels may refer to:
* Participants in a rebellion
* Rebel groups, people who refuse obedience or order
* Rebels (American Revolution), patriots who rejected British rule in 1776
Film and television
* ''Rebels'' (film) or ''Rebelles'', a 2019 ...
'', and ''
The Mandalorian
''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, beginning five years after the events of ''Retur ...
'', the latter of which heavily focuses on the Mandalorian creed.
Appearances
Film
Mandalorians made their live action cinematic debut in ''
The Empire Strikes Back
''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
'' (1980), with the bounty hunter
Boba Fett
Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel fi ...
, a supporting
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
. The character previously appeared in the
television special
A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...
''
Star Wars Holiday Special
The ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' is a 1978 American television special that originally aired on November 17, 1978, on CBS. It is set in the universe of the sci-fi-based ''Star Wars'' media franchise. Directed by Steve Binder, it was the first ' ...
'' (1978), and returned in ''
Return of the Jedi
''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...
'' (1983) and the prequel film ''
Attack of the Clones
Attack may refer to:
Warfare and combat
* Offensive (military)
* Charge (warfare)
* Attack (fencing)
* Strike (attack)
* Attack (computing)
* Attack aircraft
Books and publishing
* ''The Attack'' (novel), a book
* '' Attack No. 1'', comic ...
'' (2002), the latter of which established him as a
clone, raised by his genetic template,
Jango Fett
Jango Fett is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, created by George Lucas. He first appeared as an antagonist in the 2002 film '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'', played by Temuera Morrison. The character is a ...
, to be his son. Jango is also a bounty hunter who is not explicitly identified as a Mandalorian in the film, but wears Mandalorian armor, which passes down to Boba Fett. In ''
The Mandalorian
''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, beginning five years after the events of ''Retur ...
'', Boba refers to his father as a Mandalorian foundling.
Television series
''The Clone Wars''
The animated series
''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' expands upon Mandalorian lore with the introduction of new characters, such as Duchess
Satine Kryze
This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Dis ...
, the pacifist
leader
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...
of Mandalore and a romantic interest for Jedi Master
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
, and
Pre Vizsla
This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Dis ...
, the leader of the Death Watch faction of Mandalorians who seek to overthrow Satine and restore Mandalore's warrior traditions. Mandalore is depicted as the fictional home planet of the Mandalorian people, located in the Outer Rim in the sector and system of the same name.
It has an inhabited moon called Concordia, a mining settlement to which Mandalorian warriors were exiled.
Concord Dawn
Concord Dawn is a New Zealand drum and bass group, active since mid-1999, consisting of Matt Harvey (aka Matty C). Until 2010, Evan Short was one half of the group. They were courted by local electronic music label Kog Transmissions and release ...
, located in the Mandalore sector,
is also the homeworld of several Mandalorian characters, including Jango Fett, and the base of operations for the Protectors.
In ''The Clone Wars'', the planet Mandalore is a largely uninhabitable desert, caused by a war with the Jedi that occurred before the timeframe of the series.
The New Mandalorian people built their cities, such as the capital Sundari, in large
biodomes. The design of Sundari draws on
Cubist
Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...
elements, and murals located in the city mimic
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...
's ''
Guernica
Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the mu ...
''. The concept of Mandalore as a "large desolate planet of white sand with these cube-like buildings" was developed by Lucas early in development for ''The Clone Wars'' season two. Lucas also wanted layers of glass incorporated into the design. Because Sundari did not look enough like a giant city, the production team developed it into a dome with cubes on it. Filoni noted that the desolate and barren appearance was "kind of a
Moebius
Moebius, Möbius or Mobius may refer to:
People
* August Ferdinand Möbius (1790–1868), German mathematician and astronomer
* Theodor Möbius (1821–1890), German philologist
* Karl Möbius (1825–1908), German zoologist and ecologist
* Paul ...
-influenced design". Filoni had the shapes of Boba Fett's armor worked into the windows and the design of the architecture, feeling that the shapes were "emblematic" and that the warrior culture was so strong it was embedded into the architecture.
''Rebels''
It is established in ''
Star Wars Rebels
''Star Wars Rebels'' is an American 3D animation, 3D animated science fiction on television, science fiction television series produced by Lucasfilm Animation and set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. It takes place over a decade after ''Episode ...
'' that Mandalorians had colonized other worlds, such as Concord Dawn and Krownest. The Mandalorians eventually came into contact with the Old Republic and fought their Jedi protectors. Upon seeing the Jedi's force abilities, the Mandalorians created gadgets, weapons and armor to counter Jedi abilities. Despite the animosity between the Mandalorians and the Jedi, Tarre Vizsla became the first Mandalorian Jedi. As a Jedi, Vizsla built the Darksaber and used it to unite his people as their ''Mand'alor''. During ''Star Wars Rebels'', a Mandalorian named
Sabine Wren
This incomplete list of characters from the '' Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt D ...
of Clan Wren discovers the
Darksaber from
Maul
A maul may refer to any number of large hammers, including:
* War hammer, a medieval weapon
* Post maul, a type of sledgehammer
* Spike maul, railroad hand tool
* Splitting maul, heavy wood-splitting tool resembling both axe and hammer
People
* A ...
's hideout.
With the Darksaber, she hoped to unite Mandalore and get her honor back after creating a weapon that would kill Mandalorians. Upon returning to Mandalore, she gained the support of her estranged mother Ursa. Sabine and her mother had differences of opinion as her mother turned to the Empire for support. Ultimately House Wren sides with Sabine. With the Darksaber, she rallies Clan Wren and takes arms against Clan Saxon, which has the backing of the Empire. After Clan Saxon is defeated, the Empire seemingly backs off from Mandalore, and Sabine renounces ownership of the Darksaber to Bo-Katan Kryze, sister of the late Duchess Satine Kryze, who promises to unite all Mandalorian clans under her leadership and restore peace to Mandalore.
''The Mandalorian''
At some point during the Galactic Civil War, between the events of ''Rebels'' (5–1 BBY) and ''Return of the Jedi'' (4 ABY), the Empire returned to Mandalore and purged the Mandalorian people, leaving only a few surviving clans and stealing large quantities of the precious Beskar metal, which no blaster or lightsaber can penetrate; this event became known as the "Great Purge" among Mandalorians.
''
The Mandalorian
''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, beginning five years after the events of ''Retur ...
'' follows the exploits of
Din Djarin
Din Djarin, nicknamed The Mandalorian, or Mando for short, is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise, who appears as the titular protagonist of the Disney+ television series ''The Mandalorian'' and also appears in its spin-off ...
, aka The Mandalorian or simply "Mando," a bounty hunter not originally from Mandalore. He was orphaned on another planet during the
Clone Wars Clone Wars may refer to:
Star Wars Film and television
* ''Star Wars: Clone Wars'' (2003 TV series), an American animated television series set in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy
* ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (2008 TV series), an American 3D CGI anim ...
(22–19 BBY) when Separatist battle droids killed his parents; saved by a Mandalorian clan called "The Tribe", Djarin was adopted as a Foundling and raised with their Creed ("The Way of the Mandalore", or simply "The Way").
The Yoda-like toddler that he adopts,
Grogu
Grogu, colloquially referred to as Baby Yoda, is a character from the ''Star Wars'' Disney+ original television series ''The Mandalorian''. He is a toddler member of the same species as the ''Star Wars'' characters Yoda and Yaddle, with whom he ...
aka The Child, is also considered a foundling, but Djarin decides to return it to the Jedi after discovering it is Force-sensitive.
According to Bo-Katan Kryze in "
Chapter 11: The Heiress", Djarin was found by the "Children of the Watch", a group of religious zealots who follow the ancient "Way of the Mandalore", consisting of various forgotten Mandalorian traditions, such as never removing their helmets in front of others; they were excluded from the mainstream of Mandalorian society for trying to spread their beliefs.
Djarin thus finds out he's part of an extremist group without ever having known it; he was raised by
The Armorer
The Armorer is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise who appears in the Disney+ television series ''The Mandalorian'' and ''The Book of Boba Fett''. Dressed in red body armor and a gold helmet, she is the leader of a tribe of Mand ...
to believe only people who choose to follow the Creed are true Mandalorians.
But this confrontation with Kryze's group of Nite Owls revealed that there were also other Mandalorians who were Mandalorian by ancestry, which
share some broad cultural ideas and practices with the Watch such as wearing Mandalorian armor, but have no rule against removing one's helmet.
Moff Gideon
Moff Gideon is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise who first appeared in the Disney+ television series ''The Mandalorian''. Gideon is the leader of a remnant of the fallen Galactic Empire, and attempts to capture the young alie ...
, leading a faction of ex-Imperials, was personally involved in the Great Purge and obtained the Darksaber (a weapon symbolising dynastic authority on Mandalore) from Bo-Katan after defeating her in combat.
During the show's
second season, it is revealed that Bo-Katan, along with a small number of Mandalorian warriors willing to follow her, is attempting to reclaim the Darksaber and liberate Mandalore from Imperial occupation.
In the
season two finale, Djarin defeats Moff Gideon in combat, thus becoming the rightful owner of the Darksaber and the legitimate ruler of Mandalore, which Bo-Katan accepts; even though Djarin is not interested in ruling and would rather pass the Darksaber to her as they intended, she insists she needs to obtain it through combat.
The season thus ends with a cliffhanger, as Djarin could either help Bo-Katan and her forces liberate Mandalore in exchange for their assistance in taking down Gideon, or they could become hostile over possession of the Darksaber and ideological differences.
Despite his loyalty to the Creed-following Mandalorians who raised him, Djarin seems ever more open to Bo-Katan's Mandalorian views of the Way, as illustrated by his new willingness to remove his helmet on one occasion in front of living organisms.
''Legends''
In April 2014, Lucasfilm rebranded most of the licensed ''Star Wars'' novels, comics, and video games produced since the originating 1977 film ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' as ''
Star Wars Legends
''Star Wars'' has been expanded to media other than the original films. This spin-off material is licensed and moderated by Lucasfilm, though during his involvement with the franchise ''Star Wars'' creator George Lucas reserved the right to bot ...
'' and declared them non canon to the franchise.
Within the ''Legends'' continuity, the name "Mandalorian" is associated with a multi-species culture of warrior clans who adhere to the tenets of the Mandalorians. While most of them are humans, there are also Mandalorians of various other species. Mandalore serves as the Mandalorians' home planet. It was originally inhabited by the Taung species, who renamed themselves Mandalorian and created the culture practiced by later non-Taung Mandalorians. Mandalore is largely sparsely populated wilderness, and its capital city of Keldabe is located on a river that acts as a natural
moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
. Keldabe is described as an "anarchic fortress" characterized by dissimilar architectural styles.
Literature
Mandalorians debuted in Marvel's ''Star Wars'' #68: "The Search Begins", which describes the super-commandos, the official protectors of the planet Mandalore. They are described as being two of three survivors of the Clone Wars, in which they fought for
Emperor Palpatine
Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, ''The Empire Strikes ...
. In ''
Tales of the Jedi'', set thousands of years before the original ''Star Wars'' film, the Mandalorians are a major military power who side with the Sith in their war against the Jedi, and their leader is manipulated by the Sith into triggering a war with the Republic. They are defeated with the aid of
Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
and
Malak, and Revan ensures a new Mand'alor, the
sole ruler
A ruler, sometimes called a rule, line gauge, or scale, is a device used in geometry and technical drawing, as well as the engineering and construction industries, to measure distances or draw straight lines.
Variants
Rulers have long ...
of the Mandalorian people, cannot rise. Their unity as a people dissolved, and instead, the Mandalorians develop into a culture of wandering
mercenaries
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
. Through instructions from
Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
, as depicted in ''
Knights of the Old Republic'' and
''Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'', Canderous Ordo assumes the title of ''Mand'alor'' and reunites the warrior clans. Canderous thus redefined Mandalorians from a species to the idea 'that anybody who follows the Mandalorian warrior way could become a Mandalorian'.
''
Jango Fett: Open Seasons'', set shortly before the Clone Wars, depicts the fighting between two factions: Death Watch, led by Tor Vizsla, and the True Mandalorians, led by Jango Fett's adoptive father Jaster Mereel and later Jango himself. A ruse orchestrated by Vizsla tricks the Jedi into attacking and killing all of the True Mandalorians except Jango, but Jango eventually kills Vizsla and scatters Death Watch.
In the ''
Republic Commando'' novels, set during the Clone Wars, Mandalore is an independent planet, although many Mandalorian warriors fight for the Separatists. However, a group of Mandalorians had also acted as training sergeants for the
clone trooper
Clone troopers are fictional characters in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. They have been featured in a number of ''Star Wars'' media, including the live-action films '' Episode II: Attack of the Clones'' (2002) and '' Ep ...
army under the direction of Jango Fett, and many clone troopers practice Mandalorian customs and traditions. After the establishment of the Galactic Empire, the Mandalorian people are characterized as wary of and reluctant to aid the Empire but unwilling to declare open rebellion because Mandalore lacks the resources to wage war. However, Death Watch reappears and openly supports the Empire. The Empire wishes to mine the planet for its beskar, a blaster-resistant steel, and establishes a
garrison
A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
in the capital. Mandalore and its people reappear again in the ''
Legacy of the Force
In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property.
Legacy or legacies may refer ...
'' novels, set forty years after the original ''Star Wars'' film, where Boba Fett is convinced by his granddaughter Mirta Gev to assume the title of ''Mand'alor'' and again reunite the Mandalorian people.
Beskar is also described as being
lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent plasma blade about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the or ...
-proof in the reference book ''The Jedi Path'' (2010).
Video games
In the video game ''
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'', set roughly 4000 years before the original ''Star Wars'' film, the Mandalorian leader (referred to as Mandalore the Ultimate) has been defeated, and no one rules the Mandalorian clans. Mandalorians are also present in the sequels: ''
Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'', where players can visit a Mandalorian base on a moon called Dxun (where a new leader, Mandalore the Preserver, has ascended to the position), and ''
The Old Republic'', an
MMORPG
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
set almost four centuries after the previous two games.
Characters
Many Mandalorians were organised in clans, such as Eldar, Kryze, Rook, Saxon, Vizsla, and Wren.
Sometimes organisations were formed that transcended the usual boundaries between the clans, such as the Death Watch during the Clone Wars, which any Mandalorian and even non-Mandalorians could join and lead. The Death Watch, originally founded and led by members of Clan Vizsla, but later taken over by the non-Mandalorian
Maul
A maul may refer to any number of large hammers, including:
* War hammer, a medieval weapon
* Post maul, a type of sledgehammer
* Spike maul, railroad hand tool
* Splitting maul, heavy wood-splitting tool resembling both axe and hammer
People
* A ...
, has been variously characterised as a clan, a crime syndicate, and a warrior faction.
Individuals such as Din Djarin (adopted into Mandalorian culture as a foundling by the Children of the Watch, which formed out of the Death Watch) are also shown as members of multi-ethnic organizations, such as the Nevarro-based Bounty Hunters Guild.
The Protectors of Concord Dawn were an organisation assigned to protect the royal house of Mandalore.
After the Great Purge, Bo-Katan Kryze formed the Nite Owls, a cross-clan group seeking to retrieve the Darksaber and restore Mandalore.
Mandalorian language
![Mandalorian alphabet, updated](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Mandalorian_alphabet%2C_updated.svg)
The written form of the Mandalorian language, created by Philip Metschan for the display screens of Jango Fett's ship, the ''
Slave I
The following is a list of starships, cruisers, battleships, and other spacecraft in the '' Star Wars'' films, books, and video games.
Spacecraft appearing in the original trilogy
Death Star
The Death Star is the Empire's battle station w ...
'', in ''Attack of the Clones'', later re-appeared in ''The Clone Wars'' and ''Rebels''. Composer Jesse Harlin, needing lyrics for the choral work he wanted for the 2005
''Republic Commando'' video game, invented a spoken form, intending it to represent an ancient language. It was named ''Mando'a'' and extensively expanded by
Karen Traviss
Karen Traviss is a science fiction author from Wiltshire, England. She is the author of the ''Wess'Har'' series, and has written tie-in material based on '' Star Wars'', '' Gears of War'', ''Halo'', ''G.I. Joe'' and the newest ''Nomad'' Series wo ...
, author of the
''Republic Commando'' novel series.
''Mando'a'' is a primarily spoken,
agglutinative language
An agglutinative language is a type of synthetic language with morphology that primarily uses agglutination. Words may contain different morphemes to determine their meanings, but all of these morphemes (including stems and affixes) tend to remain ...
that lacks
grammatical gender
In linguistics, grammatical gender system is a specific form of noun class system, where nouns are assigned with gender categories that are often not related to their real-world qualities. In languages with grammatical gender, most or all nouns ...
in its nouns and pronouns.
The language is also characterized as lacking a
passive voice
A passive voice construction is a grammatical voice construction that is found in many languages. In a clause with passive voice, the grammatical subject expresses the ''theme'' or ''patient'' of the main verb – that is, the person or thing t ...
, instead primarily using the
active voice
Active voice is a grammatical voice common in many of the world's languages. It is the unmarked voice for clauses featuring a transitive verb in nominative–accusative languages, including English and most other Indo-European languages. A verb ...
.
It is also described as having only three
grammatical tense
In grammar, tense is a grammatical category, category that expresses time reference. Tenses are usually manifested by the use of specific forms of verbs, particularly in their grammatical conjugation, conjugation patterns.
The main tenses foun ...
s—
present
The present (or here'' and ''now) is the time that is associated with the events perception, perceived directly and in the first time, not as a recollection (perceived more than once) or a speculation (predicted, hypothesis, uncertain). It is ...
,
past
The past is the set of all events that occurred before a given point in time. The past is contrasted with and defined by the present and the future. The concept of the past is derived from the linear fashion in which human observers experience t ...
, and
future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
—but it is said to be often vague and its speakers typically do not use tenses other than the present.
The language is described as having a
mutually intelligible
In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related varieties can readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort. It is sometimes used as an ...
dialect
The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of Linguistics, linguistic phenomena:
One usage refers to a variety (linguisti ...
called Concordian spoken on the planet Concord Dawn, as stated in Traviss' novels ''Order 66'' and ''501st'',
[
] and a dialect spoken on Mandalore's moon Concordia is heard in "The Mandalore Plot", a season-two episode of ''The Clone Wars''.
References
Sources
*
*
*
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Further reading
*
External links
*
Mandalorianon
Wookieepedia
Wookieepedia: The ''Star Wars'' Wiki is an online encyclopedia for information about the ''Star Wars'' universe—including information on all the films, as well as '' Clone Wars'', '' The Clone Wars'' and its introductory film, ''Rebels'', t ...
, a ''Star Wars'' wiki
{{Star Wars universe, state=collapsed
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