With the upcoming release of The Mandalorian, I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain exactly what a Mandalorian is. So, strap in and prepare for a deep dive into Star Wars history.
Mandalorians hail from a planet called Mandalore. A planet located in the Outer Rim sector, an area of space referenced heavily in the Star Wars universe. The people of Mandalore were a race of humanoid people that were known throughout Star Wars history as a race of warriors and mercenaries. In history they were at war with the Jedi on many occasions, due to their invasions of nearby planets, eventually resulting in a cataclysmic event that left the plant of Mandalore a scorched desert.
With a reference to this war being mentioned in an episode in Star Wars: Rebels, but no further details given. And a mural of the battle being featured in an episode of the Clone Wars animated series too, we can take this as canon for now.
During these wars the Mandalorians crafted weapons and their famous armour we know and recognise now, as used by the Star Wars characters Boba Fett and Jango Fett. This armour was designed to withstand Lightsaber attack and provide the wearer with some protection from force users.
Something that doesn’t exactly go to plan when Boba’s father Jango Fett is seen wearing the armour in the Attack Of The Clones movie, no spoilers, but it doesn’t go to plan. However in the Clone Wars animated series its revealed that Jango Fett wasn’t a Mandalorian, and was just wearing someone else’s armour.
After the cataclysm that left their planet in ruins, the Mandalorians, during the time of the clone wars, were successful in rebuilding their civilisation under sealed domed cities on the planets surface, under a new pacifist government rule, headed up by Duchess Satine Kryze. This lead to civil war amongst the people, causing a fracture in the society. Darth Maul used this time of unrest to conquer the planet and use it for his criminal syndicate; The Shadow Collective. Duchess Satine then asked the Jedi for help. And they responded by sending Obi Wan Kenobi. During this time many Mandalorians left their home planet and spread out amongst the galaxy.
Which leads us to nicely onto the upcoming TV show The Mandalorian. We know the show takes place a few years after the fall of the Empire from the end of episode six; Return Of The Jedi and a few decades before episode seven; The Force Awakens. It will follow an unnamed Mandalorian who, like Boba Fett, is a bounty hunter. However, unlike Boba, he will be an actual Mandalorian, opening up the possibility for even more insights into the Mandalorian way of life.
So, there you have it. An in depth look at what a Mandalorian is – I’m really excited for the release of The Mandalorian, and can’t wait to see where the first live action Star Wars TV series goes. If you want to know more about Mandalorians for yourself, check out my list of recommended viewing below:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- S2E12 -The Mandalore Plot
- S2E13 – Voyage of Temptation
- S2E14 – Duchess of Mandalore
- S3E5 – Corruption
- S3E6 – The Academy
- S5E15 – Shades of Reason
- S5E16 – The Lawless