The Mandalorians have become one of the most significant cultures in the Star Wars franchise, with new stories revealing more about their history. Following Boba Fett's debut in The Empire Strikes Back, the original Star Wars Expanded Universe created a whole society of warriors who wore the same kind of armor, dating back thousands of years before the movies. While Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones retconned Boba Fett's backstory, it presented an opportunity to expand on Mandalorian society through his father, Jango Fett.
However, Mandalorian culture and history began to change with Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which presented a different version of Mandalore. Star Wars Rebels reincorporated some elements from Legends, while The Mandalorian and its spinoffs expanded even more on the Mandalorians in the Star Wars timeline. From the birth of Mandalorian society to the latest developments in the Star Wars movies and TV shows, 15 significant details have been revealed about the history of the Mandalorians.
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15 The Darksaber Was Forged By Tarre Vizsla
The first Mandalorian Jedi
As the longtime enemies of the Jedi Order, very few Mandalorians were taken to be trained at the Jedi Temple. Tarre Vizsla became the first, crafting a special lightsaber with a distinct black blade known as the Darksaber. When Vizsla died, the Darksaber was kept in the Jedi Temple until members of House Vizsla broke in and stole it during the fall of the Old Republic. They used the blade to crush their enemies and unite all of Mandalore for a time, making the Darksaber a symbol that could unite the various Mandalorian clans for generations.
14 There Was A War Between The Jedi & The Mandalorians
And the Jedi won
In Star Wars Rebels season 3, Kanan Jarrus confirmed that the Jedi won a war with Mandalore at an unknown time in galactic history. He said this in response to Sabine using specialized Mandalorian weapons against him while sparring, designed to counter Jedi Force abilities. This was one of many conflicts between the Jedi and the Mandalorians, and their final battle came at a great cost. Mandalore's surface was scorched in a great cataclysm, forcing the surviving Mandalorians to relocate inside domed cities.
13 The Various Houses & Clans
Mandalorians are constantly at war with each other
Bo-Katan once said that Mandalore was always too strong to be conquered by external forces, but their division led to internal conflict. Several houses, clans, and other factions have been revealed in Star Wars canon:
- House Vizsla
- Clan Wren
- Clan Saxon
- House Kryze
- Clan Kryze
- House Kast
- Clan Rook
- Clan Eldar
- Clan Awaud
- Old Mandalorians
- New Mandalorians
- Death Watch
- Children of the Watch
- Clan Mudhorn
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Mandalorians wear the same beskar armor, but there are different factions across Star Wars canon. Here are all 12 Mandalorian clans, houses, & groups.
12 The Ancient Mandalorians Had Different Customs
Their code was more strict than modern Mandalorians
Din Djarin believed his clan represented the true Mandalorian way, but his worldview was challenged when he met Bo-Katan Kryze. She explained that he was a member of the Children of the Watch, a group that broke away from Mandalorian society to reestablish "the ancient way." Din Djarin was taught to strictly follow the Mandalorian creed, even if it meant never removing his helmet. This suggests that the ancient Mandalorians had different customs and rituals from most Mandalorian clans seen in the Star Wars TV shows.
11 Ancient Mandalorians Rode The Mythosaur
One is still alive on Mandalore
One of the first bits of lore dropped in The Mandalorian season 1 was the legend of the Mythosaur. Ancient Mandalorians were said to have tamed the great beast and ridden on its back into battle, but many believed it was just a story. However, The Mandalorian season 3 revealed that at least one Mythosaur was still alive in the waters beneath Mandalore.
10 There Are Over 1,000 Worlds In Mandalorian Space
The result of thousands of years of expansion
When Mandalore appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it was shown as a single planet and a moon. In Star Wars Rebels, more Mandalorian clans had their own territories on other worlds. The Lucasfilm Story Group clarified that the Mandalore sector encompassed over 1,000 worlds, which makes sense for a culture that spent millennia conquering and expanding.
9 The Mandalorians Have Existed For 10,000 Years
As mentioned in The Book of Boba Fett
The Jedi Order and the Republic may have existed for 25,000 years, but the Mandalorians weren't around even half that long. The Armorer told Din Djarin in The Book of Boba Fett that Mandalorians had existed for 10,000 years, dating back to approximately 9991 BBY. While this makes the Mandalorians significantly younger than the Jedi, they are older than the Sith, who date back to approximately 5,000 BBY.
8 The Mandalorian Crusaders Allied With The Sith During The Old Republic Era
Similar to their history in the Legends timeline
The Mandalorians waged countless wars of expansion throughout their history, at one time aligning with the Sith. A fallen Jedi turned Sith named Ulic Qel-Droma led the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders against the Jedi and the Republic from the Empress Teta system. This is similar to the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comic series, where Ulic eventually returned to the light while the Sith and the Mandalorians were defeated.
7 Mandalorian Expansion Stopped After The Sith's Defeat
Though civil wars would continue
The fall of the Old Republic during the final Jedi-Sith War may have allowed the Mandalorians to steal the Darksaber, but it was also the end of their expansion. Mandalore turned from conquest to uniting the various clans and houses, eventually leading to infighting and civil wars. It was also noted that the Mandalorians remained surprisingly peaceful during the High Republic era, approximately 200 years before the Star Wars movies.
6 Royalty Recited The Mandalorian Tenets By The Living Waters
Even if they didn't follow all of them strictly
Bo-Katan did not follow the ancient Mandalorian creed like Din Djarin, but it was an important part of her upbringing. As part of the royal family, she recited the Mandalorian tenets by the living waters in front of her people, a moment which made her father proud. It may have been more ceremonial, but it showed that tradition and honoring the past was still important in Mandalorian society.
Bo-Katan Kryze
The sister of Satine Kryze, Bo-Katan allied with extremist factions of Mandalore - unwittingly dividing her people, creating opportunities for the Separatists and Darth Maul. Bo-Katan spent much of her life seeking redemption, attempting to unite the Mandalorians against the Empire, but ultimately surrendered to Moff Gideon in an attempt to save her people from a genocidal Imperial attack. In The Mandalorian era, Bo-Katan has successfully reclaimed Mandalore and become the new Man'dalore - her people's chosen ruler.
- Created By
- Dave Filoni
- Cast
- Katee Sackhoff
- First Appearance
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- Alliance
- Mandalorians
- Race
- Mandalorian
- TV Shows
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , The Mandalorian
- Franchise
- Star Wars
5 The Rise Of The New Mandalorians
And the ensuing civil war
While the New Mandalorians successfully took control and exiled the Old Mandalorians, terrorist groups like Death Watch sought to restore Mandalore's warrior culture.
Because the Mandalorians were a race of warriors for generations, no one could have predicted the sharp turn their society would take under the rule of duch*ess Satine Kryze. After civil war killed most of her people, Satine came to hate violence and sought to reshape Mandalore as a pacifist society. This caused a divide between the Old Mandalorians, who adhered to Mandalore's warrior past, and Satine's New Mandalorians. While the New Mandalorians successfully took control and exiled the Old Mandalorians, terrorist groups like Death Watch sought to restore Mandalore's warrior culture.
4 Jango Fett Was A Mandalorian Foundling
A return to his origin in Legends
Star Wars has retconned Jango Fett's status as a Mandalorian several times in various stories. In the Star Wars Legends timeline, Jango was taken in by the True Mandalorians and raised as one of them, but became a bounty hunter when they were all killed. However, Star Wars: The Clone Wars had Prime Minister Almec claim that Jango was a common bounty hunter who somehow acquired Mandalorian armor. The Mandalorian season 2 returned to Jango's roots in Legends by revealing that he was a foundling and later fought in the Mandalorian Civil Wars.
3 Mandalore Led The Council Of Neutral Systems
Those who wanted to stay out of galactic wars
During the Clone Wars, Mandalore's newfound pacifist ideals caused duch*ess Satine to flatly refuse to join the Republic or the Confederacy. She became the leader of the Council of Neutral Systems, comprised of over 1,500 systems that also wished to stay out of the conflict. Unfortunately, this made Mandalore a target by those who wished to influence the other neutral systems by forcing Satine to pick a side.
2 The Empire Destroyed Mandalore
But it was reclaimed by those who remained
The last time the Mandalorians were seen in Star Wars Rebels, they were united behind Bo-Katan and prepared to stand up to the Empire. The next time they appeared in The Mandalorian, they were scattered across the galaxy after the Empire decimated Mandalore. Later seasons and spinoffs expanded on this, referred to as the Great Purge of Mandalore and the Night of a Thousand Tears.
1 Death Watch Shattered Into Many Different Factions
The Armorer says this in season 3
Although Death Watch has been defeated by the end of the Clone Wars, its members scattered into different factions. The similarly named Children of the Watch resided on Concord Dawn, as Death Watch had, and also believed in restoring lost Mandalorian customs. Gar Saxon and his followers joined the Empire, while Bo-Katan and her allies formed the Night Owls. Some members of Death Watch remained, but for the most part, the movement died out, making way for the next chapter of Mandalorian history in the Star Wars timeline.
