“ALL THIS TALK OF THE EMPIRE, AND THEY LASTED LESS THAN 30 YEARS. MANDALORIANS HAVE EXISTED 10,000.”

BY TYSON YURAI

Before the decanonization of many works after Disney bought the Star Wars franchise, Mandalore had a vast and amazing history of war and destruction throughout the galaxy. Spread across various comic books, novels and video games, fans of the Mandalorians have never been found wanting for more information about one of the most interesting groups of people in the old Star Wars canon. While some portion of their history remains intact on an as-needed basis, there’s still so much of Mandalore that many fans may not be aware of that they definitely need to know.

Contrary to popular belief, not every Mandalorian is human. Throughout the various depictions of Mandalorians we’ve gotten on screen over the decades, they’ve only been shown as normal humans. However, the original people, The Taungs, existed well before the people became predominantly humanoid. Originating on Coruscant, the Taungs were a warlike people who waged battles over the planet before being forced off by the Zhell. They made a new home in the Outer Rim on the planet of Roon and would later go on to colonize a then unknown planet they would name Mandalore, after their leader.

As a conqueror race, they began trying to gain more territory by taking over planets close to theirs and incorporating more and more people into Mandalore by culture. As the Taungs slowly began to die out through their various conflicts, their legacy lived on through their new band of Mandalorians. Foundlings, people born to other Mandalorians or warriors strong enough to be adopted into the creed, made up an abundance of people inducted into their ranks. Their numbers show how they became a force for the rest of the galaxy to contend with.

Season 3 of The Mandalorian gave many new fans, and even older ones, their first look at the Mythosaur, a creature adorning the Mandalorian’s armors, flags and various iconography. In the show, the creature is treated with a sense of reverence, but its true significance is never outright stated. In the ancient past, Mandalore the First and his band of warriors settled on an unknown world where these creatures survived in slightly harsh, but liveable conditions, making it a prime place for a group of warriors to call home. To prove his strength and ability to conquer, Mandalore himself would go on to kill the mighty creatures, making the first ceremonial mask out of their bones. This legend laid the foundation for the power and might of the Mandalorian race as they began to build a reputation as one of the strongest and most fierce warrior races throughout the galaxy. To further their goals, they adopted the Mythosaur skull as a symbol and a warning; one Mandalorian is equivalent to, if not stronger, than one of the most dangerous beasts to ever exist. However, this is but one interpretation. Because stories are often lost to history, others have to fill in the gaps or make new beliefs based on either changed information or an entirely new canon altogether, such is the case with Mandalore as well. While it’s unknown exactly why the Mythosaur went extinct, some Mandalorians choose to believe that Mandalore found the creatures in their caves and tamed them, riding across the plains of Mandalore, or that Mandalorians themselves roamed alongside the creatures in a sort of harmony with each respecting the others power.

As one might expect, the history of the Mandalorians is fraught with conflicts and battles over their thousands of years of existence. In some of their earliest years, Mandalorians involved themselves in wars against the Sith, the old Galactic Republic, the Jedi and even themselves at various points in time. Conspicuously, the Mandalorians hardly win their wars, having lost to each of the factions, even themselves. One of the best instances of this can be seen through the entirety of the Mandalorian storyline as seen in The Clone Wars and the The Mandalorian itself, with the progressive elements of the people led by Duchess Satine Kryze exiling the violent faction that craved war. While not every conflict the Mandalorians have been involved with are still in the main Star Wars canon, a number of them are grand enough to make for interesting tales if they ever have the chance to be expanded on. One such tale is the Mandalorian Wars which saw one of the greatest Jedi Knights, Revan, decimate his way through the Mandalorians before defeating Mandalore the Ultimate in hand to hand combat. While this conflict has already been shown in the amazing Knights of the Old Republic video game, there is still so much battle to be mined from Mandalore’s golden years.

While Darth Revan was widely respected for his sheer ferocity on the battlefield when he fought against the Mandalorians in the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi never took up the mantle of Mandalore himself. He instead chose to hide the ceremonial mask. It wouldn’t be until almost two thousand years later that one man, Tarre Vizsla, would become a knight in the Jedi Order. Introduced in Star Wars: Rebels, viewers learn of the legendary Mandalorian Jedi who would then go on to create the Darksaber with a hilt made of beskar and unite his people through his own leadership and strength. We would be introduced to his descendents over the course of the original The Clone Wars TV show and The Mandalorian with the Death Watch’s Pre Vizsla and Paz Vizsla, respectively. While the Darksaber did not stay with the Vizsla clan, it would be used to show who the rightful ruler of the Mandalorian people would be, as its wielder would have effortless control over the blade and the respect of their fellow warriors.

With a culture dedicated entirely to strength and honor, one might wonder how the leadership structure of the Mandalorians works, especially with there being various different families, clans and factions amongst them. The stereotypical answer would be something along the lines of, “obviously, they have massive fights to determine leadership,” but that is not quite the case. Over the course of Mandalorian history, warriors could prove their strength through acts of leadership, cunning or straight up power such as Mandalore the First killing the Mythosaur. However, simple acts alone would not immediately earn the title. One had to make sure that the people as a whole accepted their leadership. Otherwise, they would be deposed.

In the ancient times, the previous Mandalore would hand the ceremonial mask to those who they deemed worthy of the title. These would be the most capable, strong and respected people in the clan, and they would continue the Mandalorian traditions of leading great battles and war. It wasn’t until The

Mandalorian Wars when Revan defeated Mandalore the Ultimate and hid the ceremonial mask that no new Mandalore could rise, for a time. Various wars came and went with the title of Mandalore being bandied about to puppets of the Sith, reclaimed by honorable warriors or rejected by those who didn’t believe they could lead. Throughout all of this, the Mandalorians maintained their honor and did their best to circle around the leaders that they had, whether in the form of people like The Armorer in The Mandalorian or the wielders of the Darksaber like Pre Vizsla or Bo-Katan Kryze.

As it’s been stated in The Mandalorian, their religion is all about weaponry and armor. Given their warlike nature, it only makes sense that they utilize a bevy of arms to take on their opponents. From their infamous flamethrowers to the mini-missiles that people like Boba Fett use, there’s plenty of things for them to kill people with. Some of the more notable pieces of weaponry include the infamous Darksaber, the Whistling Bird mini rockets and the large Mythosaur Axe.

The key to a good offense, however, is an even better defense, so of course, they make use of armor and alloys to protect themselves from enemies and their weapons, as well. Their helmets and iconic visors have been in use since the age of the Taungs, resembling their face shapes and eye placements. Of course, with the difficulty of vision for human Mandalorians, there is a heads up display which gives them full 360 degree vision. Their armor itself is fairly standard, but Mandalorians who complete great tasks for the covert earn the right to beskar plating, giving them increased resistance to blaster fire and immunity to lightsaber strikes. There you have it, just a few of the great things that you need to know about Mandalore. Of course, there is a grand mix of both legends and canon material, but in my mind, all of it is worth knowing for the greatness of the Mandalorians. Their history is long, and their strength is mighty. Though they may fall time and time again, they continue to rise stronger than ever each time.

INTERVIEW BY GALAXY