Star Wars: Who Are The Mandalorians?
The Mandalorian may be the star of his own show, but he’s not alone. So lets take a look at the deal is the Mandalorians as a people.
While the Mandalorian is main about the adventures of a singular Mandalorian, Din Djarin, he often interacts with other Mandalorians. While they played more of a background role in Season One, by Season Two the fate of the Mandalorian people and their home world came to center stage. But who are these mysterious masked warriors? Lets take a look.
In the time of the Mandalorian, the clans have taken to living in hidden places. There’s a hidden enclave that comes to the rescue when the cavalry needs to come in, sure, but these are people who have been scattered to the winds by the Empire. But who were they before the Empire purged them?
The first Mandalorians come from the planet Mandalore, located on the Outer Rim, where the first Mandalorians were a culture of warriors and conquerors. Early in their space development, Mandalorians were able to claim “Mandalorian Space”, which consisted of whole worlds that they colonized. However, Mandalorian martial might is just a part of their history though. Towards the latter days of the Republic, a war broke out between two forces, the Mandalorian traditionalists ad a growing pacifist movement called the New Mandalorian peace movement.
Led by Duchess Satine Kryze, the New Mandalorians won the war (ironic, but they had the help of the Jedi). Under Duchess Satine’s leadership, the Mandalorians were able to remain neutral as the Clone Wars broke out. However this neutrality would not last. Though the New Mandalorians won, the Old Mandalorians scattered across the galaxy, surviving as mercenaries and marauder. This is where the sect of Mandalorians known as the Death Watch shows up. Death Watch is a group of adherents to Mandalorian’s warrior faith, led by the infamous Pre Vizsla.
The aftermath of the Clone Wars led to the Death Watch coming into conflict with the New Mandalorian regime, eventually toppling it as the Galactic Empire rose. Under the rule of the Empire, Mandalore developed powerful weapons for Imperial Forces, including the Arc Pulse Generator, which would come back to bite them, for the very weapons they developed were use to oppress them–until Bo-Katan Kryze reclaimed the dark saber and rose up in rebellion against Imperial Rule, leaving them purged by the Empire and sent into hiding.
Signature to Mandalorian are their equipment: armor forged out of beskar (a highly resistant metal, capable of protecting against blaster bolts, and more), specialized weapons, jetpacks, magnetic boots flamethrowers, missile launchers, grappling hooks and more.
Following the Empire’s purge, they Mandalorians went into hiding, existing only as scattered clans who take in new recruits only sparingly. At least until Din Djarin came along…
And that’s the story of the Mandalorians
