Facts About The Mandalorian:
The Mandalorian is the hottest rage in town. With the Skywalker saga coming to an end with Star Wars: Episode 9, the burden falls on The Mandalorian to carry the Star Wars universe forward until new movies grace the theatres. The Mandalorian belongs to a very rich culture with a very mysterious history most of which a casual fan who does not know his or her way around Star Wars lore would have no idea about. It is time for us all to learn a thing or two about this un-killable little guy. What makes the Mandalorians so hard and tough? Where do they come from? What do they seek? All questions will be answered.
1. Their secret Origin Story
The Mandalorians actually hail from a species called the Taung, a proud but tribal warrior race that was cursed with infighting. None of the tribes were ready to let go of their territory and as a result, the entire Taung race suffered forever. The enemies of Taung also took advantage of this infighting. That was until a warrior emerged. He led a contingent of the Taung and conquered a habitable planet. This warrior was called Mandalore the First and the homeworld of the Mandalorians is named in honor of the first true King of the Mandalorians.
2. Boba and Jango Fett are not Mandalorians
As opposed to popular belief, the famous Bounty Hunters Jango and Boba Fett are not actually Mandalorian by origin. They are a completely different species who grew up in the Spartan Culture surrounded by like-minded Mandalorians and thus started wearing and acting like them. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated arc of 2008, Prime Minister Almec makes the grand reveal that Jango and Boba Fett were actually orphans who are mistaken to be Mandalorians. According to Mandalorian Culture, once you take off your helmet, you are no longer allowed to put it back up. Jango had already removed his helmet a lot of times in Attack of the Clones. As for Boba Fett, he was not raised a part of the Mando’a culture. He is just a guy wearing a lookalike Beskar Armour.
3. Struggles of Power plague Mandalore
Mandalore is the homeworld of the Mandalorians and is the epicenter of their martial culture and doctrine. The Mandalorians have always encountered the ruling class devastating the planet with repetitive power struggles. When the Galactic Republic was in power, Bo Katan Kryze was the one ruling the planet of Mandalore. After Order 66 was initiated and the Jedi Council fell along with the Republic, Bo Katan Kryze was deposed and Gar Saxon was put at the helm. Gar Saxon’s rule did not last long and the rest of the Mandalorian tribes fought back against the Empire and brought back Bo Katan Kryze, who resumed his leadership role.
4. Their Crest is inspired by the Mythosaur
When Mandalore the first led the Taung to conquer the planet that would soon become Mandalore, they encountered the Mythosaur, a mighty species native to the planet. They were huge, strong, and extremely agile. Even the Taung – a warrior race which was the best in combat and taking down enemies, had trouble defeating them. At last, the Mythosaurs were defeated and the planet soon came under the Taungs. But they came to respect the might and strength of the Mythosaur so much that Mandalore the First ordered the crest of the Mandalorians to resemble that of the Mythosaurs.
5. Mando’a
Throughout the centuries, Mandalorians have spread all over the Galaxy. To do their job as Bounty Hunters, they have to mingle with a lot of alien cultures and become well-versed in their languages. But a true Mandalorian can never forget his native tongue – Mando’a. The language has been forbidden to be taught to anybody else other than a fellow Mandalorian. It has also never changed and the dialects and words are almost the same as they were before. “Mando’ad draar digu” literally translates to a Mandalorian never forgets.
6. They have fought against the Jedi and almost won
The Mandalorian Empire was once vast and powerful. Their hunger for more wealth and resources knew no bounds and they soon came head to head with the Old Republic. The Old Republic rallied its Jedis who fought tooth and nail against the Mandalorian army. The Jedis were victorious in the end but it was a pyrrhic victory. A lot of the Jedis died fighting the Mandalorians, who proved to be extremely fierce, resourceful and crafty. They even managed to design their armor accordingly to counter a Jedi’s force-based abilities. As a matter of fact, the Mandalorians almost won that war until Revan and his followers turned the tide of battle.
7. The Ballad of Darth Revan
Darth Revan is one of the greatest Star Wars Villains to have ever lived. First coming into the scene in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game, Revan helped the Old Republic stop the Mandalorian Crusade in its tracks. He took an oath to wear a Mandalorian helmet and not remove it until the enemy was vanquished out of the Galaxy. The Old Republic won the battle thanks to Revan but he soon fell to the Dark Side. The Jedi Order recaptured Darth Revan and wiped all his memories of being a Sith. Revan again became a Jedi and saved the Galaxy one more time from the scourge of the Dark Side of the Force. His story of rising and fall began with his fight with the Mandalorians.
8. Beskar Steel
By now you guys must be wondering just why was the Mandalorian ready to exchange Baby Yoda for a shipment of Beskar Steel. Why is a mineral ore valued so highly? Beskar Steel is valuable because it is only found in the home-world of Mandalorians – Mandalore. From the times of the Mandalorian Crusade that almost brought the Jedis to their knees, it is known that Beskar Steel is the only thing that is able to not only deflect laser blaster fire but also a Jedi’s lightsaber. So yeah, it is EXTREMELY valuable.
9. Their Armour is one of the most advanced pieces of technology in the Galaxy
The Mandalorian armor that is feared and revered throughout the galaxy has a very interesting past. The Mandalorians wore a different kind of armor a while ago. After the Mandalorian crusade brought them head to head against the Jedi who used their Force powers to their advantage, the Mandalorians quickly adapted and customized their armor to fight the Jedi. His armor comes loaded with a rocket nozzle, signal and illumination flares, and “vembraces” that could house a number of weapons including flamethrowers and missile launchers. They also had anti-Jedi computer-controlled weaponry much like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Predator alien. Even their T-Shaped Visor has a laser range-finder that also acts as an image enhancer.
10. Their unique Anti-Jedi fighting style
Everything that a Mandalorian uses to fight has been a direct influence of the Jedi-Mandalorian War. Since the Jedi are very good at using the force to launch long and mid-range attacks, the only way a Mandalorian can win in a fight was by getting up close and personal. To that end, the combat style of a Mandalorian has been developed to use everything from the weaponry in their suit to the Beskar Steel in their armor plating to get near a Jedi warrior and finish him off in one swift stroke. It is also highly effective at defeating armored opponents which is why it is so feared. If you have seen the Mandalorian fight in the TV Series, you would know what we might be talking about.
The Last Star Wars movie titled Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker was released on the 20th of December this year. The movie is currently in theatres. The official film synopsis for the last saga of the Skywalker legacy reads:
The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron’s journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.
