Bounty hunters are cool no matter what fandom they belong to. However, among all these tough-as-nails guns and swords for hire, one stands out as the most stylish of them all, Boba Fett. Sadly, he got eaten by a Sarlacc and was defeated by a blind man… by accident. Thankfully, Disney was kind enough to do justice to their other Star Wars bounty hunters in the form of The Mandalorian.
It’s pretty much the Boba Fett fan service show we Fett fanboys have been clamoring for over the years. Of course, it’s not exactly about Fett but another strong, silent type badass who wears the same armor - the iconic armor of the Mandalorian race in Star Wars. So before the show officially lands, it’s time to brush up on your Manda-lore. Here’s what you need to know about Mandalorians.
A RACE OF WARLIKE SUPERCOMMANDOS
These guys are pretty hardcore. They were born and bred to be conquerors and conquer they did. Mandalorians are human but they are of a different breed since they originated from warriors, bounty, hunters, and mercenaries. That is something they used to full effect. They even managed to have their own commendable pocket in the universe called The Mandalorian Space; it’s their conquered domain.
Due to their reputation and expertise for war, they have become feared in the Outer Rim. Eventually, their aggressive expansion led them to the Jedi’s area of jurisdiction in the Inner Rim. As you can imagine, the Jedi did not warm up to their arrival and quickly resisted the Mandalorians. All-out war between the two factions ensued.
THEY HATE THE JEDI
The Jedi Order and the Old Republic that they were defending proved to be more than a match against the Mandalorians. The race of warrior humans soon became outmatched with the Force on the Jedi’s side. Still, they quickly adapted and built new technologies in order to counteract the formidable Jedi knights.
The Jedi were unyielding (they had to be) and the Mandalorians were stubborn, meaning their conflicts were long and drawn-out. One could even assume that the Mandalorians treated the Jedi as their sworn nemesis faction. Due to having several wars and victories against the Jedi Order, Mandalorian warriors soon became known for their capability to fight the Jedi; they are among the few (probably the only) non-Force users in the Galaxy who could go toe-to-toe with Jedi.
ONE OF THEM BECAME A JEDI
It wasn’t until a Mandalorian named Tarre Vizsla took over that the Mandalorians shared a prolonged peace with the Jedi. Tarre was from a prominent house (royalty) in Mandalore and was somehow inducted into the Jedi Order. There, Tarre became a Jedi and was considered as the first Mandalorian to do so.
Eventually, Tarre would return to his home planet to set things straight; he became the ruler of Mandalore at one point. He was well-liked- even revered by the Mandalorians, despite being a Jedi. Tarre even had a statue of his own which the Mandalorians erected in his honor after he died. Likewise, the Jedi also respected him enough to recover his lightsaber after his death. Speaking of which…
THEY POSSESSED A REALLY COOL LIGHTSABER
Tarre, being a unique member of the Jedi Order, simply had to distinguish himself from his space-monk peers. So, after graduating from the Jedi Academy, Tarre built himself a special kind of lightsaber. It was neither green, blue, nor purple– it was black.
Tarre called it the Darksaber and its shape resembled an actual saber instead of the usual popsicle light-beams most Jedi used. The coolest part was that it had a white glow but a pitch-black blade. Move over Mace Windu, Mandalorians got more swag than you. Anyway, such a unique lightsaber became a symbol of leadership among the Mandalorians; they even stole it back from the Jedi after the space-monks recovered it.
THEY DESTROYED THEIR OWN HOMEWORLD
Soon after Tarre’s death, the Mandalorians went back to their old ways. Warlords vied for power and waged a civil war against other warlords all the while waging another war against the Jedi. War after war on many fronts did not bode well for the Mandalorians’ homeworld.
During their final struggle with the Jedi, the war caused a cataclysmic event of planetary proportion on Mandalore. This destroyed nearly half of Mandalore and turned the planet into a barren and uninhabitable white desert.
The Mandalorians only survived because they adapted and built dome cities to shield their civilizations off from the devastation. Only then did the Mandalorians gave up in their war and dreams of expansion.
THE SITH RULED THEM AT ONE POINT
Because of their extreme capabilities of withstanding the Jedi, one would think that Mandalorians would’ve been a valuable asset to the Sith and they became one at one point. During the Clone Wars, Darth Maul, who was previously thought to be dead, turned out to be alive. He was then rescued and repaired by Pre Vizsla, a descendant of Tarre Vizsla himself who wanted to plunge Mandalore back to its warlike state.
Maul eventually killed Pre after the latter managed to unite the warmongering Mandalorian clans under his banner. Essentially this made Maul the effective ruler of Mandalore and the Sith managed to rule the Mandalorians. His rule was short-lived though; Maul was quickly deposed by peaceful Mandalorians who allied with the Jedi.
THEY ALSO HATE THE EMPIRE
Maul did try to take Mandalore back but its current acting ruler, Bo-Katan along with the Republic’s help, fought against him. The siege of Mandalore, however, was interrupted by Darth Sidious after he initiated Order 66. Maul managed to escape the carnage and his failed campaign.
Meanwhile, Bo-Katan was left as the ruler of Mandalore and refused to recognize the authority of the abruptly-formed Galactic Empire. She was momentarily replaced by the Emperor’s puppet but came back to power again thanks to a young Mandalorian rebel who found the Tarre’s Darksaber.
THEY DRESSED LIKE BOBA FETT
Now, let’s talk about style. That Mandalorian uniform is simply too awe-inspiring yet mysterious at the same time to omit. Boba Fett wore it first and it was noticeably weathered and old in the original trilogy. Meanwhile, his father, Jango, wore a shinier version of the Mandalorian armor.
It’s arguably a more intimidating version of the Republic clone armor and the headpiece resembles the fearsome appearance of the Corinthian helmets in ancient Greece. This uniform is a staple Mandalorian armor too; it’s what they use for war against the Jedi after years of adjusting their military technology and combat techniques to stand a chance against them.
JANGO AND BOBA ARE NOT MANDALORIANS
If you haven’t heard of this heartbreaking canon reveal already, then we’re so sorry to tell you that it’s official; both Jango Fett and his clone son Boba are not Mandalorians. That painful truth was okayed by George Lucas himself. It was revealed in episode 12, season 2 of Clone Wars where Prime Minister Almec from New Mandalore denies Jango Fett is a Mandalorian.
Turns out Jango might have just acquired his armor from a hapless Mandalorian and then went on to dress the part. Now, since Boba is an exact replica of Jango himself, he’s also no Mandalorian. This leads us to another questionable fact, courtesy of George Lucas’ film/TV canon choices…
THE CLONES AREN’T MANDALORIANS
We all know that Jango Fett was chosen to be cloned due to his exceptional bounty hunter and mercenary skills. He has certainly shown that he knows how to handle the Jedi in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, especially during the fight against Obi-Wan. In all respects, such a feat is so Mandalorian; back then when we thought Jango was a Mandalorian, it made sense why he was the perfect clone template.
Turns out, he wasn’t Mandalorian, and neither was Boba. That means the clones are just clones of some random seasoned human. Granted, Jango is fearsome and dangerous but making him and Boba a uniform thief (basically a fake Mandalorian) somewhat reeks of injustice. Hopefully, The Mandalorian gives us the “Boba Fett” we all want and have been waiting for.
