Here’s your introduction to the Mandalorians, the popular group of bounty hunters and warriors that inspired the titular character of the popular Disney + show.
Every Star Wars fan knows of the importance that the Jedi and Sith contribute to the franchise’s mythology. But, there exists a third party that has likewise had a fundamental role in shaping galactic events. That group is the Mandalorians.
In anticipation of the second season of Disney+’s The Mandalorian we thought it would be a good time to provide a primer for fans to the people of this popular character.
Who are the Mandalorians?
Most fans might think that all Mandalorians are humans, but, they were actually a group of warriors whose members were connected by a common language and culture, rather than of a particular alien race or species. Specifically, what defines the meaning of being a Mandalorian can be found in the Resol’nare or “Six Actions” that are the central tenets of the Mandalorian culture.
However, most fans associate Mandalorians with their armor, which they call beskar’ gam or “Iron Skin”. In fact, this armor is so intrinsic to their identity that some of them believe that to remove even the helmet would be tantamount to committing sacrilege. This is especially true for those like Din Djarin who was a foundling, or war orphan that was adopted into the Mandalorian culture.
Their origins
Legends speak of the Mandalorian’s culture being traced back to an ancient species called the Taung, who were their progenitors. They were basically like a cross between Klingons and the Predator. These simian-like humanoids were indigenous to the planet Notron — the prehistoric name for Coruscant. The Taung’s nemesis on this ancient planet were the humans that formed thirteen battalions, or nations, known collectively as the Zhell.
The Taungs and the Battalions of Zhell waged war with one another for centuries. With their sworn enemy closing in for the kill the Taungs were saved by a volcanic eruption that nearly drove the Zhell to extinction. In the aftermath of the destruction, Notron was plunged into two years of darkness. The Taungs took this as a sign of their gods being in their favor, and in honor of this event renamed themselves, the Dha Werda Verda, that is, “Warriors of the Shadow”.
The Dha Werda Verda used this period of pandemonium to mount an offense against the Zhell and subjugate them underneath their rule. They managed to hold the upper-hand for a while until the Zhell gathered enough strength to usurp control over the Warriors of the Shadow and drive them off their homeworld.
For the next millennia these disgraced warriors wandered the galaxy as nomads before one of their own— Te’ Sol’ yc Mand’ alor — led his people to reclaim their place as conquerors. Gathering together his Crusaders, the Taung chieftain eventually found a suitable planet on the Outer Rim to become his people’s new homeworld.
Claiming this world for their own wasn’t without its challenges though. The planet’s apex predator was a colossal reptile rumored to have been about the size of a small city. This over-sized beast called a mythosaur was eventually displaced by the Taung as the dominant species. The planet itself was named Mandalore in honor of their leader. The Taung were then rechristened as the Mandalorians, or Mando’ade, “Children of Mandalore.”
Although the Taung were the original Mandalorians, this group would eventually come to encompass a multitude of species. Even so, humans would eventually become the dominant members of the Mandalorians, supplanting the Taung’s who were driven to near-extinction following the conclusion of the infamous Mandalorian Wars.