This article is part of a series that covers Star Wars’ most recognized Mandalorians from Legends on through canon. This one specifically features famous Mandalorians from the Old Republic days into the Clone Wars era.
Among those included in this list are: Tarre Vizsla, Jango Fett, Duchess Satine Kryze, Pre Vizsla and one infamous non-Mandolorian that played an important role in their history. We hope that you enjoy going on this journey with us as we explore some of Star Wars’ most influential characters.
Most notable early Mandalorians in the Star Wars canon
1. MANDALORE THE GREAT
Group Affiliation(s): Mandalorians
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Homeworld: Mandalore
Occupation: Mand’alor, possibly a Mandalorian armorer
First Mentioned: The Mandalorian, season 1, episode 8, “Redemption”
Character History:
There is a large gap in this Mand’alor’s history but it is presumed that he was the first one among his people to teach Mandalorians how to defend themselves against the Jedi. He did so by forging beskar into an effective armor that housed several defenses — as well as, offenses — to counterattack the Jedi’s Force powers.
As a result of his efforts, the Mandalorians were able to become a formidable threat against the Jedi, along with the Sith. It is likely that his promotion to Mand’alor came from his contributions to rectifying their previous weaknesses against their superhuman foes.
Powers/Skills: Mandalore the Great was the first of his kind to devise a means to match the near-superhuman skills of the mystical Jedi. His re-imagining of the Mandalorian armor made it possible for his people to effectively stand toe-to-toe with their once unbeatable foe. Furthermore, his leadership skills also gave the Mandalorians the confidence they needed to confront the Jedi as equals, instead of as mere lightsaber fodder.
Weapon(s): Mandalore the Great designed several weapons and countermeasures to deal with the Jedi’s various powers/skills. Among these were: beskar’gam to resist the Jedi’s lightsaber blows, magnetized boots for countering the Force push, whipcord launchers for seizing hold of the enemy, flame-throwers for close combat, and miniature repulsor canons for repelling the Jedi with their own version of telekinesis. Sonic emitters were also designed to help with disorienting Jedi so they could land a killing blow.
2. TARRE VIZSLA
Name Pronunciation: TAHR-ray VIZH-sla
Group Affiliation(s): The Jedi Order, Clan/House Vizsla, The Mandalorians
Height: 6′ 2″ (1.89 meters)
Weight: 196 lbs. (89 kilograms)
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde
Species: Human, light-skinned
Gender: Male
Homeworld: Concordia
Occupation: Jedi Master
Relatives: Clan Vizslal; Tor Vizsla, Pre Vizsla, and Paz Vizsla are all his kinsmen.
Lightsaber Form (s): Form II – Makashi and Form V – Shien (with leniency towards Djem So)
First Appearance: Star Wars: Rebels, Season 3/Episode 15, “Trials of the Darksaber” (2017)
Character History:
Born on the Mandalore moon of Concordia, Tarre Vizsla holds the unique distinction of being the only known Force-sensitive Mandalorian to be inducted into the Jedi Order. Besides his Mandalorian background, Tarre Vizsla also distinguished himself from other Jedi by the black-bladed lightsaber he wielded. This Darksaber —as it was called — was stolen from the Jedi temple by members of House Vizsla sometime after its owner’s death and taken back to Mandalore, where it became a symbol of power for all future Mand’alors.
Although not much is known about Tarre Vizsla’s service with the Jedi, his Darksaber became a legend unto itself as it passed from one owner to another throughout the centuries following his death. The storied history surrounding this Jedi-Mandalorian artifact made it the Star Wars equivalent of Sauron’s One Ring or King Arthur’s sword Excalibur.
From Mand’alors, to terrorists, and even a former Sith apprentice, this symbol of power was sought by many and granted to only a few. At one point it would come into the possession of an enemy of the Mandalorian people named Moff Gideon, before ending up in the ownership of the one person who had no desire for it at all: a fellow Mandalorian bounty hunter named Din Djarin. Nevertheless, he won it through trial of combat, thus making him the new ruler of his people.
It’s a conundrum that an object should overshadow the man who created it, but even so, Tarre Vizsla and his Darksaber are tied to one another no matter whoever else wields it. Beyond this, Vizsla became an example of how even centuries-long enemies like the Jedi and Mandalorians could still find unity through the Force.
Powers/Skills: As a Jedi, Tarre Vizsla was trained to use the Force. This gave him superhuman abilities such as: telekinesis, force leap, burst speed, and mental manipulation. His lightsaber style of combat was likely a hybrid of Forms 1 (the default style), 2 (because it was popular during the times of the Sith wars), and 5 (with more emphasis on this style due to his stature/strength). It is also thought that he may have had some training in the Mandalorian swordfighting style that utilized the beskad, a bladed weapon comprised of both beskar and durasteel components.
Weapon: Tarre Vizsla fought with a unique black-bladed lightsaber that had a long, slim hilt. The blade is also different from other lightsabers in that it is considered to be made of “hard light,” a denser form of energy than what the traditional weapon uses.
Dark Smithing: A rumor exists that the Darksaber may have had some Sith influences during its construction, such as utilizing alchemical and magical techniques.
3. JANGO FETT
Group Affiliation(s): Clan Fett, True Mandalorians, Bounty Hunters Guild, Kaminoans, The Sith (Darth Tyranus)
Age: 44
Ht: 5’ 7″ (1.76 meters)
Wt: 165 lbs (75 kg)
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Hair Color: Black
Species: Human, Tan-skinned
Gender: Male
Homeworld: Concord Dawn
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
Adversaries: Tor Vizsla, Death Watch, The Jedi, Mace Windu, Montross, Komari Vosa +
Relatives: Parents and sister, Aria (all deceased), Jaster Mereel (adopted father), Boba Fett (clone son), Clones of the Galactic Republic
First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones
Character History:
Jango Fett was born 66 years prior to the Battle of Yavin (BBY) on the planet Concord Dawn in the Mandalore system. He lived a simple life in a farming community until the day that two warring factions of Mandalorians — the Death Watch and the True Mandalorians — came to his family’s nearby fields. This incursion ended with Jango’s parents and sister, Aria, being slain. Later, after defeating Death Watch in an ambush in the nearby town, Jaster Mereel — the man that Jango’s parents had aided — took the youngest Fett and adopted him as a foundling into his group.
Jango was taught the Supercommando Codex by his adopted family and grew up to become one of their most valuable members. Jango fought in the ongoing Mandalorian Civil Wars where once again the True Mandalorians and the Death Watch clashed. His adopted father/mentor, Jaster Mereel, would eventually perish in battle after his second-in-command, Montross, betrayed his leader and allowed him to be brutally struck down by Vizsla. Jango would then go on to become the new leader of the True Mandalorians.
An alliance between Death Watch and a corrupt governor of the planet Galidraan resulted in the honorable True Mandalorians that Jango led being framed for a massacre that Vizsla’s group was guilty of slaughtering. The corrupt politician then called upon the Jedi to deal with Jango’s faction. Count Dooku — at this time still a young Jedi master — was sent alongside his padawan and a Jedi strike team to deal with this perceived threat. Although innocent of the charges, Jango nonetheless remained defiant and attacked Dooku and his comrades.
During the Battle of Galidraan, Jango killed six of the Jedi by himself, with a total of eleven perishing in all. Despite this, his squad still suffered the greatest losses, as he and one other named Silas, were the only True Mandalorians that survived this battle. Jango was subdued and then carried back to the corrupt governor for punishment. The ruler proceeded to have Jango stripped of his armor and sold into bound servitude aboard a spice transport ship.
Jango eventually escaped from his slavers and reclaimed his armor from the sleemo Galidraanian governor. He then tracked down Vizsla who was on Corellia and confronted his old foe in a tense, drawn-out fight. Eventually, Jango gained the upper-hand and succeed in avenging his family and mentor by slaying Vizsla in combat.
Afterwards though, Jango found that Mandalore no longer held a place for him, as it had abandoned its warrior past and been replaced by a pacifist government called the New Mandalorians. So, Jango did what many other Mandalorians before him had done — he took up the bounty hunting profession.
Years later, in a strange twist of fate, Jango would cross paths with a familiar face from his past — the Jedi master Dooku. Since their last encounter Dooku had abandoned the Jedi Order and was currently serving the Sith as Darth Tyranus. Jango was chosen to compete with another former True Mandalorian-turned-bounty hunter named, Montross, for the honor of serving as the template for a clone army. Their mission was to track down Dooku’s former Jedi apprentice, Komari Vosa, who had abandoned the Jedi Order and founded a Force-worshiping/terrorist cult called the Bando Gora.
Jango succeeded in winning the competition against his rival, after beating him in Mando-á-Mando combat and then leaving the wounded Montross in a ceremonial arena to fend for himself against the Bando Gora cultists, who proceeded rip him to shreds. Jango then confronted the former Jedi-now-turned-cult leader, but was overpowered. Thankfully, Zam Wesell — his Clawdite bounty hunting partner — showed up to give him the upper-hand to end her threat to the galaxy in true Mandalorian fashion.
Along with receiving an extravagant payment for his DNA, Jango requested one other thing: an unaltered clone to raise as his son. Jango’s clone-son, Boba Fett, was raised in the Mandalorian ways that he had been as a foundling.
Sadly, though, Jango would not live to see his son follow in his footsteps or have a different life of his own. This occurred after Jango was struck down in a confrontation with Jedi Master, Mace Windu, during the First Battle of Geonosis.
Powers/Skills: Jango Fett was an extremely skilled soldier from his many years of combat experience fighting in the Mandalorian Civil Wars. This made him adept at using both different types of weapons, to hand-to-hand dueling as well. Jango also proved that he was capable of fighting and defeating Jedi one-on-one or when attacked by groups of them. Also, he possessed superior talents as a bounty hunter that put him on the upper echelon of those within his profession.
Spaceship: Slave 1 (Firespray-31-Interceptor) — A prison patrol/transport ship and attack craft. This vertical-oriented flying ship came equipped with twin blaster cannons, two rapid-firing laser cannons, and most impressive of all — the Void-7 seismic charger launcher — which unleashed an epic shockwave of destruction.
Weapons: Boba’s armor had many hidden features including: a whipcord, a miniature flame-thrower, and a retractable blade. He also used specialty weapons like the Kamino poison dart that he used to silence fellow bounty hunter, Zam Wesell. His favored weapons to use, though, were his pair of custom-fit WESTAR-34 blaster pistols that fired bolts of red plasma.
Errm. A Mandalorian he is, or isn’t? According to the Star Wars: Jango Fett — Open Seasons mini-series, Jango Fett inherited the mantle of Mand’alor after his adopted father and mentor, Jaster Mereel, died. Cool.
However, during the Clone Wars series, Prime Minister Almec later denied Jango’s Mandalorian status to an inquiring Obi-Wan Kenobi. No-ooo. Say it isn’t so.
Later, on The Mandalorian season 2, sixth episode titled: “The Tragedy,” Boba Fett’s chain code confirmed that Jango Fett actually was a Mandalorian. So…yeah.
Interestingly, George Lucas didn’t want Jango Fett to be a Mandalorian. Why George, what did Jango do to you?
4. JASTER MEREEL
Group Affiliation(s): Journeyman Protectors, True Mandalorians
Height: 6’ (1.8 meters)
Weight: 200 lbs (90 kg)
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black
Species: Human, light-skinned
Gender: Male
Homeworld: Concord Dawn
Occupation: Former Journeyman Protector of Concord Dawn, Mand’alor, and Leader of the True Mandalorians Super Commandos
Adversaries: Tor Vizsla, Death Watch, Montross
Relative: Jango Fett (adopted son)
First Appearance: Star Wars: Jango Fett — Open Seasons # 1
Character History:
Many decades before the onset of the Clone Wars there lived on the planet Concord Dawn a Journeyman Protector — a planetary lawman — named Jaster Mereel. He was an honorable man who lived by a code of honor that served him well in dispensing justice across his planet. That was — until the day he was driven to kill a corrupt superior officer. Exiled from his homeworld, Mereel traveled to the nearby planet of Mandalore where he was accepted into the ranks of the Mandalorians.
As a member of the Supercommando division, Mereel earned the adoration of his peers for his battle prowess. His exemplary service eventually brought him the highest promotion he could attain — Mand’alor. As the ruler of these people, Mereel sought to make them honorable, instead of behaving like the barbaric and lawless savages that most had devolved into. To accomplish this, Mereel implemented the Supercommando Codex, a guideline based off of his own code of honor that he had developed through his past life as a Journeyman Protector.
Under this code, Mandalorians wishing to fight, could do so as mercenaries that conducted themselves with dignity and respect. Not all Mandalorians were keen to this new way of behaving, and soon dissent set in. Chief among these dissenters was, Tor Vizsla, who formed his own group called the Death Watch who sought a return to the Mandalorians glory days as world conquerors. Besides Death Watch, there also existed another group called the New Mandalorians who were opposed to all forms of war and sought to abandon the old Mandalorian ways for a more pacifist lifestyle.
The tensions caused by these divisions in philosophy eventually led to the eruption of the Mandalorian Civil War (60 BBY) that spread from Mandalore to the adjacent planets such as Concord Dawn. Those loyal to Mereel became known as the True Mandalorians and their greatest foe became Vizsla’s Death Watch. The war between these two factions led to a confrontation on Concord Dawn, wherein an innocent family caught in the midst of this rivalry led to the deaths of the parents and one of their two children, a daughter named Aria.
Mereel took the youngest child — a boy named Jango Fett — in as a foundling and raised him as his own. Mereel’s adopted son would go on to become one of the most formidable members of his group and later its leader. As for Mereel, he met his demise on the planet Korda Six after a betrayal by his second-in-command, Montross, left him vulnerable to a fatal attack by his long-time nemesis, Tor Vizsla.
Powers/Skills: Jaster Mereel was a formidable combatant from both his previous life as a Journeyman Protector of Concord Dawn and later as Mandalorian Supercommando. As such, he was an exceptional marksman and hand-to-hand fighter. As Mand’alor and Commander of the Supercommandos, Mereel had a tactical mind for fighting on a battlefield; meaning he could execute the best strategies for overcoming nearly any foe.
Weapon(s): Mereel wore Mandalorian armor that provided him with many of the same accouterments as others, including: miniature flame-throwers, wrist rockets, and other hidden surprises. He also carried two blaster pistols, as well a short-barreled blaster rifle that had a combat knife attachment under the muzzle.
Novel Origins: Jaster Mereel first appeared in the novella, The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett, one of several stories featured in the Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters anthology. Interestingly, Jaster Mereel was used as the true identity of Boba Fett. This would later be retconned as just an alias that Boba — and his father Jango — used in honor of the real Mereel.
5. TOR VIZSLA
Group Affiliation: , Clan Vizsla, The Death Watch (founder)
Height: 6′ 2″ (1.9 meters)
Weight: 198 lbs (89 kilograms)
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black
Distinguishing Marks: He had a facial scar caused by a tank explosion he barely survived.
Species: Human, Fair-skinned
Gender: Male
Homeworld: Mandalore
Occupation: Leader of Death Watch, terrorist
Adversaries: Jaster Mereel, True Mandalorians, Jango Fett
Relatives: Tarre Vizsla, Pre Vizsla, Paz Vizsla
First Appearance: Star Wars: Jango Fett — Open Seasons # 1
Character History:
It’s difficult to accept that this was a descendant of the heroic Mandalorian-Jed, Tarre Vizsla, but — unfortunately — it was true. Born on Mandalore. Tor Vizsla was the founder of the terrorist group, the Death Watch. The group was formed in opposition to then Mand’alor, Jaster Mereel, and his Supercommando Codex, which sought to turn Mandalorians away from their marauding ways and remake them into honorable mercenaries.
Vizsla instead, wanted to return the Mandalorians back to their roots as raiders and world conquerors. Furthermore, Vizsla had grand aspirations of reigniting a new Mandalorian War that would bring about the conquest of new worlds, just as his forefathers had done.
However, another movement called the New Mandalorians opposed both Mereel and Vizsla’s direction for their culture, and wanted instead to seek a more neutral, pacifist lifestyle for all Mandalorians. Vizsla was adamantly against this as well and his animosity would carry forth to other members of his clan, such as his kinsman Pre Vizsla.
The resulting tensions between these three ideologically opposed factions boiled over into an outbreak of a Mandalorian Civil War, around 60 years prior to the Battle at Yavin. Vizsla’s Death Watch and Mereel’s True Mandalorians had many battles following this schism. One such skirmish ended with them fighting on Concord Dawn in the fields around the Fett’s homestead. Mereel had been forced to retreat during the firefight and sought refuge with the man who had replaced him as Journeyman Protector. The patriarch offered the True Mandalorians sanctuary but would soon pay for this shortly afterwards, when Vizsla and his Death Watchmen arrived at their doorstep looking for their sworn enemies.
Vizsla had the father savagely beat to within an inch of his life, before resorting to threatening the life of the Fett’s youngest son, Jango, to force them to reveal Mereel’s location. Jango’s mother came to the defense of her husband and son, killing one of Vizsla’s soldiers with a blaster rifle. In doing so, an intense firefight broke out, resulting in the death of both parents.
Jaster Mereel managed to save the young boy from his parents fate but couldn’t prevent their daughter, Aria, from being kidnapped. Vizsla had his men burn the fields afterwards, believing that he had succeeded in destroying his adversaries. Unbeknownst to him though, Mereel, his men, and the young boy had survived. They would later spring an ambush on Vizsla and his crew in the nearby town, resulting in the leader of the Death Watch being horribly disfigured thanks to a bomb planted on his tank by the youngest Fett.
Vizsla went missing for several years, finally emerging to bedevil his old foe once again. This time around, it was he sprung the ambush after Mereel had been hired to do a simple rescue mission on the planet Korda Six for the Korda Defense Force. In the ensuing battle, Mereel was injured while trying to save his second-in-command, Montross, who had defied direct orders and ended up wounded. Montross — bitter for being berated by his leader — in turn left his leader behind on the battlefield.
Vizsla arrived shortly afterwards and cut Mereel down with blaster fire from his armored tank. The mantle of Mand’alor would then pass over to Jango, after he proved that Montross had betrayed their leader. Jango would then pursue Vizsla’s whereabouts but this too ended up as a trap after Montross struck a deal with the corrupt governor of Galidraan that was supposed to be aiding Jango.
A civilian massacre committed by Vizsla and his Death Watchmen was afterwards blamed on Jango and his True Mandalorians. Despite their innocence, a Jedi strike team — led by Master Dooku — was called in to avenge the victims. After the staged battle between the True Mandalorians and the Jedi was over, only Jango and his fellow Mandalorian, Silas, were the last of their group left alive.
Jango was sold into slavery, while Vizsla went about planning his great galactic conquest. Eventually, Jango escaped his forced servitude and reclaimed his armor. He then tracked Vizsla’s ship, the Death Rattle, to over Corellia and proceeded to disable it, forcing his enemy to flee in an escape pod to the planet below.
The two Mandalorians fought on the planet’s surface, one time spilling over a cliff. Vizsla injected Jango with some poison he had hidden in his gauntlet but his younger opponent struck back with a slash across Vizsla’s abdomen. Vizsla scoffed at his adversaries weak attack, until he realized it had attracted the attention of some nearby dire cats that proceeded to attack and devour the Death Watch founder.
Powers/Skills: Tor Vizsla was a ruthless fighter and weapons master that utilized every advantage he could, no matter how underhanded, to gain victory. His tactics fit perfectly with his barbarian mindset and made him well-suited for leading the group of thugs he ruled, the Death Watch. He was also a master at staging ambushes/traps, negotiating with other low-level scum such as corrupt governors, and was brutally effective in his attacks.
Spaceship: The Death Rattle
Weapon(s): Vizsla wore gauntlets that housed a variety of weapons including: a flame-thrower, a whipcord launcher, wrist rockets, and an injectable poison syringe. Vizsla also relied on various blaster rifles, pistols, and heavier artillery such as an armored tank that he used on several occasions.
Hard to Believe: Not only is it hard to accept that Tor Vizsla and his ancestor Tarre Vizsla are related, but would you believe that his name ‘Tor’ translates into “Justice” in Mando’a? So, does that mean “Jaster” translates into “a**hat” then?
6. PRE VIZSLA
Group Affiliation: Death Watch, The Shadow Collective
Height: 6′ (1.84 meters)
Weight: 200 lbs ( 90 kg)
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde
Species: Human, light-skinned
Gender: Male
Homeworld: Concordia
Occupation: Former governor of Concordia, Leader of Death Watch
Adversaries: Duchess Satine Kryze, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul
Relatives: Tarre Vizsla, Tor Vizsla, Paz Vizsla
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, season 2, episode 13, “The Mandalore Plot”
Character History:
After seizing control over Mandalore, the New Mandalorians had exiled those unwilling to follow their pacifist ways to the moon of Concordia. Although many of those of the old ways were thought to have died out, secretly the governor of Concordia, Pre Vizsla, had been resurrecting the Death Watch that his fellow kinsman, Tor Vizsla, had created.
The Death Watch was violently opposed to the pacifist government that had taken control of Mandalore, as they were seen as an antithesis to their peoples nature as warriors and world conquerors. Death Watch therefore sought to return all Mandalorians back to these traditions. Aiding Pre Vizsla in his goal of reclaiming the Mandalorians destiny was, Bo-Katan Kryze, the estranged sister of the New Mandalorians ruler, Duchess Satine Kryze.
Pre Vizsla’s desperate measures of attaining his goals led him to make some morally corrupt choices against his own people. Such decisions included: Allying with the Separatists, staging fake attacks conducted with cooperation from members of the underworld organization — the Shadow Collective, as well as, several failed assassination attempts on Duchess Satine’s life.
Pre Vizsla’s endgame of stirring up enough trouble so that his people felt compelled to abandon their pacifist government for stronger leadership finally succeeded, and he was made the new Mand’alor. This victory — especially dishonest ones — came with a price.
That’s because, along the way of gathering allies to join his cause, Pre Vizsla had made a deal with the devil. Or — in his case — a former Sith. Pre Vizsla had come to the rescue of Darth Maul and his brother, Savage Opress, after the two were found floating helplessly out in space onboard an escape pod. Maul was “indebted” to his saviors and decided to aid in their cause.
For a time, the two achieved their mutual goals working together. Vizsla doomed himself later on, after unwisely reneging on his deal with Maul to help expand the Shadow Collective’s reach into the other neutral systems that Mandalore had influence over. Vizsla arrested Maul and used him to convince the New Mandalorians that he was their true savior.
Maul, along with his brother Savage Opress, later escaped his imprisonment and proceeded to confront Vizsla in his throneroom. He then invoked the Mandalorian rites to trial of combat, wherein he could become the new Mand’alor. Vizsla accepted the challenge under the threat that Maul would expose the dark secret of how the new Mand’alor had come to power.
To his credit, Vizsla fought with great skill against the former Sith apprentice, nearly gaining an upper-hand. But — he wasn’t good enough. Maul overpowered Vizsla and, as his former ally lay defeated on the ground, used the Force to summon the Darksaber into his hand. He then ignited the blade — giving his opponent only a moment to utter his final defiant words — before ending his short reign as Mand’alor.
Despite his fair victory, this sudden change of leadership was met with instant disapproval, which led to an immediate schism, as Bo-Katan and a few more of Vizsla’s loyalists rebelled. Maul had his own supporters, most notable among them was Gar Saxon, a Mandalorian of ever-wavering loyalties. Death Watch was splintered into two opposing factions, Bo-Katan’s Nite Owls, and Maul’s “Maulorians”. (Heh. No, they weren’t really called that.)
Ultimately, Vizsla did accomplish his goal of ending the pacifist movement that had overtaken his people. But, much like everything else he had done, it came with a great cost, resulting in a ravaged world and a people thrown back once again into the turmoil of war. Then again, such is the way of the Mandalorians. Thankfully, their spirits — like their armor — isn’t easily broken.
Powers/Skills: Pre Vizsla was trained in the Mandalorian arts of combat, which made him a formidable foe in that respect alone. However, his most special skill came from the use of the Darksaber, the weapon created by his ancestor, Tarre Vizsla. Even though Pre Vizsla wasn’t trained to use the Darksaber like the Jedi were, he nonetheless could wield it with both competent and deadly efficiency. He also possessed great charisma which commanded loyalty from his troops, even after his death.
Weapon(s): Pre Vizsla was a skilled marksman with his WESTAR- 35 blaster pistol, but his preferred weapon was his Darksaber, the black-bladed Jedi artifact that had been passed down for generations among Clan Vizsla after it was stolen from the Jedi temple by his ancestors.
The First Collaboration, But Not the Last: Jon Favreau — the showrunner of The Mandalorian — first collaborated with Dave Filloni and George Lucas during the making of Star Wars: The Clone Wars after he was asked to voice the Mandalorian character, Pre Vizsla. This early collaboration developed into a fascination with the Mandalorian culture, that then inspired the Disney + series he later co-created with Filoni.
7. DUCHESS SATINE KRYZE
Group Affiliation(s): Clan/House Vizsla, The Confederacy of Neutral Systems, The New Mandalorians, The Republic
Age: 38
Height: 5′ 8″ or 1.77 meters
Weight: A lady doesn’t tell
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde
Species: Human, Fair-skinned
Gender: Female
Homeworld: Kalevala
Occupation: Leader of the New Mandalorians, sovereign of Mandalore
Adversaries: Pre Vizsla, Death Watch, The Separatists, Shadow Collective, Prime Minister Almec, Maul
Relatives: Bo-Katan Kryze (sister), Korkie Kryze (nephew)
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, season 2, episode 12, “The Mandalore Plot”
Character History:
The leader of the New Mandalorians, a pacifist faction of the Mandalorians, Duchess Satine Kryze ruled over Mandalore during the times of the Clone Wars (22-19 BBY). As a devout pacifist Duchess Satine sought neutrality for her and the New Mandalorians during this conflict.
However, that didn’t stop her from having enemies. As a matter of fact, her greatest adversary was a fellow politician, the governor of Concordia, Pre Vizsla. The governor’s people, who didn’t adhere to the New Mandalorian way, had been exiled to the nearby moon following the Mandalore Civil War. Joining them was Duchess Satine’s estranged younger sister, Bo-Katan, who also rejected the New Mandalorian’s pacifist lifestyle.
This banishment had instilled a deep resentment towards Duchess Satine and her people, which was exacerbated following the duchess’s appointment to head of the Council of Neutral Systems — a consortium of 1500 star systems that sought neutrality in the Clone Wars.
Both the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems (Separatists) were displeased with Satine’s involvement, with the former believing that Mandalore was helping to build an army for the latter. This seemed apparent following an attack on a Republic cruiser by a terrorist dressed in Mandalorian armor.
The Jedi High Council concerned over this incident decided to send in Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to investigate the matter. Kenobi, as it turned out, was a former love interest of Satine’s whom the two had met many years before during the great civil war on Mandalore.
Soon after Kenobi’s arrival, Pre Vizsla — joined by Bo-Katan and his other Death Watch cohorts — began launching terrorist attacks against Mandalore. This led to Kenobi and Satine on a series of adventures following several failed assassination attempts on the duchess’s life. Incidentally, these tense encounters caused their past affections for one another to be rekindled.
Pre Vizsla would later be exposed for his treachery and banished, eventually forming a new alliance with former Sith apprentice Darth Maul and their collection of underworld criminals called the Shadow Collective. Working with this cabal, Vizsla was successful in creating the perfect storm for removing the New Mandalorians confidence in their leader. This, in turn, led to Pre Vizsla taking power as the Mand’alor.
Later on, in an unexpected turn of events, Maul would seize control over Mandalore after violently deposing of Pre Vizsla in a deadly trial of combat. Maul’s ultimate victory, though, came when he viciously impaled Satine with Vizsla’s Darksaber in front of his old nemesis, Kenobi. Although the two of them had a long adversarial history, Kenobi was nonetheless caught off guard by his Maul’s sudden cruel act. Afterwards, with only a few brief moments of life left, Satine confessed her undying love for Kenobi. Then…she passed into the eternal light of the Force.
Although Maul had meant to use Satine’s death to turn Obi-Wan to the Dark Side, he failed, as the duchess had plead with him to resist. Afterwards, Obi-Wan would be rescued by Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls.
Satine’s impact on Kenobi gave him an inner-perspective after he sensed those same kind of feelings between his former padawan, Anakin Skywalker, and Senator Padme Amidala. Even though such feelings were discouraged by the Jedi, he nonetheless chose to remain supportive, rather than condemn his friend for this.
Powers/Skills: Duchess Satine possessed the diplomatic skills of a veteran politician, along with the iron resolve to stand firm in her cherished beliefs. She also had an analytical mind that was able to assess her surroundings and make quick decisions. Although she abhorred violence, Satine was adept at using a blaster pistol, and able to defend herself against a fully-armored Mandalorian in combat. She was also knowledgeable in flying aircraft, as well as driving speeder bikes.
Famous Inspiration: Many influences came together to create the character of Duchess Satine. One of the greatest inspirations for her character was actress, Cate Blanchett, which is evident in her physical appearance. Specifically, though, it was Blanchett’s performance as Queen Elizabeth I in the film Elizabeth: The Golden Age that was the most inspirational.
Her character’s design came from unused illustrations by concept artist Ian McCaig from Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.
8. BO-KATAN KRYZE
Group Affiliation(s): Clan Kryze, Death Watch, The Nite Owls
Height: 5′ 9″ (animated Clone Wars/Rebels character) 5’ 6” (1.68 meters) (live-action version)
Weight: 122 lbs. (55 kg)
Eye Color: Green
Hair Color: Red
Species: Human, Light-skinned
Gender: Female
Homeworld: Mandalore
Occupation: Former Mand’alor, Leader of the Nite Owls
Adversaries: The Galactic Republic, The Separatists, Maul and his Death Watch loyalists
Relatives: Duchess Satine Kryze (sister), Korkie Kryze (nephew)
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 4/Episode 14, “A Friend in Need”
Character History:
Bo-Katan Kryze was the younger sister of Duchess Satine Kryze, the leader of the New Mandalorians and ruler of Mandalore. The two of them had become estranged, though, due to their ideological differences on the Mandalorians direction following the Mandalorian Civil War.
Because of this, Bo-Katan was exiled to Concordia, along with the rest of those who adhered to the warrior lifestyle. This led Bo-Katan to join the Death Watch, which was led by the moon’s governor, Pre Vizsla. Together they plotted how to dethrone her sister and find a way to reinstitute the old customs of the Mandalorians.
Bo-Katan allowed herself to buy fully into Pre Vizsla’s vision, even when it meant attacking some of her own people, or to make questionable alliances. She remained loyal to her leader even after he was brutally executed in front of her by one of his allies, former Sith apprentice, Darth Maul. This led to a schism between those loyal to Vizsla and those who chose to follow the new Mand’alor.
Fortunately, Bo-Katan would be reconciled with her sister, only later to have her taken away by Maul, who killed Satine to try and break Obi-Wan Kenobi, the duchess’s former love interest. This tragic moment helped Bo-Katan to find redemption and work towards honoring the memory of her dearly departed sister.
Her first order of business came in liberating her homeworld from the rule of Maul and his cohorts. She accomplished this by working alongside former Jedi padawan, Ahsoka Tano, and a contingency of Republic clones led by Captain Rex. Bo-Katan would later be named regent of Mandalore.
Unfortunately, her victory would be short-lived after the Republic was reorganized into the Galactic Empire, following the conclusion of the Clone Wars. Unable to follow the Empire’s orders against her people, Bo-Katan was deposed and replaced by Maul’s former lieutenant, Gar Saxon, who then became the Imperial Viceroy and Governor of Mandalore.
Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls would later clash with the Empire again after it was discovered that they had created a weapon capable of massacring Mandalorians by honing in on the unique metallic signature of beskar and incinerating the wearers from within. Adding insult to this abominable weapon was the disturbing fact it had been named the “Duchess” in homage to her sister, Satine.
Bo-Katan worked alongside the young Mandalorian rebel, Satine Wren, who had unwisely designed this weapon and together they were able to destroy it before it could harm any more of their people. Because of her heroic efforts and leadership skills, Bo-Katan was given the Darksaber and appointed the Mand’alor of her people.
Sometime after her ascension, Bo-Katan would find herself yet again dethroned, after the Empire put into effect the Great Purge of Mandalore. This devastating event led to her planet being ravaged by the Empires intense mining operations to extract the beskar contained within it. All attempts to resist this intrusion resulted in the Empire forcing Mandalorians into exile or be dealt with.
During this time of upheaval, Bo-Katan lost her Darksaber, which was later found to be in the possession of an Imperial named Moff Gideon. Disgraced, Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls searched for a way of reclaiming this symbol of her sovereignty. This led to her meeting another Mandalorian on the planet Trask. Din Djarin agreed to assist Bo-Katan on her mission, in exchange for her providing him with the information he needed to fulfill his own mission of reuniting his Jedi-youngling, Grogu, with its own kind.
Later, Bo-Katan would come to the Mandalorian’s aid on a rescue mission to save the Jedi-youngling from the very man she had been pursuing. While the Mandalorian succeeded in both rescuing his charge and reuniting it with one of its own, it cost Bo-Katan her claim to the Darksaber after Djarin was forced to battle the Imperial who wielded it and defeated him.
Even though Djarin had no desire to keep the Darksaber and was willing to hand it over, Bo-Katan could not accept. The reason why was because ancient tradition dictated that those seeking to become Mand’alor would have to earn it through trial of combat. Her only recourse then was to challenge Djarin — who currently wields the Darksaber — which left her undecided on what to do next.
Powers/Skills: Bo-Katan was an extremely talented hand-to-hand combatant, as well as adept at using various weapons, including ranged or melee. She was also a capable leader, albeit, a reluctant one given her past failures. Nevertheless, she had her loyal followers who readily accepted her leadership in battle or otherwise.
Weapon(s): Bo-Katan used WESTAR-35 blaster pistols for her sidearms, as well as vambraces that contained a variety of weapons including dart launchers, gauntlet blades, wrist lasers, grappling-line, and a power-generated combat shield for deflecting attacks. Also, she wielded the Darksaber, the ceremonial weapon and symbol of power of the Mand’alors.
Strange Name, Stranger Origins: Bo-Katan’s unique name came from Star Wars: Clone Wars/Rebels/The Mandalorian director, Dave Filoni, who was inspired by the name of his wife Anne’s cat, Boogie. He then combined the phrase: “Boogie-cat-Anne,” and from their shortened it to the familiar-sounding name we’ve come to know this character by.
9. PRIME MINISTER ALMEC
Group Affiliation(s): Clan Almec, The New Mandalorians, Maul’s Splinter Group
Height: 6′ 2″ (1.89 meters)
Weight: 194 lbs. (88 kg)
Eye Color: Purple
Hair Color: Blond
Species: Human, Light-skinned
Gender: Male
Homeworld: Mandalore
Occupation: Prime Minister of Mandalore, second in command to her duchess Satine Kryze, and later puppet leader to Maul.
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, season 2, episode 12, “The Mandalore Plot”
Character History:
Prime Minister Almec was the second-in-command of Mandalore, under Dutchess Satine Kryze. He was a regal gentleman, somewhat aloof, that nonetheless seemed devoted to serving his people and upholding his ruler’s goals of maintaining a Utopian society, free of Mandalore’s warrior past.
However, his reputation became tarnished sometime after the Death Watch fiasco had settled down and Pre Vizsla had been banished from the Mandalorian system. Duchess Satine’s insistence on maintaining neutrality had begun to have ramifications on her planet as supply chains and trade routes were being disrupted by the ongoing Clone Wars.
Desperate times, created desperate measures, and a black market began to emerge on Mandalore. This soon became a problem after an epidemic broke out, causing Mandalore’s children to get sick and die from being poisoned by high levels of a spice called slabin that had become lethal when mixed into some black market tea.
The duchess — who was aided by a visiting Senator Padme Amidala — began investigating the origins of this tainted tea and found that the school’s superintendent had been buying it from an importer named Siddiq, who got it from a planet called Mooga. Satine and Amidala’s investigation uncovered high levels of corruption, filled with multiple parties engaging in some form of illegal activity and payoffs.
Ahsoka Tano was brought in undercover to lend some further assistance in discovering the roots of the food shortage and illegal black market activity. Duchess Satine’s nephew, Korkie, along with some of his fellow cadets from the Royal Academy of Government found a warehouse loaded with numerous crates filled with the missing food supplies. They had also stumbled across a secret meeting between a mysterious hooded figure and several Gotal.
This stranger turned out to be Almec, who was responsible for establishing the black market ring. His worst crime, though, came when he tried to pass all of the blame on Satine and torture her into signing a document confessing her crimes — all in an attempt to usurp her throne. Furthermore, Almec revealed how power-mad he was after he attempted to have his guards put a shock collar on the duchess’s nephew in order to attain his wish.
Thankfully, Ahsoka broke free from her captor’s grip and together with the RAG cadets overpowered them. Almec surrendered after Ahsoka removed Kryze’s collar and placed it on him. He was placed into the same cell he had kept Satine and left there to atone for his crimes her and his fellow Mandalorians.
Almec would later be given his freedom and put into place as the puppet ruler of Mandalore by Darth Maul, who had seized power by defeating the previous Mand’alor, Pre Vizsla, by trial in combat. Maul’s temporary reign over Mandalore ended following the Siege of Mandalore by a contingency of clone troopers led by Captain Rex. They were joined by former padawan Tano — who had recently quit the Jedi Order — fighting alongside Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls.
Almec was captured by Bo-Katan Kryze and the Clones during the opening of this siege but was executed while in custody by Gar Saxon of Maul’s Super Commandos before he could be forced to reveal any sensitive information he possessed to the Republic. The siege itself would end shortly afterward with Maul’s defeat by Ahsoka.
As for the New Mandalorian movement that had flourished for so long under Duchess Satine and Prime Minister Almec, it would soon become a fading memory of Mandalore’s past, as the planet’s populace rejected pacifism in favor of their warrior heritage.
Powers/Skills: He possessed all of the requisite skills of a long-time politician in his position, ranging from diplomacy to negotiations. He also possessed a ruthless, if not thug-like disposition in getting his way when fancy words and bribery didn’t do the job. Or, as Qui-Gon Jinn would have put it, he was adept at using “Aggressive Negotiations.”
10. MAUL
Group Affiliation(s): Nightbrothers, The Sith, The Shadow Collective, Death Watch, Crimson Dawn
Age: 52 (Time of death, 2 BBY)
Height: 5’ 9” or 1.75 m.
Weight: 216 lbs or 98 kg.
Eye Color: Yellow-Red
Distinguishing Features: Maul has crimson red skin covered almost entirely with black tattoos, a crown of horns on his hairless skull, and he sports a pair of cybernetic legs that replaced his original ones that were lost after Obi-Wan Kenobi cut him in half.
Species: Zabrak
Gender: Male
Homeworld: Dathomir
Occupation: Former Sith apprentice to Darth Sidious, Leader of the Shadow Collective, and de facto Mand’alor of Mandalore and all of its sub-planets.
Adversaries: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Sidious (former master), Count Dooku, General Grievious, Duchess Satine Kryze, Bo-Katan Kryze, Pre Vizsla…(The list goes on)
Relatives: Mother Talzin (his mother), Savage Opress (his brother) and Feral (brother, deceased)
Lightsaber Form: Form VII/Juyo – The most aggressive style.
First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace
Character History:
Maul was the first Sith apprentice to Darth Sidious, aka, Emperor Palpatine during the years prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars. Unfortunately, his service to his master ended after he was unceremoniously cut in half, by then Jedi padawan — Obi-Wan Kenobi — before tumbling down into the abyss of a nearby shaft.
Maul was thought to have perished on Naboo. That was, until over a decade later his brother — Savage Opress — came searching for him after being told by Mother Talzin of the Nightsisters that he had survived. She then gave him a talisman to help guide the Zabrak to his Nightbrothers location. Opress found his brother on the junkyard planet of Lotho Minor — a former shell of himself — driven nearly completely insane through his isolation and turbulent state of emotions.
Opress brought Maul back to Dathomir where Mother Talzin used her considerable talents with dark side magics to heal the broken mind of her fallen son and fashion him new cybernetic legs from his makeshift ones.
Having recovered his mental faculties, Maul became more dangerous than ever before, with his first order of business being to exact vengeance upon the man who stole from him his destiny with the Sith, and so much more. Together with his brother, Opress, Maul forced Obi-Wan Kenobi — now a Jedi Master and Jedi High Council member — to meet him on the planet Raydonia.
Even though Kenobi knew Maul was luring him into a trap, he went to the planet alone anyway. When he arrived though, he found a community ravaged by death and destruction the likes of which he hadn’t expected. Kenobi confronted his nemesis in the town square but was suddenly attacked and overpowered by Opress. The Force was looking out for him in mysterious ways though when it sent along an unexpected ally to save him — Asajj Ventress, the former Sith Acolyte of Count Dooku.
Although, Kenobi and Ventress hardly shared any love for one another, the two did share a common foe with the Nightbrothers. So, working together they managed to escape and leave the brothers floating helplessly in the disabled transport ship they were onboard.
Maul and Opress found salvation from the Death Watch who had been recently exiled from Mandalore and the surrounding system. Joining forces with their leader, Pre Vizsla, Maul set about creating a network of underworld factions called the Shadow Collective, with him as their leader. The ultimate goal of Maul’s Shadow Collective was to become a rival Empire to the one that Darth Sidious had been machinating for decades.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, Maul also achieved something else; he became the ruler of a planet. This came about after Vizsla retracted on their earlier agreement with one another and tried using Maul as his leverage in becoming the new Mand’alor of his people.
Maul escaped his confinement with his brother and then openly challenged Vizsla in a trial of combat. This brief, but intense battle, ended after Maul gained the upper-hand and ordered Vizsla to submit. Vizsla defiantly refused — so Maul lopped off his head with the Darksaber.
This led to an immediate schism within the Death Watch, with Vizsla’s lieutenant, Bo-Katan Kryze, and a few other loyalists rebelling against Maul’s right to rule. The Maul loyalists and Bo-Katan’s Nite Owls became rivals, clashing several times over the course of the next several months leading up to the Siege of Mandalore.
Before the siege though, Maul would go on to achieve his greatest victory against his sworn foe, Kenobi. This time, Maul attacked Kenobi on the most personal level he could by forcing him to watch helplessly as he brutally killed his beloved, Duchess Satine Kryze — former ruler of Mandalore.
Maul’s cruel act of callousness was meant to break Kenobi and turn him to the Dark Side, but it failed. Furthermore, Maul himself would receive his comeuppance after Darth Sidious arrived on Mandalore to put his former apprentice back into his proper place. This battle ended with Opress dead and Maul taken captive.
Maul would later be freed thanks to help from Gar Saxon and Rook Kast, his former Death Watch loyalists. He then went to war with Count Dooku and General Grievous, along with Darth Sidious once again. This ended with him losing not only his allies in the Shadow Collective but also his recently restored parent, Mother Talzin. Maul barely escaped the same fate and returned to Mandalore to resume his control. His reign of power was short-lived though after Republic forces were brought in to liberate the people of Mandalore. During the Siege of Mandalore, Maul was confronted by former Jedi padawan, Ahsoka Tano.
Maul had been having visions during this time in which he could foresee his former Sith masters plans coming to fruition, as well as the rise of a new Sith apprentice. Maul tried to convince Ahsoka to join him and help destroy her former master, Skywalker, believing he was the one he had foreseen.
Ahsoka refused to believe this and the two engaged in an evenly matched duel across Mandalore. Finally, though, Maul was subdued and taken into custody thanks to help from Ahsoka’s allies. Imprisoned inside of a special vault created by the Mandalore to contain those with Force abilities, Maul was carried off to face judgment for his innumerable crimes against the galaxy. Ahsoka joined the Republic forces on their journey back to Coruscant only to get caught up in the events of Order 66.
With her former comrades trying to kill her — including Captain Rex — Ahsoka was forced to do the unthinkable and free Maul from his confinement in order to help create a diversion. Ahsoka managed to save Captain Rex from Sidious’ BMB (Behavioral Modification Biochip) implant but ultimately lost the majority of the crew after the ship was disabled by Maul and crashed into an unknown moon below.
Maul escaped and would go on to create another criminal organization called Crimson Dawn. He would also try to take on another apprentice, the unwilling Jedi padawan and Rebel, Ezra Bridger. Ultimately though, all paths for Maul led back to his old nemesis, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Finding the exiled Jedi on the desert planet of Tatooine, Maul confronted him in a brief duel that ended with the former Sith’s swift defeat. Dying in the arms of Kenobi, Maul at last found something that eluded him his entire existence: peace.
Powers/Skills: Maul was a Force-user with the abilities most commonly associated with those with these gifts, specifically with those who were dark side users like the Sith. Interestingly he never seemed to use Force-lightning, a common Sith tactic, though this may have been due to his personal preferences/fighting style. As such, these abilities included: force-choke, deflecting bolts of energy, and telepathic assault. One of his greatest force abilities was his telekinesis, which proved powerful enough once to drag an Eta-class shuttle from a plateau, even while injured. He could also use it to unleash a massive Force-push to scatter entire battalions when surrounded.
Not one to rely on only his Force talents alone, Maul was also a superior martial artist, specifically in Teräs Käsi. He was able to stand toe-to-toe with nearly anyone, including General Grievous — the Jedi-hunting cyborg. In fact, his only true competitors seemed to be Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his former Sith Master, Darth Sidious, whom he was never able to overpower. His weapon of choice was a double-bladed lightsaber, which was a weapon that took considerable practice to wield effectively.
In addition to these considerable skills, Maul also possessed a high threshold for pain from the grueling training he endured. He was also an exceptional military and political strategist, as shown in his success creating the underworld conglomerate called the Shadow Collective, as well as its successor, Crimson Dawn. Finally, he proved to be a capable manipulator as gathered from his years of tutelage from Dark Sidious.
Weapon(s): Maul’s weapon of choice was his dual-bladed lightsaber that he used extensively in the years leading up to his defeat on Naboo. He would later acquire the Darksaber — the black-bladed ceremonial weapon of the Mand’alor — that he won in a trial of combat with Pre Vizsla. His greatest weapon, though, might have been his mind.
The Reason Behind the Resentment: The reason for Maul’s deep-seated hatred for the Jedi seems to have come from feeling that he was rejected by them, especially for being overlooked as a child and not brought to the Jedi temple for training.
Instead, he was found by Darth Sidious who fueled these doubts, along with his brutal and insensitive training. The result: Maul became infuriated towards the Jedi and seen them as an enemy worth extinguishing entirely from the galaxy.
That concludes this list of Mandalorians from the Old Republic through the Clone Wars era. Join us again as we concluded with those from Rebels era through the New Republic.