Mandalorian

"Here's why you can't exterminate us, aruetii. We're not huddled in one place—we span the galaxy. We need no lords or leaders—so you can't destroy our command. We can live without technology—so we can fight with our bare hands. We have no species or bloodline—so we can rebuild our ranks with others who want to join us. We're more than just a people or an army, aruetii. We're a culture. We're an idea. And you can't kill ideas—but we can certainly kill you."

―Mandalore the Destroyer.

Early history

he Mandalorians began as the Near-Human Taung species from the planet Coruscant. Intense fighting with the thirteen Human nations of Coruscant known as the Battalions of Zhell began millennia before the Republic, and when a powerful volcano nearly wiped out the humans and darkened the skies over Coruscant, the Taung came to call themselves the Dha Werda Verda—the "Warriors of the Shadow". Despite the volcano's devastating effect, the Taung were eventually driven off Coruscant and took refuge on the world of Roon. Led by the warlord known as Mandalore the First, they would conquer another planet in the Outer Rim in 7000 BBY, which they named Mandalore after their leader. The Taung took on the name Mandalorians and were seen by many as the most skilled fighters in the galaxy, thriving in battle. These Mandalorian Crusaders were known for their use of cutting-edge weaponry and held to a strict code of honor, and wore armor known simply as "Crusader Armor" that differed from one soldier to the next.

"My warriors need another crusade. The Empress Teta system is in chaos, overstretched by their many conquests. The witch Aleema and her Jedi devotee Ulic Qel-Droma will fall under the fist of Mandalore!"

―Mandalore the Indomitable.

The Great Sith War

Seeking further challenges, the Mandalorian Crusaders moved toward the Deep Core. Setting their sights on the Empress Teta system, the Mandalorians conquered the rocky world of Kuar, and utilized the ruined underground cities as a staging ground for their attack on Empress Teta. When the Mandalorians destroyed a carbonite smelting station, it caught the attention of the fallen Jedi Knight-turned-Sith Lord Ulic Qel-Droma, who'd usurped control of the Krath forces in command of Empress Teta. Challenged to a duel by the Mand'alor, Qel-Droma traveled to Kuar where he faced off against Mandalore the Indomitable on the plains of Harkul. Despite the use of his Basilisk war droid, the Mand'alor was defeated, and in the duel's aftermath, swore fealty to Qel-Droma and his own Sith Master, Exar Kun. Thus was forged the first Mandalorian-Sith alliance, but while Mand'alor had accepted his defeat at the hands of Qel-Droma, several of his supporters had not, including the Zeltron Antos Wyrick; Mand'alor's defeat at the former Jedi's hands would drive Wyrick to try and unlock the mysteries of the Jedi's power and the secrets of the Force. Now allied with the Sith and Krath forces, the Mandalorian Crusaders joined in an attack on the Republic and later During their retreat, Mand'alor's personal Basilisk war droid was hit by enemy fire and he crashed on the surface of Dxun, separated from the other Crusaders. Pulling himself from his war droid's wreckage, the Mand'alor soon found himself surrounded by a number of dangerous beasts native to Dxun's jungles. Though he fought the creatures, Mandalore the Indomitable was eventually overcome and slain by the beasts. While combing the jungles for their downed leader, a Mandalorian Crusader came upon the Mand'alor's mask and, in accordance with Mandalorian tradition, claimed the mask as his own to become the new Mand'alor.

As one Mand'alor falls, a new Mand'alor rises to take his place.

The Mandalorian Wars

During the next twenty years, peace prevailed and the galaxy began to slowly recover from the damage inflicted during the war, entering an era of rebuilding and renewal known as the Restoration Period. On the Mandalorian side, the new Mand'alor—going by the title of "Mandalore the Ultimate"—undertook the task of rebuilding the Mandalorian clans that had been greatly diminished in the war. With many of the original Mandalorian species, the Taung, now dead, Mandalore the Ultimate aggressively expanded his recruiting efforts, welcoming members of all alien descent into the Mandalorian culture. To this end, the Mandalorians established bases such as Unity, constructed under the planetary crust of Caillte. While primarily built to serve as a forward supply post, under Feruun Lern it also became a recruitment center where numerous individuals were invited to learn the Mandalorian ways and become new Mandalorian warriors. As a result, the Mandalorian ranks swelled with an influx of warriors from countless worlds. In an effort to help cohesion and uphold order among the motley ranks, a new generation of more uniform armor was implemented at the suggestion of the Mand'alor's closest advisor, Cassus Fett, thus forming a powerful new generation of warriors known as the Neo-Crusaders. However, as many Mandalorians rebuilt, ten years after the end of the Great Sith War, dozens of Mandalorians were unjustly arrested and executed after a psychotic bounty hunter named Jigger Wraith preyed upon innocents using rare Mandalorian weaponry. At the same time, Antos Wyrick continued his research into the Jedi and the Force, constructing the New Generation Academy on Osadia where he attempted to form a sect of Force-using Mandalorians called the Mandalorian Knights. In a deal with the Crucible slave-trading organization, the ruthless Zeltron traded his own daughter for more test subjects. But the Crucible would return while Wyrick was away, raiding the school and capturing its students. His experiments ruined, Wyrick rejoined the Mandalorians under the pseudonym of "Doctor Demagol".

In the decades since their defeat in the Great Sith War, many Mandalorians had become convinced that their once-prophesied "Great Last Battle" was soon to be at hand. Emboldened by an element of the "True Sith" in hiding, Mandalore the Ultimate launched a campaign into the Outer Rim, on the edge of Republic space. Conquering several independent planets outside of the Republic's interests, the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders were able to amass a clan territory larger than that ruled by the Hutts in the short span of a decade. During this period of aggressive expansion, the Neo-Crusaders conquered the planet Cathar in an operation headed by Cassus Fett. Though already defeated, Fett herded what remained of the Cathar species after the battle, out into the sea and—although he was opposed by the outcry of a single Mandalorian female—gave the order to kill them all, and the Mandalorian traitor with them, as retribution for the Cathar's actions against the Mandalorians in the past. In the end, the Mandalorians had wiped out over ninety percent of the species. As the Republic refused to get involved in the Mandalorians' conquests, wary of being dragged into another war so soon after the last, the Mandalorians plundered resources from conquered worlds and stockpiled them in order to fuel the growing campaign. With each victory in this ongoing series of proxy wars and border skirmishes, the Mandalorian clans grew more powerful, conscripting conquered species into their ranks as they probed the Republic's military strength and resolve. Just as it appeared as though the Neo-Crusaders' appetite for conquest had been satisfied, with the Mandalorians having failed to conquer a populated system in over a year by 3964 BBY, the Mandalorians struck out in force against the Republic. Striking swiftly from their outpost on Dxun, Onderon quickly fell to the Mandalorians, and it wasn't long before the likes of Vanquo and Taris soon joined it.

The Mandalorians seemed on the verge of victory, with the Republic outmatched and overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity of the Mandalorian tactics. Finally, when the Jedi Revanchists unveiled the true events of the Cathar genocide in a tragic vision, hundreds of Jedi followed the Knights Revan and Malak into the war against the Mandalorians, no longer able to stand back and watch without action. Revan proved to be an extremely capable commander in the field, masterminding a string of military victories, and rose swiftly through the ranks of the Republic Military; with his new-found authority to spearhead the Republic war effort, Revan spurred the all-but-defeated Republic Navy to push the Mandalorians back. In relatively short order, the Mandalorians were forced off of Taris, driven from Dxun—even Cassus Fett's victory at Jaga's Cluster could do little to halt the Republic's growing momentum. The year 3960 BBY would usher in the ultimate battle of the Mandalorian Wars, as Revan forced a confrontation with the Mandalorians in orbit over Malachor V.

"Times have changed now. The Mandalore clans have been scattered across the Outer Rim, the Republic is in decline and the Sith Empire raises to take its place. The clans act as if they aren't a threat, but the galaxy still fears us. Ha! People think we war out of spite, or bloodlust. They don't understand, and fear that."

―Canderous Ordo.

The Dark Wars

ollowing their defeat at the end of the Mandalorian Wars, Revan stripped the Mandalorians of their armor and destroyed their stockpiles of weaponry, along with the war droids they'd ridden into battle upon. He also took the mask of Mand'alor, the relic that had been passed from one Mand'alor to the next and without it, a new leader could not be declared. With no Mand'alor, the Mandalorian clans fragmented and scattered throughout the Outer Rim. Beaten and embittered, many of the scattered Mandalorians took up professions as bounty hunters and mercenaries in order to make a living. Known informally as Mandalorian Mercs, these Mandalorians sold their skills to the highest bidder with morality a distant second-thought to credits.] Some, like Gorse Bendak, became gladiators on worlds such as Taris, and Geonosis. Worse still, others became pirates and bandits, troubling settlers on worlds such as Dantooine.

"Mandalore's call was simple: to confront the galaxy's greatest challenge and fight the legendary Knights of the Jedi Order."

―Gnost-Dural.

The Great Galactic War

Despite Canderous Ordo's attempts to unite the scattered clans during his time as Mand'alor, the Mandalorians would remain fragmented for nearly three centuries. That would change in the year 3661 BBY, after the Sith Empire made an unforeseen return to the galaxy. In their war against the Republic, the Sith turned to the Mandalorians for aid, attempting to recruit the galaxy's most infamous mercenaries and bounty hunters to their cause. However, when most refused these offers, the Sith Empire decided upon a different course of action: on Geonosis, a successful young Mandalorian gladiator was chosen by Imperial Intelligence agents as a potential pawn. Working the crowds with whispers of "Mandalore" that grew into thunderous cheers, and drugging his opponents into submission, the Empire ensured that their chosen warrior would win every bout until the title of Mand'alor was thrust upon him.

When the new Mand'alor called, many of the Mandalorians living in diaspora rallied to him as their culture's tenets dictated, following him in his fight against the knights of the Jedi Order. and with their blockade of the Hydian Way destoryed, the new Mand'alor—later known pejoratively as "Mandalore the Lesser"—sought to restore his support among the clans by calling for a galaxy-spanning competition for glory known as the Great Hunt. The champion of the Hunt, a Mandalorian warrior by the name of Artus, challenge the Mand'alor to a duel where he shot and killed the Imperial puppet. Taking his place as Mand'alor, Artus adopted the title of "Mandalore the Vindicated". In the process of consolidating his new power, Mand'alor quelled an uprising by a group of Mandalorians led by Jicoln Cadera, who believed that the Mandalorians should follow in the footsteps of Mandalore the Preserver, supporting the Republic rather than the Sith Empire. Under Mandalore the Vindicated, the Mandalorians would continue to be the well-paid, but cautious allies of the Sith.

The New Sith Wars

During the New Sith Wars, the Mandalorians would break from what many perceived to be a long-standing alliance, and waged war against the Sith. During the first quarter of the New Sith Wars.

Cultural shift

In 738 BBY, following a significant growth in Mandalorian militancy that alarmed the Republic and its Jedi protectors, a brief and targeted conflict broke out between the Republic and the Mandalorians that brought devastation to the Mandalore sector. Portions of the planet Mandalore were reduced to barren white-sand deserts. While many of the warrior clans scattered, out of the ashes rose the New Mandalorian faction. Doing away with many of the old warrior codes the Mandalorians had historically followed, the New Mandalorians put forward the idea that the best opportunity for Mandalorian survival and prosperity would come through being peaceful, neutral, and tolerant. Clinging strongly to this belief in pacifism, nonviolence became a central tenet in their society. The New Mandalorians constructed grand cube cities in the desert wastes, using their talents as inventors and builders. Upon instituting these changes, any of the Mandalorians in their society who refused the reform and insisted upon carrying on their warrior ways, were banished to Mandalore's moon, Concordia. Traditional Mandalorian armor became a rare sight in the New Mandalorian capital city of Sundari, and on the neighboring world of Kalevala, known to be a stronghold for the New Mandalorians.

Although a large number of Mandalorians joined in the New Mandalorian movement, other clans chose to continue on the path they'd walked for centuries. Approximately 200 BBY, the Mandalorians were responsible for the genocide of the Ithullan race. Almost a hundred years later, the reigning Mand'alor of the time was murdered by the Gen'Dai bounty hunter, Durge, in his ongoing quest of vengeance against the Mandalorians for the death of his mentor, Jaing. In retaliation, the Mandalorians captured and tortured Durge to the edge of insanity; the bounty hunter managed to escape his Mandalorian captors, but it would take him the better part of a century to regenerate from his wounds. At some point in this era, Ranah Teh Naast became Mand'alor, known by the sobriquet of "Mandalore the Destroyer". She led a siege of Luon, giving the Consul of Luon a final chance to surrender before attacking. It was also likely around this time that a group of Mandalorians killed the family of a Wookiee by the name of Ryyk.

Rise of True Mandalorians and the founding of Death Watch

In the year 60 BBY, a charismatic Mandalorian warrior by the name of Jaster Mereel ascended to the position of Mand'alor. In this role, he began to institute a cultural reform that many had been calling for since the Ithullan genocide nearly a century and a half earlier, eventually laying out a new guideline for Mandalorian behavior known as the Supercommando Codex. He asserted that the Mandalorians who still wished to fight would simply act as highly-paid soldiers, and should conduct themselves as honorable mercenaries. However, not all would agree with the Codex or Mereel's reforms. He was opposed by the followers of the barbaric Tor Vizsla, who desired a return to brutal savagery and the instigation of another galactic war of conquest. Skilled but undisciplined, these soldiers rallied to Vizsla and formed a splinter group that came to call itself the Death Watch, while those supercommandos who remained loyal to Mereel recast themselves as the "True Mandalorians".

"No true Mandalorian can live alongside the Death Watch."

―Kal Skirata.

The Mandalorian Civil War

The Mandalorian Civil War, as it came to be known, swallowed up Mandalore's full-time army and several prominent clans, but the two factions were relatively small in comparison to the overall Mandalorian population. Mandalorians living away from Mandalore were scarcely affected, even those in the Mandalore sector. However, the ideological differences between Tor Vizsla and Jaster Mereel were central to the war and the path the Mandalorians would take for the foreseeable future.

The Clone Wars

The Grand Army of the Republic

In 32 BBY, Jango Fett was recruited by Darth Tyranus—in truth the former Jedi Master Dooku, now a Count of his homeworld of Serenno and a Sith Lord—to be the genetic template for an army of clones being grown on Kamino for the Republic. In addition to donating his genetic material, Fett would stay on with the Kaminoans as a military consultant for the Grand Army of the Republic, passing on many aspects of the Mandalorian culture to his clones; he assisted in the design of the armor worn by the clone troopers, evident in the similarities between their armor and Fett's own, including the distinctive T-visor of their helmets. Fett also helped to create the flash training regimen used to instruct all of the young clones, including in it the traditional Mandalorian song Vode An as a useful tool to help instill within them a sense of purpose, modifying it slightly in order to give it meaning for soldiers serving the Republic. While Fett trained the Alpha-class ARC troopers personally, he recruited a team of one hundred other training sergeants collectively known as the Cuy'val Dar—seventy-five of whom were other Mandalorians—to train the Grand Army's clone commandos.These Mandalorian sergeants, including the likes of Walon Vau, Kal Skirata, and Rav Bralor, were responsible for a massive influx of Mandalorian culture into the clone ranks.

"The Empire gutted us. You've got a short memory. Or maybe you were still in diapers when Shysa had to kick some pride back into us."

―Baltan Carid.

The Dark Times

As the Republic made its transformation into the Galactic Empire and the Great Jedi Purge began, the newly-crowned Emperor Palpatine turned his sights on Mandalore. Appearing to forgive the Mandalorians for their actions during the Clone Wars, the Empire had begun offering mercenary work to the people and even offered a large sum of credits in order to lease land for the creation of an Imperial base with a garrison on the planet. Although there were those who believed any deal with the Empire to be a bad idea—such as Kal Skirata, who had gained a certain understanding of Palpatine's manipulative capabilities during his time in service to the Republic's Grand Army, and cited Palpatine's carefully planned destruction of the Jedi as proof that "Palpatine never did anything temporary in his life"—the Mandalorian clan leaders met and decided in favor of leasing the land to the Empire. However, as Imperial forces began to arrive, the post of Mand'alor that had been vacant since Spar stepped down, was reluctantly assumed by Fenn Shysa. Shysa had been a favorite among the Mandalorian people for becoming the next Mand'alor, but it was his negative feelings toward the Empire that influenced his decision: Shysa had been against allowing the Imperial garrison, but felt that should the clans turn the Empire's offer down, they would lose much-needed credits and the Empire might well have come to Mandalore anyway, under much less friendly circumstances.

"I came to tell you that your people can expect to be busy in the next few months. A war is coming."

"You must be new in this galaxy. There's always a war going on somewhere, always has been, always will be. It's why Mandalorians have never gone out of business."

―Nom Anor and Boba Fett

After the Empire

With the destruction of the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, a year after Mandalore's own liberation, the Alliance to Restore the Republic formally became the Alliance of Free Planets, an interim government on the way to a new Republic. As Mand'alor, Shysa led the Mandalorians as an ally of the Alliance of Free Planets during the Nagai invasion of the galaxy after a few battles in the Mandalore system. However, when it became clear that the Nagai were looking to escape from under the heel of the barbaric Tof, the Mandalorian Protectors agreed to help the Nagai liberate their own homeworld, Nagi. Although Mandalore was not part of the New Republic that was formed shortly after, the Mandalorian Protectors and Fenn Shysa would again offer their aid during the Battle of Mindor against Lord Shadowspawn. Shysa's stint as Mand'alor would come to an end in 21 ABY. When an aging Boba Fett returned to Kamino to attain a cloned replacement for a near-cancerous leg, the Kaminoan named Taun We sought to enlist Fett in her revenge against the last living Mandalorian Protector who'd been responsible for the attack on her world during the Clone Wars: Shysa. Fett hunted Shysa to the planet Shogun, but before Fett could kill Shysa they were surrounded by Sevvets. Shysa, still of the belief that a member of the Fetts would make the best Mand'alor, saved Fett's life but received severe wounds in the process. Rather than leave Shysa to the Sevvets to die what he felt was a "rotten death", Fett killed Shysa out of mercy, but not before agreeing to Shysa's dying wish that Fett succeed him as Mand'alor. Taught from a young age that his word was his bond by his father, Jango, Fett returned to Mandalore with Shysa's helmet and took over as the new Mandalorian leader. Under Fett, the Mandalorian Protectors would cease to be a force strictly for home defense, and became a mercenary army, while Shysa was memorialized in the Keldabe suburb of Bralsin.

"No Mandalorian soldier should have to fight an aruetii's war for the price of a day's food. No Mando'ad should have to fight at all, except to defend Manda'yaim, his home, or his family, or because he wants to. We have to stop being the tool of governments that don't care if we live or die so long as we do their bidding."

―Kad'ika, also known as Venku Skirata, addressing a gathering of clan leaders.

Restoration

Ten years after the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Mandalore was still recovering from the damage dealt by the vengeful Vong. Many of their best soldiers had fallen to the Vong attack, and even after ten years, much of Mandalore's soil remained poisoned and its infrastructure in disarray.[46] At the same time, Boba Fett, who was still the reigning Mand'alor but had been living on Taris, found that he was dying: the tumors in his old leg, a result of his time spent in the Sarlacc and worsened by his nature as a clone, had begun to spread. Fett was contacted by Corellian President, Thrackan Sal-Solo.

Sal-Solo informed Fett that he wished to enlist the aid of the Mandalorians in order to defend Centerpoint Station as it underwent reconstruction. Fett had Beviin gather what supercommandos he could to meet him on Drall. Although many were unable to get away from their farms as it was now harvest time on Mandalore, when Fett arrived at Zerria's Bar on Drall, he was joined by six Mandalorians: Ram Zerimar, Briike, Novoc Vevut and his son Ghes Orade, Isko Talgal, and Beviin. The general consensus among the commandos was against taking up arms for Corellia in the growing tensions between Corellia and the Galactic Alliance, stating that they were less interested in credits as they were in tending to their farms, and in a private conversation with Beviin, Fett learned that a Mandalorian known as "Kad'ika" was spreading the sentiment that Mandalorians should stop fighting outsiders' wars and strengthen themselves, though he wasn't looking to replace Fett as Mand'alor. And later Jaina solo would begin her training under Fett to defeat her brother Darth Caedus, Jaina Solo continued her training under Fett, even journeying with him to Roche when the Mandalorians took up arms for the Verpine again as the Galactic Alliance forces loyal to Darth Caedus moved to conquer the Verpine. Mandalorian casualties were high, with losses including the deaths of Vatok Tawr and Roegr, and the capture of Mirta by Caedus. During the fighting, Jaina faced off against Caedus aboard the Anakin Solo, using her training under Fett to defeat and kill her Sith brother. Mirta was soon rescued, but before Caedus' death, he'd ordered a nanovirus designed to kill Fett and any who shared his genes be released on Mandalore. While it appeared that Fett and Mirta would never be able to return to Mandalore, because the nanovirus used was derived from the FG36 nanovirus developed years earlier,[64] the immunization that had been spread across Mandalore in secret by Clan Skirata during the early days of the Galactic Empire put this in doubt. When Natasi Daala was instated as the new Galactic Alliance Chief of State, her old alliances and working relationships with Boba Fett proved beneficial for the Mandalorians as they were provided with a greatly increased role in government and galactic affairs as elite security and intelligence operatives. Daala also used them as Galactic Alliance forces against rogue Jedi, such as Seff Hellin in 43 ABY, much to the concern of Grand Master Luke Skywalker and the Jedi Order.

"There's more at play here than you can guess and my master wants the Mandos out of it."

―Yaga Auchs.

Sith–Imperial War

By the year 127 ABY, the Sith–Imperial War had broken out, with the Fel Empire turning on the Galactic Alliance. The Mandalorians, now under the leadership of Mand'alor Chernan Ordo, had been contracted by the Galactic Alliance to hold the planet Botajef and its shipyards against the Imperial Army until the Galactic Alliance Fleet arrived with reinforcements. However, there was a traitor in their midst by the name of Yaga Auchs; Auchs served an unknown master and it was in his service that he sabotaged communication with the Alliance fleet and betrayed his comrades, leading to the Mand'alor's death. Usurping the title for himself, Auchs used his authority as the new Mand'alor to order a retreat, leaving Botajef to the Empire and taking his people out of the war. As Auchs pulled out, Hondo Karr and Vevec—the father of Karr's wife, Tes―were left stranded on Botajef. With Imperial soldiers closing in, Karr removed his Mandalorian armor and replaced it with the armor of a dead stormtrooper. Vevec refused to hide in the enemy's armor, and instead gave his life to help establish Karr's cover as the last survivor of his unit.

"They will die a death that will last millennia, until all that remains is their code, their history, and in the end, the shell of their armor upon the shell of a man, too easily slain by Jedi."

―Kreia's prediction of the end of the Mandalorians.

Prophesied end

Several centuries prior to the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire in its place, approximately 3951 BBY, the former Jedi Kreia—and once the Sith "Lord of Betrayal", Darth Traya—used her great insight into the Force to foresee the end of the Mandalorians, an event that she believed would take place long after her own death. In her vision, Kreia revealed that following their defeat in the Mandalorian Wars at the hands of Revan, the Mandalorians would never wage another crusading war of conquest. Instead, they would grow weaker and experience a slow decline that would span thousands of years until only their history, their code, and a single male Mandalorian remained. This male, whom she foresaw as a broken man in Mandalorian armor, would meet his end in battle with a Jedi, thus marking the final end of the Mandalorian people.

Culture

Daily life and death

Early Mandalorian culture, originating with the ancient Taung species, was believed to have begun as a religious warrior society, with sophisticated laws and customs that went on to become the Canons of Honor. War was practiced as a form of ritual worship to their multiple gods, but following the destruction of the Nevoota, war itself became a godpersonified by Kad Ha'rangir the destroyer god. In Mandalorian mythology, Kad Ha'rangir represented the opportunity for change through destruction, and was eternally opposed by Arasuum, the personification of stagnation and inactivity. Because of this,

many of the Mandalorians' earliest conflicts were seen as holy wars and their warriors known as the Mandalorian Crusaders. As time went on and the majority of the Taung had perished by the end of the Great Sith War, the Mandalorians began accepting beings of other races and species into their fold, viewing those who joined them on equal footing to those who had been born into the culture, and transforming what it meant to be a Mandalorian.

Having become a mixed group of beings from numerous worlds and species, those who considered themselves Mandalorian were bound by a single, unifying culture rather than any one race, and they believed that an individual was defined by their actions rather then the circumstances of birth.

Central to the Mandalorian culture were the Resol'nare, or the "Six Actions". These six tenets defined what it meant to be a Mandalorian, and any who wished to be considered as such was expected to abide by them. The Resol'nare consisted of wearing armor, speaking the Mandalorian language, defending oneself along with one's family, contributing to the welfare of your clan, rallying to the Mand'alor when summoned, and raising one's children in the Mandalorian ways. In order to retain their heritage in the face of outside influence, Mandalorians placed a high value on rigorously carrying out the Resol'nare's tenets in a daily manner. However, interpretation of the Resol'nare differed, and at least one group of Mandalorians, the New Mandalorians, potentially followed an alternate interpretation of the Resol'nare by doing away with personally-owned sets of armor and refusing to aid the Mand'alor.

"If your sinuses got burned, it was probably Mandalorian. Hetikles. "Noseburn." It's how you know it's good."

―Torian Cadera.

Cuisine

Like most other ethnic groups, Mandalorians had their own distinctive cuisine, unique to their culture. As a society of nomadic soldiers, many Mandalorian dishes developed out of the necessity for their food to be both portable and requiring little cooking, while still offering nourishment. Haarshun bread was a staple in Mandalorian field rations; made into sheets thin enough to nearly see through, the dough would be rolled and baked hard, then wet with water to soften it again before eating. Gihaal was a dried fishmeal that could last several years without refrigeration, and was a nutritious mix of fat and protein. However, it possessed a pungent, clinging aroma that most found unpleasant. More pleasing to the masses was uj'alayi, or "uj cake". Made from ground or crushed nuts, dried fruits, spices, and sticky uj'ayl syrup, uj cake was dense, flat, and extremely sweet.

A dish better suited for a sit-down meal was tiingilar, a spicy casserole made of meat and vegetables. When most beings think of Mandalorian alcoholic drinks, it's Mandallian Narcolethe that comes to mind. However, tihaar was a potent, and often colorless spirit, distilled from a variety of fruits, often whatever was available at the time. Many Mandalorians also preferred to partake of a pint of ne'tra gal, a black-colored sweet ale. The Mandalorians also possessed several drinking songs, including Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal, and Naasad'guur mhi – Mhi n'ulu. In the case of non-alcoholic beverages, shig was a hot drink made from any infusion of herbs or spices much like tea, and was often made from behot, a fast-growing, citrus-flavored herb. The New Mandalorians of Sundari were avid consumers of tea from the Ardees Beverage Company, even offering it to school children during their lunch periods.

You can't rule Mandalorians. You just make sensible suggestions they want to follow. And since when have Mandalorians needed to be told what makes sense?"

―Boba Fett.

Society

Mandalorians placed little importance on birthplace or citizenship, and so had no official "state" as understood by galactic politics. Mandalorian society was a classical meritocracy, where rank and status meant nothing in comparison to a being's actions and achievements.Mandalorian clans were led by chieftains—usually senior members of the clans chosen for their wisdom—and the loose affiliation and cooperation between them was the closest the Mandalorians had to a standard government; the clans and their chieftains were all subordinate to the Mand'alor, the one individual recognized as sole ruler of the Mandalorians and the nearest Mandalorian parallel for a proper head-of-state. In keeping with their aversion to a centralized government, Mandalorians also had no palaces or offices for their leaders to occupy, and most business on Mandalore was conducted at the Oyu'baat tapcafe in Keldabe, usually over drinks. The society of the New Mandalorians differed from these ideals, in that they employed a more centralized government, a council of ministers overseen by the offices of a Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. While the Mandalorians held a general dislike for a system of hierarchy, and—with the exception of the changes instituted for the Neo-Crusaders by Cassus Fett, and the pacifist New Mandalorians—held no interest in ranks, they were extremely cooperative when in battle. Their signature individuality is set aside in the pursuit of a common goal, and Mandalorians will do anything to achieve that goal.

When drawn together as an army, Mandalorians easily settle into an informal command structure, arranging their priorities on outcome rather than personal ambition, and it was this flexibility that contributed to their success as mercenaries.Gender meant little in Mandalorian society, and there was scarcely any distinction present in their language. Males and females were on equal footing, although they often took different roles. Mandalorian males were all expected to be warriors, and were responsible for training their sons to be the same. Females were expected to have the same martial skills as males, and were responsible for the training of daughters.

They were also expected to be able to cook, and to care for any young children and their home if the men were away. But if they had no children dependent on them, females would fight side-by-side with the men on the battlefield. In accordance with this mentality, the desired Mandalorian female was not so much beautiful or graceful, as physically strong and enduring. In fact, the word laandur, or "delicate", was a common insult among Mandalorian women. To imply that a Mandalorian woman was delicate, a poor mother, or a bad fighter, was a sure way to start an unwanted confrontation. When a Mandalorian was down on their luck or in need of a place to stay, it was expected of his neighbors or friends to give them sanctuary and offer them a meal, whether that individual was a common soldier or the Mand'alor himself. This state of mind also extended to businesses, with the Mandalorian corporation MandalMotors freely contributing half of their profits on one occasion, to help in the rebuilding of Mandalore following the Yuuzhan Vong War. It was also common for Mandalorians to offer support to their fellows in a dangerous situation, even if they were not familiar with the individual on a personal level; simply being Mandalorian was the only pre-requisite for assistance.

"Mandalorians are surprisingly unconcerned with biological lineage. Their definition of offspring or parent is more by relationship than birth: adoption is extremely common, and it's not unusual for soldiers to take war orphans as their sons or daughters if they impress them with their aggression and tenacity."

―Mandalorians: Identity and Its Influence on Genome.

Family

In direct opposition to their infamy as a ruthless enemy, Mandalorians cherish family and shower affection upon those they love and care for. In Mandalorian society, marriage is expected to be life-long and usually takes place shortly after a Mandalorian turns sixteen-years-old. A marriage itself was usually a private ceremony between only the two involved, where the entered into a legal commitment by reciting the following pledge: "Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde."—translating as "We are one when together, we are one when parted, we share all, we will raise warriors." These vows could be exchanged in person, in a text communication, or over a comlink from anywhere across the galaxy.[35] Though the ceremony itself was private, following the wedding, it was customary to celebrate the new couple's union with drinks and festivities among family and friends. Despite the importance placed on chastity and fidelity prior to marriage in species that practiced such, a partner who acted unfaithfully during a long separation would be forgiven so long as any child that resulted from the indiscretion is raised together by the couple. In certain rare circumstances, such as abandonment or a failure to live up to responsibilities, partners could divorce one another with a declaration that they were shuk'la riduurok,

"a broken love." Homosexuality and same-sex marriages were apparently accepted by the Mandalorians, as Goran Beviin and Medrit Vasur were an openly homosexual married couple living on Mandalore, who were fully integrated into Mandalorian society.

Adoption was extremely common in Mandalorian culture, even adoption of adults. Because of the Mandalorians' constant connection to war, widows and orphans became an inescapable fact of life and adult males became not only welcome, but necessary. Like marriage, the Mandalorian ritual for adoption was rather simple. Known as the gai bal manda—"name and soul"—the adoption is carried out by the adopting parent stating "ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad" to the intended child—"I know your name as my child." In addition to following the Resol'nare, this simple adoption ritual is all that it took to make an individual a Mandalorian. Adoption of war orphans was quite common, even children of a defeated enemy whereas other species might kill them. Examples of this tradition include Jango Fett being taken in by Jaster Mereel, and Kal Skirata adopting the Null ARC troopers and the commandos of Omega Squad just as he had been adopted by his father, Munin. To Mandalorians, there was no difference between a biological child or one who was adopted.

"There are two reasons why we have to wear armor. One is so that we don't get killed too easily. The other is so that we all look Mandalorian, however different we may be from our brothers and sisters."

―A Mandalorian mother to her daughter.

Armor

The thing most often associated with the Mandalorians was their armor. In Mando'a, it was known as beskar'gam, or "iron skin", a show of just how central it was to a Mandalorian's life. Armor was greatly valued, especially if made from the near indestructible metal beskar, and was often passed down through generations. Aside from it's defensive capabilities, armor served another function: in a group formed from so many different species, often times it was only the armor that displayed an outward sign of the culture that bound these individuals together.

The paint scheme of a Mandalorian's armor occasionally represented a soldier's state of mind, or their personal mission. For instance, sand-gold represented a quest for vengeance, while black indicated a desire for justice. This was not always the case, however, and Mandalorians would sometimes decorate their armor in colors they simply held a preference for; blue and green were common choices. Whereas many soldiers preferred the inconspicuousness afforded by camouflage, Mandalorians believed in the saying, "It's one thing to see us coming, it's another to do something about it.".

"The Mandalorian language has more terms of insult than any of the more widely spoken galactic tongues. But whereas most species choose insults that are based on parentage or appearance, the majority of Mandalorian pejoratives are concerned with cowardice, stupidity, laziness, dull conversation, or a lack of hygiene. It reveals the preoccupations of a nomadic warrior culture where bloodline matters less than personal qualities, faces are largely masked, and a clean, efficient camp is crucial to survival."

―Mandalorians: Identity and Language.

Language

As was the case with many defined cultures, the Mandalorians had a language distinct from Basic, known as Mando'a. The origins of the language were unclear, possibly drawing roots from the ancient Taung dialects, though it possessed aspects not found in other galactic languages. Mando'a was not all that complex and was easy to learn, a great benefit to a group that often took in adults from other races. Although this was their main language, the Mandalorians were often acquainted with several others, including Huttese and Basic, and more that had been picked up while fighting on countless planets. In spite of this influence from other languages, Mandalorians preferred to draw new words for outside concepts from Mando'a's inherently flexibly vocabulary; the Mandalorian term for "Sith" was dar'jetii, translating as "no longer a Jedi". The Mandalorians also had no word for "hero", believing that being ready to die for your loved ones and your beliefs was required for a Mandalorian and not worth a separate word, though the word for coward, or hut'uun, was derived from the Mandalorian distaste for Hutts.. The term aruetiise is used to refer to non Mandalorian and is perceived as a term of distaste. Mandalorians also referred to their family with the first two or three letters of their name preceded by the "ika". This was similar for children referring to their fathers, with the two or three first letters of the fathers name preceded by "Buir".

Religion

The ancient Taung waged war for their gods before deifying war itself. But as time went on, the Mandalorians became disillusioned with the fanatic worship of war and developed a much less zealous system of beliefs. These more pragmatic warriors looked for a philosophical meaning to be gleaned from myths such as the Akaanati'kar'oya, or "War of Life and Death", and the stories of the stars representing fallen Mandalorian leaders, rather than interpreting them literally. Most Mandalorians now believed in the manda, a collective state of being Mandalorian best described as an oversoul. To be a part of the manda after death, a Mandalorian must understand their culture and act in a way that embodies the ideals of the Mandalorian kar'ta, a term that usually means "heart", but also stands for "soul". A person ignorant of their heritage or one who denies it, was considered dar'manda, or soulless, and has no place in the Mandalorian afterlife.

"So what's wrong with being a mercenary? Is your war worth fighting? If it is, then why does it matter who fights it for you? Aren't we imbued with the righteousness of your cause when we take up arms for you? Would you rather your own men and women died to make the point? And if your war is so noble, so necessary—why aren't you fighting it for yourself? Think of all that before you spit on us, aruetii."

―Jaster Mereel.

Mercenaries

With the devastating end to the Mandalorian Wars, the Mandalorians were left without a leader and their Neo-Crusader army fragmented. While some Mandalorians returned home to the Mandalore sector, a number of embittered others turned to ruthless mercenary work. Informally known as the "Mandalorian Mercs", these Mandalorian soldiers sold their services to individuals and factions alike, working for whoever could offer the most money. This mercenary tradition would last for thousands of years, over which there would be several attempts to reunite the clans into a single army by the likes of Mandalore the Preserver or Mandalore the Lesser. As time went on, the ethics of these mercenaries steadily declined until the time when Jaster Mereel ascended to the position of Mand'alor. A man of strong morals, Mereel reformed the Mandalorian clans and instituted the Supercommando Codex, a set of rules that would turn the Mandalorians away from savage raiders and into highly paid soldiers who conducted themselves as honorable mercenaries. Though this would eventually lead to the formation of the Death Watch and the outbreak of the Mandalorian Civil War, Mereel reforms would have a lasting impact on the Mandalorians, defining the way Mandalorian mercenaries would act for decades to come.

Most Mandalorian mercenaries acted independently, although during his reign as Mand'alor, Jaster Mereel would lead his True Mandalorians as a mercenary army when not battling the Death Watch. Also, the Mandalorian Protectors acted as a mercenary army after Boba Fett assumed leadership of the Mandalorians. Fett, a bounty hunter himself, overturned former Mand'alor Fenn Shysa's idea that the Protectors be a force for the defense of Mandalore.

Songs

Dha Werda Verda - was the name of both an epic poem, and a Mandalorian war chant, as well as the Taung people that lay at the heart of each. When translated from the language of Mando'a, Dha Werda Verda meant "Warriors of the Shadow," a name the Taung took for themselves during their legendary war with the Battalions of Zhell.

Lyrics in Mando'a.

Taung sa rang broka Mando'ade ka'rta.

Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu,

Manda'yaim kandosii adu.

Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya.

Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.

Kom'rk tsad droten troch nyn ures adenn.

Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu,

Manda'yaim kandosii adu.

Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya.

Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a

in basic.

The ash of the Taung beats strong within the Mandalorians' heart.

We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow,

The first noble sons of Mandalore.

Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.

Our vengeance burns brighter still.

The gauntlet of Mandalore strikes without mercy.

We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow,

The first noble sons of Mandalore.

Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.

Our vengeance burns brighter still.

Kote Darasuum - meaning "Glory Eternal," was an ancient Mandalorian war chant sung in Mando'a. During his training of the clone troopers of the Republic, Jango Fett revised a number of chants, including "Kote Darasuum", replacing traditional Mandalorian keywords with more appropriate Republic ones, although this short chant required no modifications.

Lyrics in Mando'a.

Kote, darasuum kote.

Te racin ka’ra juaan kote.

in basic.

Glory, eternal glory.

The stars pale beside our might.

Ka'rta Tor - meaning "One Heart of Justice," was an ancient Mandalorian war chant sung in Mando'a. During his training of the clone troopers of the Republic, Jango Fett revised a number of chants, including "Gra'tua Cuun," replacing traditional Mandalorian keywords with more appropriate Republic ones. In this instance, it is presumable that he replaced "the Mandalorians'" with "The Jedi." The chant was sung by the clone troopers with the accompaniment of drums and horns.

Lyrics in Mando'a.

Kandosii sa kyr'am ast,

Troan teroch jetiise a'den,

Duraan vi at ara'nov.

Vode an, ka'rta tor.

Kote.

in basic.

As ruthless as Death itself,

The pitiless face of The Jedi's wrath,

Let us look down on all who are before us.

Brothers all, one heart of justice.

Glory.

Gra'tua Cuun -(Our Vengeance) was an ancient Mandalorian war chant sung in Mando'a. During his training of the clone troopers of the Galactic Republic, Jango Fett revised a number of chants, including "Gra'tua Cuun", for use by the clone warriors. The chant was sung by the clone troopers with the accompaniment of drums and horns.

Lyrics in Mando'a.

Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.

Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Taung!

Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.

Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.

Aruetyc runi'la solus cet o'r prudii an.

Motir ca’tra nau tracinya.

Gra’tua cuun hett su dralshy’a.

Aruetyc runi'la solus cet o’r.

Motir ca’tra nau tracinya.

Gra’tua cuun hett su dralshy’a.

Aruetyc runi'la trattok’o.

Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an!

Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Taung!

Bal kote, darasuum kote,

Jorso’ran kando a tome.

Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an.

in basic.

Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.

Our vengeance burns brighter still. Taung!

Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.

Our vengeance burns brighter still.

Every last traitorous soul shall kneel in our shadow.

Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.

Our vengeance burns brighter still.

Every last traitorous soul shall kneel.

Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.

Our vengeance burns brighter still.

Every last traitorous soul shall fall.

Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers All!

Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.

Our vengeance burns brighter still. Taung!

And glory, eternal glory, We shall bear its weight together.

Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers All.

Vode An - meaning "Brothers All", was an ancient Mandalorian war chant sung in Mando'a. During his training of the clone troopers of the Galactic Republic, Jango Fett revised a number of chants, including Vode An, replacing traditional Mandalorian keywords with more appropriate Republic ones. In this instance, it is presumable that he replaced "Mandalore" with "Coruscant". The chant was sung by the clone troopers with the accompaniment of drums and horns.

Lyrics in Mando'a.

Kote!

Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an.

Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an.

Bal kote, darasuum kote,

Jorso'ran kando a tome.

Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an.

Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an.

Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an.

Bal...

Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.

Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.

Aruetyc talyc runi'la solus cet o'r.

Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.

Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.

Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'o.

Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an!

in basic.

Glory!

One indomitable heart, Brothers all.

We, the wrath of Coruscant, Brothers all.

And glory, eternal glory,

We shall bear its weight together.

Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers all.

One indomitable heart, Brothers all.

We, the wrath of Coruscant, Brothers all.

And...

Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.

Our vengeance burns brighter still.

Every last traitorous soul shall kneel.

Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.

Our vengeance burns brighter still.

Every last traitorous soul shall fall.

Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers all.

Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal - was a Mandalorian drinking song. By the years 21 BBY, Buy'ce gal, buy've tal had gained significant popularity among numerous Mandalorian soldiers. The song was cynical in nature, and was an expression of the common Mandalorian mercenary's wry pragmatism as they accepted that life could be fleeting and victories irrelevant.Traditionally sung in the Mandalorian dialect of Mando'a, Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal was a song that contained strong language. When it was performed in the more widely spoken language of Galactic Basic Standard, Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal was often given an approximate translation rather than a direct one, with the lyrics edited to be less explicit.

Lyrics in Mando'a.

Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal

Vebor'ad ures aliit

Mhi draar baat'i meg'parjii'se

Kote lo'shebs'ul narit.

in basic.

A pint of ale, a pint of blood

Buys men without a name.

We never care who wins the war

So you can keep your fame

"It was absolutely beautiful. Is it a love song? It sounds so lonely and longing."

"It roughly translates as, 'Nobody likes us but we don't care, because we're Mandos, and we're the best.' Sorry to spoil the illusion."

―Jaina Solo and Goran Beviin

Naasad'guur mhi – Mhi n'ulu - A Mandalorian drinking chant was believed to have originated from a ban on Geris VI that prohibited Mandalorian mercenaries in the employ of the planetary government, from drinking in the local tapcafs.In the year 41 ABY, a group of Mandalorian revelers sang this song during a celebration at Levet's farm on Mandalore, the Mandalorians' cultural homeworld in the Outer Rim. Jedi Knight Jaina Solo, who was on Mandalore and staying at the nearby Beviin-Vasur farm at the time, heard the singing from down the dirt road and believed it to be a love song, attributing a much deeper meaning to it's mournful tone due to her lack of knowledge of the Mando'a language. However, after speaking with her host, Goran Beviin, the true nature of the song was explained to Solo, though she preferred her own interpretation to the much simpler truth.

Lyrics in Mando'a.

Naasad'guur mhi.

Naasad'guur mhi.

Naasad'guur mhi.

Mhi n'ulu.

Mhi Mando'ade,

Kandosii'ade,

Teh Manda'yaim.

Mando'ade.

in basic.

No one likes us,

No one likes us,

No one likes us,

We don't care.

We are Mandos,

The elite boys,

Mando boys,

From Mandalore.