Mandalore / Legends Mandalore was the fifth planet in the Mandalore system of the Outer Rim Territories , not far from the Hydian Way trade route . The homeworld of the multi - species cultural group known as the Mandalorians , the planet was known as Manda ' yaim in the Mandalorian language , and was named after the legendary conqueror of the vibrant world , Mandalore the First . Mandalore the First ' s Taung warriors slew the indigenous mythosaur s and tamed the savage landscape , solidifying Mandalore ' s place as a powerbase and the center of Mandalorian space for millennia to come . Mandalore was covered in a rich natural landscape , largely unspoiled due to its sparse sentient population . The world was blanketed in lush veshok tree forests , dense jungle , sprawling hills and grassland well suited to farming , inhospitable deserts of white sand , and numerous river s , lake s , and seas . It was also the only known world in the galaxy , with the exception of its moon Concordia , to possess the unique , nearly indestructible iron ore known as " beskar " , an element capable of withstanding blows from even a lightsaber . An independent world ruled by the " Mand ' alor " — the leader of all the Mandalorian clans , following the tradition established by Mandalore the First — the planet Mandalore found itself the ally and enemy of numerous galactic governments and groups throughout the years . Though largely abandoned by the early Mandalorian Crusaders , who continuously sought fresh conquests , Mandalore became the fallback point for many defeated Mandalorian Neo - Crusader warriors after the end of the Mandalorian Wars . With the rise of the pacifist New Mandalorian faction and their efforts to reform Mandalore ' s warrior ways , distancing themselves from the violent past after the disastrous events that lead to their formation , Mandalore was accepted by the Galactic Republic and was known as New Mandalore throughout the isolationist society that the New Mandalorians created . Originally neutral during the Clone Wars , after the New Mandalorian capital fell to the machinations of the Death Watch , the pacifist faction ' s influence dwindled . Later , when Mandalore the Resurrector came to power , the planet broke from the Republic and joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems against the oppressive Coruscant regime , only to come under the heel of the Galactic Empire following the end of the Clone Wars . With the fall of the Empire , Mandalore began a steady period of recovery up until the Yuuzhan Vong ' s invasion of the galaxy , and the devastation the extragalactic invaders wrought upon Mandalore . The resilient world did not yield to the Vong ' s attempt at destruction , however , and by the Second Galactic Civil War , Mandalore was in the midst of a prosperous resurgence brought on by the discovery of fresh lodes of " beskar " iron that had been exposed during the Yuuzhan Vong attack . Mandalore suffered an attack by elements of the Imperial Remnant loyal to the Sith Lord Darth Caedus near the war ' s end , yet persevered , continuing to grow and developing ties with the Verpine and the Galactic Alliance . Under the leadership of " Mand ' alor " Yaga Auchs , the Mandalorians withdrew from the Sith – Imperial War and remained on Mandalore throughout the Second Imperial Civil War , focused on bettering their world . Description . Mandalore was located in the region of the galaxy known as the Outer Rim Territories , near the Hydian Way trade route , where it occupied the fifth orbit of the Mandalore sector ' s cognominal Mandalore system , between the orbits of Kalevala and Mandallia . It sat at the end of the hyperspace lane known as the Mandalorian Road , an ancient route that connected Mandalore with the planet Corsin in the Inner Rim . A terrestrial world spanning nine thousand , two hundred kilometers in diameter , Mandalore possessed standard gravity and two moons , including the one time mining base and agricultural center , Concordia . Unique to Mandalore and the Concordia moon was " beskar " iron ore , a nearly indestructible metal capable of withstanding blows from even a lightsaber , and used by Mandalorian metalsmith s to forge armor , weapons , and starships . A year on Mandalore comprised three hundred and sixty - six days , and each day was made up of nineteen hours . Mandalore possessed a breathable atmosphere , and a climate that varied by region . Before the rise of the Mandalorians , Mandalore was dominated by the gigantic mythosaur s . The enormous beasts were said to rival cities with their size , but when the Taung warriors arrived on Mandalore , they set to slaughtering the creatures as part of their conquest of the new world , leaving only their massive skeletons behind to bleach in the light of Mandalore ' s sun . Native veshok trees covered much of Mandalore ' s northern hemisphere , such as the Olankur region of its northern continent , forming a dense forest that stretched nearly as far as the polar ice caps . Winters in the north of Mandalore often saw significant snowfall , and bitter cold temperatures . The herbivorous animals called shatual s could be found living within the veshok forests , as could the intelligent , six - legged strill s that preyed upon them for food . Tall , long - lived galek trees with their silver - colored leaves were also a common sight on Mandalore , as were the golden amber fern s that grew in and around galek groves . Wild mushrooms were known to grow on and around Mandalore ' s trees , and a number of a serpentine rawl could be found in the Mandalorian wild , transplanted from their natural habitat on Naboo . Forty - five degrees north of Mandalore ' s equator , atop a flat granite hill nestled along a bend in the kilometers - long Kelita River , sat the city of Keldabe . Since at least 3960 BBY , Keldabe had served as the capital of Mandalore , and the center of government for much of Mandalorian space . However , following the foundation of the New Mandalorian faction , the reformist sect declared the domed city of Sundari , located in one of Mandalore ' s expansive and inhospitable white - sand desert regions , to be their capital . Positioned out on the flat desert plain , Sundari was constructed over a large , active " beskar " mine , surrounded by sand and the giant cube - cities built by the innovative builders of the New Mandalorian people who rejected the ways of Mandalore ' s warrior clans . Keldabe , however , found itself surrounded by wood land and the waters of the Kelita , along with gentle green hills that spread outward to fertile grassland the more agriculturally - minded Mandalorians took advantage of for farming . Keldabe boasted two of Mandalore ' s most renown landmarks , the hundred - meter - tall tower of the MandalMotors company headquarters , and the " Oyu ' baat " hotel and tapcafe , one of the oldest establishments on the planet . With no formal palaces or offices among the warrior clans , the " Oyu ' baat " was also an informal meeting place for the " Mand ' alor " and clan chieftains , making it the unofficial center of Mandalore ' s clan - based government until 40 ABY , when this role was shared by the newly established community building , MandalMotors Hall . Other cities and settlements littered Mandalore ' s surface , including the Keldabe suburb of Bralsin near the Kelita valley , and the small town of Shuror . Most of Mandalore ' s settlements were built within a heavy fortification that contributed to the ease with which they could be defended from potential invaders . An example of such a settlement was the hill - fort town of Norg Bral , home to several members of Clan Bralor . The water supply to these settlements was provided by lengths of pipelines and deeply - dug wells , often making use of both to ensure the certainty of available water . Further south and away from Keldabe , Mandalore ' s tropic regions boasted warmer weather and was where varos fruit could be found growing . Roads on Mandalore were rarely straight , designed so as to grant Mandalorians the advantage in ambushing and pinning down hostiles as they traveled . Traditional dwellings known as " vheh ' yaim e " — made from wood , woven vine s , and matted mud — were a common choice for the homes of Mandalore ' s warrior clans and numerous " vheh ' yaime " of varying sizes could be found across Mandalore . Due to the varied nature of the different species and backgrounds that comprised the greater Mandalorian people , the architecture of Mandalore differed greatly depending on the region and that area ' s particular inhabitants , from towers of transparisteel and granite , to durasteel , and even tree - bound abodes . History . Early history . Mandalore was once a wild and savage world , uninhabited by sentients , where the dominate life forms were the gigantic mythosaurs . That all changed with the arrival of the Taung . Forced from the planet Coruscant in the Core Worlds long before the foundation of the Galactic Republic by the Human Battalions of Zhell , the Taung fled to Roon , before arriving at the Outer Rim world they came to call Mandalore circa 7000 BBY . In honor of their leader , Mandalore the First , the Taungs named the world " Manda ' yaim " , or " home of the " Mand ' alor " , " which was later transliterated as Mandalore in Galactic Basic Standard . Similarly , the Taungs recast themselves as the Mandalorians , or " Mando ' ade " : " sons and daughters of Mandalore . " The newly branded Mandalorians set to taming their new world , and in the process slaughtered the enormous mythosaurs , leaving only their skeletons behind . Mandalore became the home of fierce clans of masked Taung warriors led by a single warlord who always adopted the name " Mand ' alor " , — a title which meant " sole ruler " in the " Mando ' a " language — after Mandalore the First . But a single new planet was not enough for the Mandalorian Taungs who craved fresh conquests , and though Mandalore remained the center of what was to become Mandalorian space , it was largely abandoned by the time of the Great Sith War in 3996 BBY , as Mandalore the Indomitable led the clans outward as Mandalorian Crusaders to bring new star systems under Mandalorian control . The attacks of the Crusaders only intensified as time passed , and though Mandalore the Indomitable fell in battle while engaging the Republic ' s military with the Brotherhood of the Sith Mandalore the Ultimate quickly replaced him . The new " Mand ' alor " , believing the fabled " Great Last Battle " to be at hand , turned back to the planet Mandalore at the behest of his advisor , Cassus Fett , for his new army . There on the Mandalorian homeworld existed the unorthodox warrior sect known as the Neo - Crusaders . These warriors deviated from the Crusader norm by wearing identical suits of armor and implementing a more rigid chain of command . Following Fett ' s advice , Mandalore the Ultimate made the Neo - Crusaders the backbone of his new army , and by the time he had instigated the Mandalorian Wars with the Republic , Neo - Crusaders comprised most of Mandalore ' s warriors . As the Neo - Crusader army conquered more and more worlds , the planet Mandalore became the center of a Mandalore sector that stretched across the majority of the galaxy ' s northern quadrant . Mandalore the Ultimate ' s endeavors were doomed to failure , however , and when the Jedi Knight Revan slew the " Mand ' alor " in single combat at Malachor V , the Mandalorian Wars were brought to a swift end . With no purpose , many defeated Mandalorians turned to lives as mercenaries , bounty hunters , and even bandits , while others returned home to Mandalore . War and reformations . In the years following the Galactic Republic ' s defeat of the Brotherhood of Darkness at Ruusan , and the subsequent Republic reformation that marked the end of the New Sith Wars , the Mandalorians on Mandalore began to remake themselves into a more technologically adept and more rigid , militant society . The rise in Mandalore ' s militancy so soon after the devastating war with the Sith alarmed both the Republic and its Jedi protectors , and while several clan leaders urged Mandalore to make peace and join with the Republic , they were shouted down . Unwilling to suffer through a second war with the Mandalorians , in 738 BBY the Jedi led a Republic strike force in a brief and overwhelming conflict known as the Mandalorian Excision that brought devastation to the Mandalore sector and transformed parts of Mandalore into inhospitable deserts of white sand . Out of this disaster arose a pacifist sect calling themselves the New Mandalorians ; the reformist political faction formed from the remnant of the pre - Excision peace movement renounced violence and the warrior codes of Mandalore ' s past , in what they believed to be an effort to save Mandalore and survive in a hostile galaxy . Instead , the New Mandalorians preached peace , neutrality , and tolerance . They used their talents as builders and inventors to create grand cube cities in Mandalore ' s desert , forging a new society isolated from Mandalore ' s warrior clans , on the planet they deemed " New Mandalore . " The New Mandalorians ' dedication to peace , their love of advanced technology , and the wealth of " beskar " afforded to them by Sundari ' s mines , allowed for the pacifist sect to claim ascendancy over the scattered , squabbling warrior clans on Mandalore for centuries , and for the first time in the planet ' s history Mandalore was welcomed by the Republic , and offered representation in the Galactic Senate . In spite of this , a significant number of Mandalorians continued to live much as they had for generations , continuing their warrior traditions in locations such as Keldabe . These traditional practitioners came to be known as " Old Mandalorians , " the " Aka ' liit " , or in some cases , the " Mandalorian Faithful . " Among many of the so - called Faithful , the New Mandalorians were , in turn , deemed the Faithless , for turning their backs upon the Mandalorians ' cultural heritage . The year 60 BBY saw the ascension of Jaster Mereel to the role of " Mand ' alor " . Born on the planet Concord Dawn , Mereel served as a member of the world ' s law officers known as the Journeyman Protectors until his strong moral code drove him to kill a corrupt superior officer ; Mereel was exiled from Concord Dawn as punishment for his own crime , and joined the Mandalorian culture soon after . Having noticed many Mandalorians ' dissatisfaction with the wide - spread savagery that had become prevalent in certain warrior circles , Mereel hoped to hold the Mandalorians to a higher standard of behavior . As " Mand ' alor " , Mereel instituted the Supercommando Codex , a new behavioral guideline influenced by Mereel ' s own moral ideals , in which Mereel decreed that any Mandalorians who wished to fight would be merely highly - paid soldiers , and should conduct themselves as honorable mercenaries . Mereel was opposed in this effort by a number of amoral Mandalorians who resented Mereel for his attempts to rein in their lifestyles of unaccountability . These malcontents rallied to a barbaric Mandalorian soldier named Tor Vizsla , and therein formed a splinter group known as the Death Watch with Vizsla as their leader , a Secret Mandalore in opposition to Mereel , who pledged to destroy the New Mandalorian regime , and return the Mandalorians to their ancient roots as conquerors and raiders , with the ultimate goal of instigating another war of galactic conquest . Around this time , Chieftain Nam Beroya departed Mandalore with numerous members of Clan Awaud , having grown disillusioned with the divisive politics that were overtaking Mandalore , instead seeking a simpler way of life for him and his clan . Civil war soon broke out between the Death Watch and Mereel ' s loyal supercommandos — now calling themselves the " True Mandalorians " — while the New Mandalorians kept to their ideals of pacifism and non - violence , rejecting both groups and remaining out of the conflict . In spite of its philosophical and ideological importance to the Mandalorian people , the war had was fought between two relatively small factions of soldiers , in what was seen by some as little more than a common power struggle . Mandalore ' s full - time army was swallowed by the conflict , along with several prominent clans , but it scarcely touched Mandalorians living off - world , even those in the surrounding Mandalore sector . Jaster Mereel was eventually killed by Tor Vizsla on Korda Six , though command of the True Mandalorian army and the role of " Mand ' alor " was taken up by Mereel ' s surrogate son , Jango Fett . Waged on several non - Mandalorian worlds , the tide of the civil war slipped back and forth in favor of either side until the disastrous battle on the planet Galidraan , where the schemes of the Death Watch allowed for a misled Jedi strike team to kill the True Mandalorians , all but Jango Fett , who was taken into custody by the Jedi and delivered to the Governor of Galidraan , who subsequently sold Fett into slavery . Though Fett was able to escape his unjust captivity and take his revenge on Vizsla , his losses and time in captivity made Fett a bitter man , and though he was still " Mand ' alor " , he grew distant from the Mandalorian people . With opposition from the True Mandalorians removed , the Death Watch sought to take advantage of growing hostilities on Mandalore between feuding clans with their loyalties divided . As open war erupted , Death Watch made attempts to garner support from the populace to overthrow the New Mandalorians , but the bloody conflict that became known as the Great Clan Wars harmed their cause as much as any other , and the splinter group suffered notable losses to the fighting . This second civil war divided clans and pitted family members against one another , leading to the death of a great many Mandalorians , and seeing further devastation incurred to Mandalore in addition to the scars of the centuries - old Excision . The Death Watch ultimately failed to unseat the New Mandalorian regime , while the majority of the chieftain warlords responsible for the conflict either joined the New Mandalorians , weary of war , or went into exile on Mandalore ' s moon , Concordia . Clone Wars . Peace under fire . As the Clone Wars broke out in 22 BBY at Geonosis , between the Galactic Republic and the droid army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems , Jango Fett was killed in battle with Jedi Master Mace Windu , but not before he was chosen ten years earlier to be the template for the clone troopers of the Republic ' s Grand Army , secretly grown from his DNA on Kamino by Kaminoan cloners . With Fett gone , Mandalore ' s role in the war was defined by the New Mandalorian government . By this time , Mandalore and its sector were represented in the Republic senate by Senator Tal Merrik of the neighboring world , Kalevala . Under the leadership of Duchess Satine Kryze — who had been named " Mand ' alor " of the New Mandalorians at the conclusion of the Great Clan Wars in opposition to Jango Fett , whom the New Mandalorians refused to recognize — Mandalore joined the Council of Neutral Systems , a political coalition comprised of close to fifteen hundred star systems with desires to remain neutral in the Clone Wars . Despite the planetary neutrality established by the New Mandalorian government , several Mandalorian mercenaries took work individually and in groups for either side during the conflict . It was at this point in history that the Death Watch made their return to the galaxy at large . Having fractured and gone into hiding under the Mandalorian principle of " ba ' slan shev ' la " , or " strategic disappearance , " following the death of Tor Vizsla and the end of the Great Clan Wars , Death Watch had begun to reassemble under the command of another member of the Vizsla clan , Pre Vizsla . Acting as governor of Mandalore ' s moon , Concordia , Vizsla kept up a public persona as the loyal friend and ally of Duchess Kryze . But in secret , Vizsla despised Kryze , and hated both the pacifist New Mandalorians , and their government ' s power over Mandalore . In the aftermath of Jango Fett ' s death , Vizsla believed that he was carrying on the role of the traditional " Mand ' alor " , and to that end he began assembling a new Death Watch army at a secret base within the abandoned " beskar " mines of Concordia . Allying with the Confederacy of Independent Systems and its leader , Count Dooku of Serenno , Vizsla dreamed of destroying the New Mandalorians and conquering Mandalore . He sent a Death Watch operative to attack a Republic cruiser , and disseminated rumors of Mandalore raising an army for the Confederacy , drawing the attention of the Jedi Council who dispatched Jedi General Obi - Wan Kenobi to Mandalore . While meeting with Duchess Kryze in Sundari ' s Peace Park , the park ' s Memorial Shrine was bombed by a member of the Death Watch , the latest in a series of escalating attacks . Fearing the apparent threat the Death Watch posed to Mandalore and beyond , the Republic senate drafted a resolution to deploy a Republic military force to Mandalore in order to defend against the Death Watch , a resolution championed by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine . This was the plan of Count Dooku all along , intending to make the Republic appear as an antagonist invasion force , which would in turn cause the people of Mandalore to rally behind the Death Watch as liberators . In an effort to keep this outcome from occurring and making Mandalore a military target , Duchess Kryze , Senator Tal Merrik , and a retinue of other sympathetic senators traveled aboard Kryze ' s personal starship to Coruscant , where the New Mandalorian leader intended to plead her position to the Galactic Senate . On route , Senator Merrik was revealed to be a traitor to the New Mandalorian cause and a secret ally of the Death Watch ; he attempted to have Kryze murdered , only to be exposed and killed , himself , by one of the Duchess ' s Jedi protectors . With Merrik dead , Mandalore was left without a senator , and Kryze took it upon herself to personally speak before the Republic senate . Though manipulation within the Republic government initially turned the vote against Kryze — and the Death Watch continued to make attempts on her life , even on Coruscant — the Duchess was ultimately able to convince the Galactic Senate with the aid of posthumous testimony from the New Mandalorian Deputy Minister , Jerec , that the New Mandalorian government would be able to combat the Death Watch independently and effectively , without the need for Republic intervention . Death Watch was eventually exiled from Mandalore , and forced from the surrounding system . The senate elected to allow Mandalore to uphold its neutrality in the war effort , quashing the hopes of Pre Vizsla and the Death Watch to take control of the planet , but that victory came at a price : Duchess Kryze ' s actions were negatively perceived by elements of the Republic government , and as a neutral state , Mandalore was viewed as a Republic outsider . Trade routes to Mandalore were closed , leaving the world to its own resources without aid from the interstellar government , and forcing the New Mandalorian people to invest heavily in black market dealings in order to obtain much - needed supplies . This foray into the world of illegal goods had the unintended side effect of rampant greed and corruption spreading through the New Mandalorian government and police force . To help alleviate these tensions , Duchess Kryze invited Senator Padmé Amidala to Mandalore for a diplomatic visit to discuss the crisis . It was during Amidala ' s stay on Mandalore that the corruption within the New Mandalorian customs department allowed for a large number of New Mandalorian school children to be poisoned by slabin - laced tea that had been imported by smugglers . Kryze and Amidala tracked the Moogan smugglers responsible to a warehouse at the shipping docks of Sundari , and following a brief shootout between the smugglers and several officers of the Mandalorian guard , the operation was dismantled . Kryze later provided the poison antidote to the hospitalized children , and not long after , it came to light that the New Mandalorians ' own Prime Minister , Almec , was behind the black market conspiracy . At this revelation , Almec was removed from office and summarily imprisoned . Nevertheless , Mandalore was selected as the location for diplomatic talks between select members of the Republic Senate and the Separatist Parliament . In the Royal Palace of Sundari , parties of diplomats from each government met to discuss peace and an end to the Clone Wars . These peace negotiations soured with the intervention of the young Separatist Senator Lux Bonteri , whose accusation of wrong - doing toward the Confederate leader , Count Dooku , brought the proceedings to a break down . The New Mandalorian coup . Nearly two years since their last attempt to wrest power from the New Mandalorians , the Death Watch returned to Mandalore at the same time Sundari came under attack by a contingent of criminals known as the Shadow Collective . As the foot soldiers of Black Sun , the Pyke Syndicate , and the Hutt Cartel s terrorized Sundari , Death Watch presented themselves to the New Mandalorian people as saviors . In truth , however , Death Watch was in collusion with the Shadow Collective , having struck a deal with the criminal alliance ' s leaders , the Sith Lord Darth Maul and his apprentice Savage Opress , wherein the outlaws would sow chaos and disorder throughout New Mandalorian territory , only for Death Watch to appear to come to the people ' s rescue and win public favor . Across Sundari and the New Mandalorian - held cities of Mandalore , Death Watch beat back and arrested the criminal members of the Shadow Collective in staged battles , making a display of the ineffectiveness of Duchess Satine Kryze ' s leadership , before finally confronting the New Mandalorian leader in her palace throne room . With the will of the people turned to support him , Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla deposed Kryze , imprisoning the duchess and her council of minister s , before finally installing himself as the new Prime Minister and claiming the title of " Mand ' alor " of the New Mandalorians . His goals met , Vizsla turned on his Sith allies , imprisoning both Maul and Opress in the same facility where the New Mandalorian government ' s officials had been incarcerated . Unbeknownst to Vizsla , Darth Maul had anticipated and planned for such a betrayal , allowing himself to be captured so that he might find a more malleable replacement for Vizsla as puppet ruler of the New Mandalorians . Within the prison Maul came across the former Prime Minister Almec , who was willing to side with the Sith in order to escape prison and regain his lost standing . Breaking free of their confines , Maul stormed the Royal Palace with his apprentice and Almec in tow , where he challenged Vizsla to single combat for the right to rule . Bound by honor to the ancient warrior codes he sought to reinstate , Vizsla battled Maul in a furious duel through the throne room , finally losing to Maul when the Sith Lord decapitated him . Though Maul had won leadership of Death Watch in accordance to the old ways the group venerated , a unit of soldiers loyal to Vizsla ' s lieutenant Bo - Katan refused to concede leadership to a non Mandalorian . The breakaway group fled the palace amidst a heated firefight , and moved to rescue the imprisoned Duchess Kryze . While Kryze was apprehended shortly after the Death Watch renegades ' escape attempt , she had succeeded in contacting the Jedi Temple with news of the coup , bringing Jedi Master Obi - Wan Kenobi to Mandalore on a mission to save Kryze shortly thereafter . Kenobi ' s rescue attempt fared no better than Bo - Katan and her troops ' , and Kryze was slain by Maul in order to cause her former lover , Kenobi , anguish . In spite of their inability to rescue the duchess , Bo - Katan and her warriors freed Kenobi from Maul ' s Death Watch loyalists , and rushed the Jedi Master out of Sundari and off of Mandalore in the middle of a battle between the two Death Watch factions . Concurrently , the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious arrived on Mandalore , upon having sensed the whereabouts of his one - time apprentice , Darth Maul . In the Sundari palace , Sidious faced off against Maul and Savage Opress in a duel to settle a breach of the Sith Order ' s Rule of Two , eventually killing Opress and subduing Maul for his own future purposes . The balance of power shifts . The New Mandalorians were not the only citizens of Mandalore to fall upon hard times during the Clone Wars . Having been marginalized by the Republic , much of Mandalore had grown impoverished and in need of funds . This was the climate into which stepped Spar — the former Alpha - class ARC trooper who fled Kamino and deserted the Grand Army before the start of the Clone Wars — when he arrived on Mandalore . Encouraged by clan chieftain Fenn Shysa , who spread rumors that Spar was the son and heir of Jango Fett in order to capitalize on Fett ' s reputation as a Jedi killer , Spar took up the vacant position of " Mand ' alor " . Determined to rebuild a new army of Mandalorian supercommandos in the image of the fallen True Mandalorians , Spar found many willing recruits among the ranks of the local police , and his growing Mandalorian Protector army even attracted nearly a dozen former members of the Death Watch . Spar and the Protectors won control of Mandalore ; Spar then took the sobriquet " Mandalore the Resurrector , " as an indication that the traditions of the warrior clans had regained supremacy . The new " Mand ' alor " brought the planet over to the side of the Confederacy of Independent Systems , viewing the Republic as a corrupt oppressor , and seized the production facilities of MandalMotors in Keldabe for the Confederacy ' s exclusive use . Once Mandalore was on the side of the CIS , the ranks of Spar ' s Mandalorian Protector army were supplemented by one thousand BL - series Battle Legionnaire droids , partially designed by Fenn Shysa , and supplied by the Confederacy ' s droid foundries . Setting out from Mandalore , the Mandalorian Protectors entered into the Clone Wars as a Confederate shock force . Confederacy commanders called upon the Protectors to deal with stubborn Republic opposition that their mass - produced battle droids could not overcome ; once the Protectors arrived on the battlefield , the enemy was often defeated in under a day . They stormed planets such as New Bornalex , New Holstice , Null , and Zaadja , until finally being assigned to capture Senator Padmé Amidala on Norval II by the shadowy Darth Sidious on behalf of the CIS . Once on Norval , the Protectors were overwhelmed in a Republic ambush orchestrated by Sidious ' alter - ego , Chancellor Palpatine . Nearly all of the Protectors ' Battle Legionnaire droids were destroyed and the Mandalorians killed , all except for Fenn Shysa , Tobbi Dala , and " Mand ' alor " Spar himself . After the devastating defeat , the three returned to Mandalore , where a shell - shocked Spar stepped down from being " Mand ' alor " , though Shysa made repeated unsuccessful attempts to get the ex - " Mand ' alor " to resume his post . As the Clone Wars came to an end , the Galactic Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire , under the newly crowned Emperor Palpatine . Despite Mandalore ' s role in the Confederacy of Independent Systems late in the war , the fledgling Empire granted the planet amnesty , and even offered Mandalorians paying mercenary work as part of the Jedi purge Palpatine had initiated . The Imperials were also interested in purchasing land on Mandalore where they could establish a garrison as a base of operations for the surrounding quadrant . The clans met , and finding the Empire ' s offer to be generous , they agreed to a temporary lease of land near Keldabe . The Imperials moved into what became known as the City of Bone , a failed amusement park designed by an enterprising Mandalorian to look like a giant mythosaur skeleton , in the hopes of attracting adventure tourism to Mandalore . At the same time as the Empire began to move onto Mandalore , Fenn Shysa acquiesced to popular opinion and accepted the position of " Mand ' alor " . During this time , Mandalore became a haven for numerous clone troopers of the former Republic , who had deserted from their positions in the Grand Army for the promise of a life of freedom . This underground movement was centered around Kyrimorut , home of the former " Cuy ' val Dar " clone trainer Kal Skirata and his clan . However , clone deserters were not the only increased presence on Mandalore during this period . In the aftermath of the New Mandalorians ' fall and the dissolution of the Shadow Collective , elements of Black Sun moved to fill the void the fleeting criminal contingent had left . The syndicate established a known presence on Mandalore ' s moon , Concordia , and Tyno Fabris — lieutenant to the Black Sun Vigo Xizor — took up residence in Keldabe , where the Arkanian gangster worked out of an office in the " Oyu ' baat " cantina . Around 18 BBY , the Jedi Knight Jax Pavan traveled to Mandalore in search of information on the whereabouts of a friend taken by the Empire . He met with Fabris at the " Oyu ' baat " on multiple occasions , eventually acquiring the information he sought after making a deal with Fabris ' superior , Vigo Xizor . Imperial occupation . Though the Empire ' s relationship with Mandalore was cordial at first — offering large sums for mining rights in the " beskar " - rich Tokursh region of the planet , and brokering starship contracts with MandalMotors — by the start of the Galactic Civil War , the Imperial grip on the Mandalorian homeworld had tightened harshly . Aided by elements of the reborn Death Watch , operating on Mandalore under the leadership of Lorka Gedyc , Imperial advisers were installed on MandalMotors ' executive board , accumulating power in the name of the Empire . One such adviser , known as the Suprema , confiscated the traditional armor of Mandalore ' s citizens , and instituted a massive slaving operation that sent a large portion of Mandalore ' s population into chains . These slaves were used by the Empire to operate factories contributing to the Imperial war effort , and to aid the Imperials ' endeavors to strip - mine Mandalore of valuable " beskar " ore . The Empire also established an Imperial Academy on Mandalore . It was during this time that the criminal organization run by the crime lord Tyber Zann engaged in a mission to Mandalore , successfully kidnapping the being known as the " Supreme Strategist . " His pirates were also responsible for several raids on facilities owned by Mandal Hypernautics , carried out in order to convince the Mandalore - based company to supply his organization with their ships and war machines . Against the Imperial occupation , " Mand ' alor " Fenn Shysa covertly trained a new iteration of the Mandalorian Protectors . Without the widespread availability of Mandalorian armor or weaponry , Shysa instructed his new army in guerrilla tactics as an insurgent force . Shysa and Tobbi Dala , the only other surviving member of the original Mandalorian Protectors beside Spar , led numerous raids on slaver operations , rescuing Mandalorian slaves from their Imperial captors , and disappearing before the Empire could strike back , tactics which made use of the Protector ' s familiarity with Mandalore ' s dense jungles . However , the success of the Protectors made Shysa a target for an Imperial bounty , and during the late years of their campaign against the Empire ' s presence on Mandalore , Dala was captured by the Suprema . When the bounty hunter Dengar came to Mandalore to capture Shysa for the reward on the " Mand ' alor " head , he was instead taken captive by the Protectors and negotiations were made to exchange him for the release of Dala . It was only shortly after that Princess Leia Organa of the Rebel Alliance also came to Mandalore ; Organa was searching for Dengar , so as to ascertain from him the whereabouts of Dengar ' s bounty hunter associate , Boba Fett , in order to recover the Alliance officer Fett had taken , Han Solo . Stumbling into the middle of a Protector strike on a slaver convoy , Organa was inadvertently drawn into Mandalore ' s fight for freedom , when she was taken back to the Protector ' s camp near Keldabe , only to be turned over to the Empire by Dengar after he escaped Protector custody . Disguised as a stormtrooper , Shysa infiltrated the Imperial base at the City of Bone with the intent to free both Princess Organa and his friend , Dala . Once inside , he signaled his Protectors to strike , launching an attack on the Imperial headquarters that culminated with the destruction of the enormous structure . Though Organa was ultimately freed , Dala gave his life to ensure that the slavers were defeated , and the Suprema was killed . Many of the slaves Shysa had freed decided to join the Mandalorian Protectors , and with the armor and weapons he recovered , Shysa had a planetary army numbering several hundred strong . New threats . With the Empire ' s control over Mandalore broken , Shysa ' s victory made the " Mand ' alor " a symbol of hope for his home planet . Under Shysa , Mandalore was set on the path to restoration , and the renewed Mandalorian Protector army rose up against Grand Admiral Miltin Takel , the Imperial overseer of the Mandalore sector , swifty ousting Takel and the influence of the Empire from Mandalorian space . When the Nagai attacked Mandalore not long after the death of Emperor Palpatine and the Imperial defeat at the Battle of Endor , Shysa led Mandalore into a coalition with the Alliance of Free Planets — an interim government formed from the Rebellion , while preparing to become a New Republic in the wake of Palpatine ' s death — and together , drove the Nagai off Mandalore , before aiding the Alliance in their fight against both the Nagai and the Tof . Once peace had been restored , the Mandalorian Protectors began to live up to their name in more literal capacity : patrolling Mandalore ' s sector of space , if any hostile ship entered Mandalorian territory , the Protectors would board and capture the vessel , taking it back to Mandalore . Almost twenty years after Mandalore freed itself from the grip of the Empire , the world ' s most beloved leader in recent history , Fenn Shysa , passed away in 21 ABY on the planet Shogun , saving the life of Boba Fett . In accordance with Shysa ' s final wish , Fett became the next " Mand ' alor " . Fett ' s new role as the leader of the Mandalorians was soon tested by the appearance of the early Yuuzhan Vong scout , Nom Anor . Anor , under the alias of " Udelen , " contacted the Mandalorians seeking to use their mercenary skills in preparation for the larger galactic invasion . When the Yuuzhan Vong finally began their galactic incursion in 25 ABY , and Fett found out the truth of the Vong ' s plans to invade , conquer , and violently transform the galaxy to fit their own radical religious ideals , he made a deal with Anor to continue their mercenary service so long as Mandalore and its sector were spared . However , knowing the Yuuzhan Vong would break their word and having seen the danger the invaders posed , Fett secretly established a relationship with the Jedi New Republic Intelligence agent , Kubariet , passing along intelligence that he and other Mandalorians in Vong employ managed to gather , along with assorted bio - samples that had been collected . The Yuuzhan Vong came to discover Fett ' s duplicity , and in revenge , launched an attack on Mandalore in 29 ABY . Fett and a legion of Mandalore ' s supercommandos engaged the Vong in a battle to protect Mandalore . Unlike the other planets the invaders had sought to terraform , the Vong intended to destroy the Mandalorian homeworld . Using singularity ordnance , the Vong blew large craters into Mandalore ' s surface , and destroyed wide tracts of forested landscape , in addition to poisoning once fertile farmland . Close to one and a half million Mandalorians were killed during the attack , but through the use of underground tunnels , Mandalore ' s rough terrain , and sheer martial ability , the Mandalorians defeated and ultimately repelled the Yuuzhan Vong . Though Mandalore ' s population had been reduced by nearly a third , the Mandalorians , both living and dead , were remembered as the only people to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong on their own . Having turned openly hostile against Mandalore , Fett led his Mandalorian Protectors against the Yuuzhan Vong in defense of the galaxy , defeating the invaders at Gyndine , and liberating Tholatin from the Vong ; during the battle at Caluula Station , the Mandalorian Protectors made the Yuuzhan Vong fear the power of Mandalore . Reconstruction . After the war with the Yuuzhan Vong came to a close , and the defeated Vong came to live on the sentient planet Zonama Sekot , the battle - devastated planet of Mandalore was one of many planets that did not join the recently formed , multi - governmental political conglomerate , the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances . Mandalore was also one of the many worlds that did not receive aid from the new Galactic Alliance , despite its role in assisting the New Republic , and defending several worlds threatened by the Vong invaders . As such , the slow process of revitalizing Mandalore was left to the Mandalorian people alone , a task that spanned close to ten years . By 40 ABY , much of the physical damage that the Yuuzhan Vong had wreaked on Mandalore had healed . The bodies of the dead , Mandalorian and Vong alike , had been buried , and most of the damage to buildings and structures had been repaired . The hundred - meter - tall tower of MandalMotors ' headquarters in Keldabe was still adorned with several scars , however , and the majority of the woodland that surrounded Mandalore ' s capital city remained flattened . Perhaps worst of all the issues plaguing Mandalore on its road to recovery were the food shortages that came as a result of the farmland that had been poisoned by the Vong , and the severely reduced population . These were two issues that were brought before a meeting of Mandalorian clan chieftains at MandalMotors Hall in Keldabe . Presiding over the gathering of clan leaders and corporate executives , " Mand ' alor " Boba Fett agreed to an idea put forth by the Mandalorian soldier Graad to decree a recall of two million Mandalorians living offworld throughout the galaxy to return to Mandalore in order to bolster the population . The Carid clan took up the responsibility of allocating Mandalore ' s abandoned fallow farmland to any Mandalorian arrivals from offworld who wished to claim ownership . Fett also contributed several million credits to a fund for importing what food and supplies were necessary from offworld until a level of self - sufficiency could again be reached , a fund into which the head of MandalMotors , Jir Yomaget , promised to donate half of the company ' s profits . Heeding the call of the " Mand ' alor " , Mandalorians from planets all across the galaxy journeyed to Mandalore in droves , reclaiming abandoned farmland and bringing their varied expertise to the Mandalorian homeworld . Two such Mandalorians — one with a background as a geologist and the other as minerals engineer — decided to scan a region of Mandalore that had been significantly damaged by the Yuuzhan Vong while on orbital approach , and upon further inspection , discovered a new lode of " beskar " iron deep within the planet that the Galactic Empire had missed so many years prior , only to be exposed by the Vong ' s attack . Located a few hundred kilometers north of the remote town of Enceri , the " beskar " find wasn ' t located on land owned by any one Mandalorian , and thus the " Mand ' alor " declared that the fresh ore would be used a resource for all of Mandalore : half would be sold offworld for profit , and half would be kept for domestic armament . The newly discovered " beskar " enabled the start of a new era of economic resurgence on Mandalore . When news of Mandalore ' s " beskar " discovery became publicly known , the Verpine of Roche declared their interest in purchasing an amount of the powerful metal , but also made mention of the Verpine hive ' s concerns about potential Mandalorian aggression while their representative Sass Sikili was in talks with Boba Fett . Fett was able to quell the Verpine ' s fears by offering a treaty between Mandalore and Roche , wherein a pact of nonaggression was made , and a mutual aid system was established : Mandalore would provide martial service and " beskar " iron , in exchange for exclusive Verpine technology , and access to Verpine technical facilities . The Verpine hive accepted , and the resulting alliance only served to strengthen Mandalore ' s economy . Second Galactic Civil War . As Mandalore ' s economy and infrastructure flourished , the outside galaxy was in the midst of a division that quickly escalated into the Second Galactic Civil War , as the Galactic Alliance faced off against the Corellian - led Confederation . In order to better focus on Mandalore ' s restoration , Boba Fett declared the planet to be neutral in the conflict , though he also recognized the importance of mercenary work in providing needed credits to some Mandalorian residents , and thus did not interfere with the right of individuals to take up personal contracts . Due to Mandalore ' s recent treaty with Roche , however , Mandalorians declined work from Verpine disfavored Kem Stor Ai , and punitively bombed several factories on Murkhana after the planet abused and ignored Verpine technological patents . The bombing raid on Murkhana was also a display of Mandalore ' s new " Bes ' uliik " starfighters , designed and constructed by MandalMotors using the new " beskar " lodes ; several " Bes ' uliik " fighters became part of Mandalore ' s defense fleet , in addition to more heavily armed and armored " Tra ' kad " - class assault ships . By the " Mand ' alor " proclamation , " Bes ' uliik " fighters were to be available for sale and export to all interested parties , regardless of side in the current civil war , though he stipulated that Jacen Solo — having recently killed Fett ' s daughter , Ailyn Vel — would have to come to Mandalore personally to deal for the Republic . The government of Bothawui sent a formal offer to Mandalore to acquire a squadron of " Bes ' uliik " fighters , and offered a larger premium to gain exclusive purchasing rights to the vessel . The Bothans also offered twenty million credits per month for the services of a Mandalorian assault fleet and additional infantry forces . Despite Mandalore ' s state of planetary neutrality , when Boba Fett was contacted by Imperial Admiral Natasi Daala just prior to the Second Battle of Fondor , Fett agreed to assemble a group of supercommando mercenaries in order to aid Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon . When Pellaeon was killed by the Sith apprentice Tahiri Veila , Fett and his commandos attacked and took control of Pellaeon ' s flagship , " Bloodfin " , wounding both Veila and her Sith Lord master , Darth Caedus — formerly Jacen Solo . Though the injured Sith managed to escape , the battle at Fondor was a victory for the Galactic Alliance and Imperial Remnant - comprised " Jedi Coalition . " Soon after , Fett ' s granddaughter , Mirta Gev was married to her lover Ghes Orade on Mandalore , and a wedding reception was held in Keldabe . The Mandalorians were later called to defend the Verpine asteroid Nickel One against an attack by Imperial Remnant forces loyal to Darth Caedus , as part of Mandalore ' s treaty with Roche . Fett and his soldiers were on hand during the Jedi Coalition ' s assault on Caedus , even participating in killing several Imperial Moffs loyal to the Sith Lord . But in retaliation for the Mandalorians ' participation , Caedus sent what ships were left of the Galactic Alliance Fifth Fleet to attack Mandalore , and released a nanovirus across the surface , engineered via blood stolen from Mirta Gev to kill any member of the Fett clan who stepped foot on the world . However , unknown to the Imperials who used a modified version of the Clone Wars – era FG36 virus , much of Mandalore ' s populace had been inoculated for the base nanovirus years earlier during the reign of " Mand ' alor " Fenn Shysa by the formerly Separatist scientist Ovolot Qail Uthan , a cure which was communicable by both air and touch , and was transmitted from parent to child . Sith – Imperial War . By the first year of the Sith – Imperial War , Chernan Ordo had become the new " Mand ' alor " . But while employed by the Galactic Alliance to defend the planet Botajef from the forces of the Fel Empire , Ordo was betrayed by his trusted soldier , Yaga Auchs . Auchs pulled the Mandalorians out of battle , and with all but Hondo Karr , the man who discovered Auchs in the act , unaware of his betrayal , Auchs claimed the title of " Mand ' alor " for himself . With that new authority , he ordered the Mandalorians back to Mandalore , and where they would remain under the premise of rebuilding , just as Boba Fett had done years earlier . Unlike Fett , Auchs ' decree came at the order of the master he secretly served , who desired the Mandalorians remain out of the war . Inhabitants . Since the Taung first arrived from Roon , Mandalore has been dominated by the Mandalorian people . Over time , the planet became the political center of Mandalorian space , and the one true homeworld acknowledged by the often nomadic warriors . However , as the Mandalorians were spread out in communities across the galaxy , many Mandalorians were not born on Mandalore , and had never seen the planet during their lifetime . Though the term " Mandalorian " was originally used by the Taung to describe themselves , by the end of the Great Sith War , the Mandalorians began accepting beings of other races 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 as defined by the " Resol ' nare " . Never a densely populated world , Mandalore maintained a population that hovered around four million individuals throughout much of its history . Due to its sparse population , land outside of what urban zones there were was free for an individual to settle at their choosing , so long as it was not already occupied . Despite the large place mercenary work held in the culture honored by Mandalore ' s warrior clans , many Mandalorians took up non - martial occupations on Mandalore . Several toiled in workshops and factories , while others tended bars , ran shops , and worked as doctors , veterinarians , and in New Mandalorian society , even formal teachers . As Mandalore was the only known world — in addition to its moon , Concordia , — to possess the element " beskar " , Mandalorians have mined Mandalore for the nearly indestructible metal for generations , with Mandalorian blacksmiths passing down the closely - guarded secrets of how to manipulate " beskar " through the ages . Government and economy . The ultimate authority on Mandalore , and in the greater Mandalorian culture , rested with the " Mand ' alor " . A position that was non - hereditary , and considered a combination of general , king , and warlord , the word " Mand ' alor " meant " sole ruler , " and was the closest to an official head of state the Mandalorian warrior clans traditionally had . Beneath the " Mand ' alor " , were the numerous leaders of the many Mandalorian clans . These clan chieftains functioned as an unofficial senate , and would gather — often alongside the current " Mand ' alor " — to make decisions affecting Mandalore . The New Mandalorians , however , had a different system of government . More centralized and bureaucratic than the loose affiliation of Mandalore ' s warrior clans , the New Mandalorian government was comprised of a Ruling Council of ministers , led by a Prime Minister . The Prime Minister was also subservient the New Mandalorians ' own " Mand ' alor " , chosen in opposition to those who ruled the warrior clans . For much of Mandalore ' s history , Mandalore ' s planetary economy has been driven by the MandalMotors company , which based its headquarters in Keldabe , Mandalore ' s capital city . Famous for its vehicle designs , MandalMotors produced such starships as the " StarViper " - class attack ship , the " Bes ' uliik " - class starfighter , and the " Keldabe " - class battleship , in addition to " Canderous " - class assault tanks and " Buirk ' alor " - class airspeeders , among many other designs . During the New Mandalorians ' period of ascendancy on Mandalore , Republic trade routes were established and New Mandalorian society enjoyed food and supplies from Republic benefactors . However , once the New Mandalorian government established Mandalore ' s neutral role during the Clone Wars , the flow of goods was stemmed as the trade routes were closed . Despite a history of being marginalized , Mandalore managed to carve out a niche in the galactic economy with " beskar " iron , which was one of the strongest metals known to science , and among the most valuable metals on the galactic market . On the individual level , Mandalorian mercenaries and bounty hunters were one of Mandalore ' s largest exports , and Mandalorian weaponsmiths , veterinarian s , metallurgists , and shop keepers could earn a sustainable living via their trade . Behind the scenes . The origins of Mandalore can be found in an early story concept for . A group of armored supercommandos from the Mandalore system were conceived and designed for the film , but the idea was later dropped and the for their armor was reassigned to Boba Fett . Mandalore and the idea of the Mandalorian supercommandos remained , however , and the world , the soldiers , and the name were finally brought into " Star Wars " canon in the 1983 Marvel comic , " " . Many aspects of Mandalore , including its environment , government , and population , were both created and expanded upon in the " Republic " and " Imperial Commando " novel series by author Karen Traviss , where the planet was one of several important locations . Traviss made further contributions to fleshing out the Mandalorian world during the multi - author series , " Legacy of the Force " . Numerous other details concerning Mandalore were added by Traviss ' " Star Wars Insider " article , " " , along with Abel G . Peña ' s earlier article , " The History of the Mandalorians " . With the airing of a trio of episodes — " The Mandalore Plot " , " Voyage of Temptation " , and " Duchess of Mandalore " — in the of the " " television series , a significantly different portrayal of Mandalore was introduced . This version of Mandalore , first alluded to in the " " artbook , was a barren world , covered in a blasted flat desert of white sand that was uninhabitable outside of sealed cube cities populated by staunch pacifists , and whose capital was a domed city called Sundari . Despite the radical departure from established canon the television series made use of for Mandalore , the later reference books " The Essential Atlas " and the " " made several retcon s that effectively integrated the new version of Mandalore with prior , more arboreal iterations , stating collectively that the barren desert is in fact only one aspect of Mandalore ' s varied ecosystems , and the previously established jungles and forests were still accepted as canon . The development team behind the " Star Wars : The Clone Wars " series also designed a specific color scheme for Mandalorian technology to set it apart from the equipment used by the series ' other factions . As opposed to the Republic and Separatists , whose technology could typically be seen colored in hues of blue or green , respectively , technology on Mandalore was given a uniquely amber coloration .