Mandalorian iron Mandalorian iron , also known by its " Mando ' a " name of beskar , was an extremely durable iron ore whose only known source was the Outer Rim world of Mandalore and its moon , Concordia . The Mandalorian warrior culture that inhabited Mandalore mined their planet for " beskar " , using it in the creation of weapons , armor , and starships , occasionally even selling the rare and valuable metal on the galactic market . The introduction of certain additives during the smelting process served to increase the strength of the natural ore , and Mandalorian metalsmith s guarded the secrets of forging " beskar " from outsiders , passing along the techniques from one generation of metallurgists to the next , strictly within the Mandalorian community . A versatile metal , Mandalorian iron could be melded into multiple alloys and forged into various configurations . Description . Mandalorian iron was rare throughout the galaxy , as the only known source for the ore was the planet Mandalore and its orbiting moon , Concordia , both located at the heart of Mandalorian space in the Outer Rim . Some speculated that " beskar " could be found in the other worlds of the Mandalore system , as well . The Mandalorians referred to the iron by the name " beskar " , and despite the word ' s origins in the " Mando ' a " language , it became common for even non - Mandalorians to refer to the element as such . Mined from beneath the surface of Mandalore and Concordia , Mandalorian iron was one of the toughest metals known to science . Cherished for its incredible strength and durability , " beskar " was notable for being able to withstand blows from even a lightsaber , and was commonly thought to be nearly indestructible , making " beskar " more prized than durasteel or cortosis . The natural strength of " beskar " was amplified during the forging process , using techniques developed and closely guarded by Mandalorian metalsmith s , many of whom would sooner die than reveal their secrets to outsiders . In the foundry , carbons were often added to the ore to create a molecular cage structure that allowed Mandalorian iron to be lighter than contemporary metals , while still retaining its incredible toughness . Without the addition of carbon , " beskar " was significantly heavier . Repeated folding of Mandalorian iron during forging further enhanced its strength . Mandalorian metalsmiths combined " beskar " ore with several other metals to create multiple alloys capable of being shaped into various configurations , and were also responsible for affecting the final color of the finished " beskar " during the smelting process . When two pieces of " beskar " were struck together , the resulting sound was heavy and dull , more solid in resonance than the high tin ny frequency produced from striking durasteel . Usage . A versatile metal capable of being combined into several alloys and molded into a number of forms , " beskar " became a common material in Mandalorian craftsmanship . Depending upon the composition of the alloy , Mandalorian iron could be rendered into solid plates , a laminate , wire , mesh , or particles , even a foam , or a transparent film . Though materials such as durasteel and alum were commonly used in the creation of Mandalorian armor , Mandalorian iron was considered the most desirable choice for a soldier ' s armor . Armor forged of " beskar " could withstand blunt force , strikes from a lightsaber , and repeated blasterfire , though the force of the impact still transferred in part to the wearer . Mandalorian iron was also a common resource in the production of weapons : traditional Mandalorian sabers known as " beskad e " were forged of Mandalorian iron , with the metal folded and struck repeated during the process to create the sturdy blades . Mandalorian " kal " knives were also cast from " beskar " iron . Micronized " beskar " was used in the creation of powerful crushgaunts , capable of breaking bone with ease , and bladed " bes ' bev " flutes were crafted from Mandalorian iron , as well . " Beskar " could be employed in the creation of lightsaber hilt s in order to make them capable of resisting blows from an opposing blade , and Mandalorian iron crafted into hand - held shields could be used for defense and offense alike , allowing the wielder to strike their opponent or cut them with edges that have been honed to a razor sharpness . Ancient Mandalorian manacles were made of " beskar " , and the tough Mandalorian iron allowed them to compete with the advent of newer binder technology , such as force shackles and laser cuffs , for centuries . Many buildings in the New Mandalorian capital city of Sundari utilized " beskar " in their construction , and Mandalorian iron was used in the creation of the city ' s prison cells , just as it had been for years in powerful " beskar " cage s . " Beskar " was also often used in the construction of Mandalorian starships , including the likes of the " Bes ' uliik " - class starfighter , which featured an outer armored shell of micronized Mandalorian iron . History . Early history . The ancient Taung progenitors of the Mandalorian culture were said to have been drawn to what became Mandalorian space by the lure of indestructible " beskar " ore , and discovered " beskar " sometime after their conquest of the planet Mandalore around 7000 BBY . The acquisition and use of Mandalorian iron was a contributing factor in the early expansion of the Mandalore sector . Mandalorian metalsmiths developed techniques and different methods for working the iron which they came to guard closely from outsiders , and passed down from one generation to the next . However , its incredible strength attracted the attention of many non - Mandalorians , and " beskar " quickly earned a reputation as one of the strongest metals known to science , and one of the most desirable elements in the galaxy ; armies throughout the galaxy sought to obtain supplies of Mandalorian iron , and it became one of the most valuable metals on the galactic market . Attempts to purchase the knowledge of " beskar " iron - working from Mandalorian metalsmiths though the years had all failed , and all endeavors to replicate finished " beskar " without the aid of Mandalorian craftsmen had been met with similarly poor results . Mandalorians furnished starships and constructed weapons with " beskar " , while the Jedi Master Arca Jeth utilized a heavy slab of Mandalorian iron to seal the tomb of the deceased Sith Lord Freedon Nadd on Dxun . The " beskar " door proved an impediment for the Dark Jedi Exar Kun , who was shocked to find that his lightsaber was rebuffed by the Mandalorian iron , and only gained access to the blocked tomb with repeated strikes of his saber at its highest power output . By the time of the Cold War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire , Mandalorians had come to view " beskar " as the ideal material for crafting Mandalorian armor , and recognized the substantial benefits it provided when battling lightsaber - armed Force wielders , a viewpoint that lasted for generations . The Sith Lord Darth Rivan also made use of Mandalorian iron in his Sith fortress on Almas : the door to his ritual chamber and the floor of his lightsaber practice room were crafted from " beskar " , as was a chest Rivan used to hold his most valued Sith tomes . Another Sith , Lord Odion of the Grumani sector , had a throne of Mandalorian iron installed aboard the bridge of his flagship , the " Sword of Ieldis " , while some Sith warriors elected to wear heavy " beskar " armor as part of their apparel . A Mandalorian resource . As time went on , Mandalorian iron became a prominent export from the planet Mandalore , fulfilling an economic niche for the Mandalorians on the galactic market . Following the Mandalorian Excision of 738 BBY that birthed the peaceful New Mandalorian faction , the pacifist sect made substantial use of Mandalorian iron in the construction of their capital city of Sundari , located in one of the white - sand deserts of Mandalore . Many of the city ' s grand buildings and towers featured " beskar " in their architectural makeup , and durable Mandalorian iron was used in the creation of cells at the city ' s prison . Some of the " beskar " utilized by the New Mandalorians came from breaking down suits of traditional Mandalorian armor the pacifist sect had relinquished upon embracing peace , repurposing the material toward non - martial ends . Before the Mandalorians ceased waging large - scale warfare , they turned to Mandalore ' s moon , Concordia , seeking to uncover new deposits of " beskar " ore . Once an agricultural settlement , Concordia was transformed into a mining base by Mandalorian prospectors who scoured the moon for " beskar " . Ugly mines came to scar the surface of Concordia , and the mining operation was so extensive that the forests of Mandalore ' s moon were nearly destroyed in the effort . The mining operations on Concordia eventually slowed , to the point they were believed by the New Mandalorian government to have ceased altogether . However , the forces of the Death Watch — a violent and radical Mandalorian splinter group that opposed both the modern honorable ways of the warrior clans and the pacifism of the New Mandalorians — continued to maintain mining operations on Mandalore and Concordia in secret , acquiring " beskar " for weapons and armor . The Death Watch ' s founder and leader , Tor Vizsla , touched upon these mining efforts and " beskar " in general in a manifesto he wrote entitled " Ba ' jurne Kyr ' tsad Mando ' ad " . Mandalorian police units continued to make use of ancient " beskar " - forged Mandalorian manacles during this time , keeping them as part of their standard equipment , as well as blastproof " beskar " shields . The personal star yacht of the New Mandalorian leader , Duchess Satine Kryze , was furnished with " beskar " flatware used by passengers for dining . By the start of the galaxy - spanning Clone Wars , the effects of the widescale " beskar " mining operation on Concordia began to fade , and the moon ' s forests had begun to flourish again . At this time , the Mandalorian soldier Walon Vau possessed black " beskar " - forged Mandalorian armor in addition to a traditional Mandalorian " beskad " saber . Wad ' e Tay ' haai , Vau ' s mercenary contemporary and a fellow Mandalorian member of the " Cuy ' val Dar " — an elite group of training sergeants hand - picked to instruct the clone commandos of the Grand Army of the Republic — owned a bladed Mandalorian " bes ' bev " flute cast from Mandalorian iron , painted the same violet color as his iron armor . Tay ' haai ' s good friend , and another member of the " Cuy ' val Dar " by the name of Kal Skirata , wore armor that was a Mandalorian iron alloy containing two percent ciridium . Skirata ' s armor lacked carbon in its composition , traditionally used to form a molecular cage structure that made " beskar " lighter , resulting in a significant weight increase . Around this time , Pilas Manaitis wrote at length on the attributes and advantages of Mandalorian iron in his work " Strategic Resources of the Galaxy " . After the Galactic Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire , Imperials began brokering negotiations with the clan chieftains of Mandalore in order to establish a garrison base on the planet and acquire the rights to mine for Mandalorian iron . An offer of eight hundred million credits was issued for exclusive " beskar " mining rights in the verdant Tokursh region of Mandalore , and the MandalMotors company was solicited to refurbish old prison ships and construct new ones with Mandalorian iron enhancements . In addition , requests were made to acquire specialist " beskar " equipment including manacles , holding cages , and security doors . However , as time passed , relations between the Empire and Mandalore changed from cordial to hostile : Mandalore was taken over by the Imperials and its people enslaved . The Empire strip - mined Mandalore ' s shallow veins of " beskar " ore , shipping a significant amount offworld before Fenn Shysa and the Mandalorian Protectors were able to liberate Mandalore from the Empire . Around this same time , the Sith Lady Lumiya used Mandalorian iron to construct portions of her lightwhip . In 24 ABY , at the four - hundred - twelfth Proceedings of Galactic Anthropology and History at the Brentaal Academy on Brentaal IV , historian Vilnau Teupt gave a keynote speech entitled " . " During the speech , he discussed the place of " beskar " in the vast history and culture of the Mandalorian people . War and resurgence . Decades later , the Mandalorian soldier Goran Beviin came to possess an antique " beskad " forged of Mandalorian iron , as well as a pair of micronized " beskar " - laden crushgaunts . When the extra - galactic race of invaders known as Yuuzhan Vong launched an attack on the known galaxy with the intent to conquer it , Beviin battled the aliens with both iron - made weapons . After the end of the galactic invasion by the Yuuzhan Vong and their devastating attack on Mandalore , a new source of Mandalorian iron was discovered in 40 ABY . Heeding the orders of reigning " Mand ' alor " Boba Fett , two Mandalorians — one a geologist , and the other a minerals engineer — were returning to Mandalore when they decided to take an orbital scan of the surface damage that had been incurred by the Yuuzhan Vong . Upon comparing their results to previous geographic data , the two elected to investigate further upon planetary approach , only to find an undiscovered lode of " beskar " a few kilometers north of the small town of Enceri . The iron had been deeper than the Imperials thought to mine during their occupation , exposed by chance by a Yuuzhan Vong singularity bomb . Foreman Herik Vorad was placed in charge of overseeing the mining of the new " beskar " lode , and as it was found on land that didn ' t belong to any one individual , " Mand ' alor " Fett declared the iron to be a resource for all of Mandalore . He also settled on a compromise that allocated a portion of the Mandalorian iron to be manufactured into goods for foreign export , while another portion would be kept for the Mandalorians ' domestic needs , including defense armament . This new lode of Mandalorian iron led to an economically prosperous era for Mandalore , and the creation of new starships such as the " Bes ' uliik " - class starfighter by MandalMotors — whose CEO , Jir Yomaget , elected to provide the " Bes ' uliik " line with micronized " beskar " armor instead of a " beskar " laminate — and the " Tra ' kad " , which employed heavy Mandalorian iron armor plating . In 41 ABY , Goran Beviin and Jedi Knight Jaina Solo used " beskar " training armor and " beskad " sabers during sparring sessions , while Beviin attempted to teach Solo Mandalorian fighting techniques in order to better combat her Sith Lord brother , Darth Caedus . Around the same time , Beviin ' s husband Medrit Vasur forged a set of " beskar " Mandalorian armor for Boba Fett to replace his old set comprised of durasteel plates . Fett put his new plates to good use soon after , during the Second Battle of Fondor , where his Mandalorian iron armor blocked incoming blasterfire while he and over a dozen Mandalorian supercommandos assaulted the Star Destroyer " Bloodfin " . When the battle was over and " Bloodfin " had been captured by the Mandalorians , Fett met with Imperial Admiral Natasi Daala , who revealed that she knew where much of the Mandalorian iron the Empire had stolen from Mandalore was located , and suggested the possibility of having it returned to the Mandalorians . Upon completing her training under Beviin , Jaina Solo was furnished with " beskar " armor plates , which she used during her decisive clash with Darth Caedus aboard the " Anakin Solo " . Solo also learned from her uncle , Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker , how to perceive the faint flaws left in " beskar " during the forging process and use the Force to shatter the otherwise impervious Mandalorian iron by exploiting those imperfections . Behind the scenes . Though Mandalorian manacles had first appeared in " " , it was only in the later of the " " comic series that Mandalorian iron was truly introduced to " Star Wars " canon . The same story was also responsible for introducing Mandalorian iron ' s lightsaber resistant capabilities . With the release of the " Republic Commando " novel series and the " Star Wars Insider " article , " " , each author ed by Karen Traviss , Mandalorian iron was given the additional " Mando ' a " name of " beskar " , which has been used increasingly in more recent sources . The " People and Culture " article , in addition to the previous " Insider " article , " The History of the Mandalorians " by Abel G . Peña , provided details on the use , composition , and cultural significance of Mandalorian iron . In 2013 , the reference guide " " , co - written by Jason Fry , Daniel Wallace , and Ryder Windham , featured a section and several informational references pertaining to Mandalorian iron .